Improved Heart Disease Risk Assessment Achieved in At-Risk and Hidden-Risk Populations With VAP^® Lipid Panel

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Researchers using the Atherotech VAP^® Lipid Panel demonstrated the comprehensive lipid profile’s accuracy in risk stratification through subclass measurement in two abstracts presented today at the American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions 2012. The VAP Lipid Panel measured cholesterol subclasses in Framingham and TRIUMPH populations, highlighting the lipid panel’s accuracy and potential for improved outcomes in personalized heart disease risk assessment compared to the standard lipid panel, which is inadequate and inaccurate in select patients.

“These findings from TRIUMPH indicate that the more granular assessment of HDL subclasses adds important information beyond that provided by total HDL cholesterol levels alone”

The poster abstract #18939 Impact of LDL Pattern on Risk for CHD in the Framingham Offspring Population presented by study lead author Peter P. Toth, M.D., demonstrated that LDL pattern B (small, dense LDL particles) as measured by the VAP Lipid Panel is an independent risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD), including acute myocardial infarction (AMI) — or heart attack — and sudden cardiac death.

“We know that traditional risk factors do not fully explain the risk for CHD events,” said Toth, Director of Preventative Cardiology at CGH Medical Center in Sterling, Illinois, and a member of Atherotech’s Medical Advisory Board.

“The results presented today are important because they suggest that LDL subclass measurement, when added to simple LDL concentration, conveys independent CHD risk assessment information leading to more accurate risk stratification and improved outcomes,” said Toth, who has authored or coauthored more than 200 publications and is also president of the National Lipid Association.

LDL can be separated into two phenotypes called pattern A and pattern B. The LDL pattern A subclasses LDL_1,2 are composed of larger, more buoyant LDL particles. LDL pattern B subclasses LDL_3,4 are composed of smaller, more dense LDL particles, which penetrate the vascular wall more easily.

A second abstract, #16722, HDL Cholesterol Subclasses and Mortality after Acute Myocardial Infarction: The TRIUMPH Prospective Multi-Center Registry, was the subject of an oral presentation by Seth S. Martin, M.D., Fellow, Division of Cardiology, Johns Hopkins Hospital. Using direct measurement of HDL cholesterol subfractions (HLD₂ and HDL₃) provided by the VAP Lipid Panel, the study showed a 50% relative increase in mortality risk among study participants at two years after hospitalization in the lowest tertile of HDL₃ cholesterol versus the middle tertile after adjusting for relevant confounders in the fully adjusted model.

“These findings from TRIUMPH indicate that the more granular assessment of HDL subclasses adds important information beyond that provided by total HDL cholesterol levels alone,” said Martin. “After myocardial infarction, risk information captured in HDL₂ and HDL₃ cholesterol does not appear to be the same. Our findings speak to the complexity of HDL and help inform this rapidly evolving and intriguing HDL story.”

Study authors examined data from 2,465 patients from the TRIUMPH registry to determine the relative prognostic importance of HDL subclasses (larger, more buoyant HDL₂ and smaller, more dense HDL₃) after AMI. The Translational Research Investigating Underlying Disparities in Acute Myocardial Infarction Patients’ Health Status (TRIUMPH) study is a prospective, 24-center U.S. study of AMI outcomes.

VAP Lipid Panel Research highlights importance of LDL and HDL subclass identification in heart disease risk assessment and mortality.

“Both presentations add to our knowledge of residual risk and the impact that cholesterol subfractions can have on cardiovascular risk assessment and prognosis,” said Chief Medical Officer Michael E. Cobble, M.D. “These results will lead to more research that further clarifies the role of lipid subfraction measurement, beyond the capabilities of the basic lipid panel, leading to improved risk identification and management.”

For information on the VAP Lipid Panel, visit www.Atherotech.com or call 877.901.8510. Atherotech Diagnostics Lab is on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/Atherotech and also on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/Atherotech.

To arrange interviews with any of these presenters, co-authors or other Atherotech medical experts who will be in attendance and can provide outside comment on these and other sessions, please call 720-231-9990 or e-mail dan@armadamedical.com. All research results are embargoed until the time they are presented during the conference. All times listed are Pacific Standard Time. Please refer to the American Heart Association for embargo policies pertaining to presentations at the Scientific Sessions.

About Atherotech Diagnostics Lab & the VAP Lipid Panel

Atherotech Diagnostics Lab is a leading clinical reference laboratory specializing in cardiometabolic testing and disease management solutions. Atherotech’s proprietary and comprehensive VAP^® Lipid Panel enables clinicians to accurately stratify a patient’s cardiovascular risk and deliver personalized treatment strategies to improve health outcomes. The Vertical Auto Profile (VAP) technology reveals residual cardiometabolic risk as recommended in the NCEP ATP III, ADA/ACC Joint Consensus and AACE guidelines. The VAP Lipid Panel utilizes direct measurement to identify cholesterol, triglyceride and genetic lipid disorders. The company’s dedication to affordable, comprehensive disease management solutions includes Our Healthy Heart, a patient consultation program and expert lipid management education service to health care providers. For more information, please visit www.Atherotech.com or call 1-866-VAP-TEST.