Being one of the leading causes of death worldwide, more years of potential life before the age of 75 are lost due to this disease than any other human condition. Fortunately, over the past thirty years significant progress has been made in the areas of diagnosis, prevention and treatment of CVD. One of the most critical advances has been the identification of the major risk factors for CVD which arose from studies such as the Framingham Heart Study and the Seven Countries Study.

The conventional risk factors for CVD include hypertension, smoking, diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolaemia, hypertriglyceridaemia and low HDL cholesterol. However, in an individual the presence of only one of these factors has a low positive predictive value. Furthermore, a significant number of cardiovascular events still occur in individuals without these established risk indicators. At present, the most advanced strategy for coronary risk assessment is therefore to combine the information of several risk factors. This multi-marker approach can enhance risk stratification, identifying those individuals with a moderate baseline risk who might benefit from aggressive risk reduction strategies. Not only are conventional risk factors assessed, but other CVD biomarkers such as lipoprotein (a), apolipoproteins A & B, homocysteine, fibrinogen and C-reactive protein (CRP) are included.

The Comprehensive 2 option for the Cardiovascular Profile includes Liposcreen LDL-Subfraction analytes. Liposcreen separates and quantifies all lipoprotein sub-fractions including the ‘large’, less atherogenic LDL-1 and LDL-2 and the ‘small’, highly atherogenic LDL-3 to LDL-7. The test also measures VLDL and IDL cholesterol linked with type III dyslipidaemia and associated hyperlipoproteinaemias.

Common Conditions:

• Hypercholesterolemia
• Insulin resistance
• Diabetes
• Cardiovascular disease
• Statin therapy

NOTICE TO PATIENTS

WellLab practices in the usual practitioner-referral system for pathology laboratories. Patients are highly recommended to seek the supervision and guidance of a qualified healthcare practitioner for the interpretation of any lab results and associated information. WellLab can offer assistance in locating a suitable practitioner.

Analytes

Comprehensive 1 (Test Code: 4001): Cholesterol

Triglycerides

HDL

LDL

ratios

Fasting Glucose

Lipoprotein (a)

Apolipoproteins A & B

Homocysteine

Fibrinogen

C-reactive protein (CRP)