Inflammatory Markers
Assessing risk for cardiovascular disease is a valuable way to help prevent a cardiac event. While risk factor identification remains one of the most important approaches to preventing cardiovascular disease, traditional risk factors fail to identify many people who are truly at risk for a heart attack or stroke [1]. In fact, approximately 50 percent of all coronary events occur in people with low-to-moderate cholesterol levels [1].
Recently, the medical community has begun to use inflammatory markers to aid in identifying individuals at risk for developing cardiovascular disease. As fatty substances build up in the inner lining of the artery, the arterial walls become inflamed or irritated; the body’s response can be detected by using various tests which measure these substances, known as inflammatory markers. Research suggests that, irrespective of the presence of traditional risk factors, individuals with increased inflammation may be at increased risk for suffering a heart attack or stroke.
The following lists two inflammatory markers that can help to identify patients with elevated levels of inflammation who may be at increased risk for cardiovascular disease.
- Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) is a vascular-specific inflammatory enzyme implicated in the formation of vulnerable, rupture-prone plaque. More than two-thirds of heart attacks occur as a result of plaque rupture and blood clots, not narrowing of the arteries [3]. The PLAC® Test for Lp-PLA2 is a simple FDA-cleared blood test that detects the presence of this vascular-specific inflammatory marker and aids in identifying hidden risk for coronary heart disease and ischemic stroke associated with atherosclerosis [4]. This test is also useful when combined with a measure of hs-CRP. Persons at the greatest risk for both heart attack and ischemic stroke are those individuals that have elevated levels of both hs-CRP and Lp-PLA2 [5].
- Highly sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) is one of the most commonly utilized inflammatory markers. While the hs-CRP blood test does measure “general” inflammation in the body, the measurement lacks the ability to identify vascular-specific inflammation. As such, hs-CRP should not be relied on alone to define risk of cardiovascular disease [2].
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