The Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Epidemic
- Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the US; stroke is third.
- 50% of cardiovascular events strike in patients with unremarkable lipid levels.
- 780,000 strokes occur in Americans each year.
- Strokes kill twice as many women a year as breast cancer.
- Strokes are the leading cause of serious, long-term disability.
- Direct and indirect costs for CVD in the US are estimated at nearly $450 billion a year.
- Current studies demonstrate LDL has proven NOT to be a reliable predictor of stroke risk.
Basic Science of Lp-PLA2
The PLAC Test measures Lp-PLA2 (lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2) a vascular-specific inflammatory enzyme implicated in the formation of rupture-prone plaque. It is plaque rupture and thrombosis that cause the majority of cardiac events, not stenosis.
| Stable Plaque | Ruptured Plaque |
|---|---|
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Click here to view an annotated bibliography including a substantial body of evidence of over 50 studies and abstracts from peer-reviewed journals and conferences that support Lp-PLA2 as a cardiovascular risk marker in both primary and secondary prevention that provides new information, over and above traditional risk factors.
Click here for a video of a CME event held at the American Heart Association in 2007. This video includes 5 different lectures, and a 10 minute highlight video.