Do Cholesterol Numbers Really Assess Cardiovascular Risk?
Lipoprotein Particle Numbers Tell the Story
LPP™ Testing is essential to identifying at-risk patients
Up to 50 percent of those who have suffered heart attacks had “normal” cholesterol
numbers. How can the large discrepancy between accurate diagnosis and standard
cholesterol testing be prevented? Simply by testing the LDL (low density lipoprotein)
particle numbers using the Lipoprotein Particle Profile™ (LPP™)
from SpectraCell Laboratories.
Overview of lipoprotein particles and cholesterol
Cholesterol testing has historically been used as the standard indicator
for cardiovascular disease classified as HDL (good) or LDL (bad). However,
it is actually the lipoprotein particles that carry the cholesterol
throughout the body, not necessarily the cholesterol within them, that
are responsible for key steps in plaque production and the resulting
development of cardiovascular disease.
Approximately 50 percent of people suffering from heart attacks have shown “normal” cholesterol
numbers (NHLBI – The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute).
Now there is an advanced cholesterol testing technology which accurately measures
both the density and number of lipoprotein particles. This test is the
Lipoprotein Particle Profile™, or LPP™, from SpectraCell Laboratories.
Measuring the lipoprotein subgroups is the only way to evaluate new risk factors,
which is crucial for an accurate assessment of cardiovascular risk – according
to the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP).
NCEP new Risk Factors:
Why is it important to know lipoprotein numbers?
Cardiovascular risk increases with a higher LDL particle count. With a
higher non-HDL lipoprotein count the probability of particle penetration
of the arterial wall rises, regardless of the total amount of cholesterol
contained in each particle. On average, the typical particle contains
50 percent cholesterol.
More than 20 percent of the population has cholesterol-depleted LDL, a condition
in which a patient’s cholesterol may be “normal” but their
lipoprotein particle number, and hence their actual risk, could be much higher
than expected. This is especially common in persons whose triglycerides are
high or HDL is low. In the population with a cholesterol-depleted LDL, there
can be up to a 40 percent error in
risk assessment.
Lipoprotein Particle Profile™ (LPP™)
Providing a Complete Look at Lipoprotein Subgroups
SpectraCell’s LPP™ test is a proprietary technology originally
developed at Texas A&M University that separates the lipoproteins in blood
serum by density using analytical ultracentrifugation, the CDC gold standard
for lipoprotein testing, then measures the particles photometrically.
Use LPP™ in your practice for accurate atherogenic risk assessments
Traditionally, the standard lipid panel calculates LDL from measurements of the other lipoproteins. In contrast, the LPP™ method presents values for all of the lipoproteins from direct measurement. SpectraCell’s LPP™ technology aids the physician in assessing a patient’s cardiovascular risk. With LPP™, a physician can begin to treat patients with atherogenic lipoprotein profiles before overt dyslipidemia becomes apparent.
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