Healthcare Industry News: diaDexus
News Release - July 5, 2007
Study Shows Lp-PLA2 Identifies Individuals at Highest Risk for Ischemic Stroke
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.--(HSMN NewsFeed)--diaDexus, Inc., today announced study results indicating that lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2), a specific indicator of vascular inflammation, provides information over and above traditional risk factors to help identify individuals at the highest risk for ischemic stroke. The results were recently presented at the Society for Vascular Medicine and Biology 18th Annual Scientific Sessions in Baltimore.Christie Ballantyne, M.D., of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, led the prospective case (n=193)-cohort (n=986) study of 12,762 apparently healthy middle-aged men and women in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. Researchers evaluated patients using traditional risk factors for stroke (age, sex, race, smoking, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, diabetes, and body mass index) and categorized their risk level (low, moderate, and high). They then measured levels of the inflammatory indicators Lp-PLA2 and C-reactive protein (CRP) to determine if the biomarkers helped further classify patients' five-year stroke risk.
The results showed that the addition of Lp-PLA2, measured by the PLAC® test from diaDexus, and CRP significantly improved stroke risk assessment by reclassifying 37 percent of the moderate-risk category, as opposed to relying on traditional risk factors alone to estimate risk. Dr. Ballantyne commented, "Traditional risk factors may not be quite as good for predicting stroke as they are for heart attack. By using these simple, non-invasive blood tests, we may be able to do a better job determining those patients who need to take their stroke risk very seriously."
According to Richard Lanman, M.D., diaDexus' chief medical officer, these results are important because traditional risk factors provide an incomplete picture of stroke risk. "Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States and should no longer be considered a disease only of the elderly, as one-third of strokes now occur in people 45-64 years of age," Lanman said. "This study demonstrates that individuals presenting with borderline elevated cholesterol or blood pressure and increased levels of Lp-PLA2 and CRP, have a greater risk for stroke. Physicians can implement targeted, proven prevention strategies only if they can better identify who is at higher risk for stroke."
The PLAC test is a simple blood test that has been cleared for marketing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as an aid in predicting risk for coronary heart disease and ischemic stroke associated with atherosclerosis. Lp-PLA2 is an enzyme that associates in the blood primarily with low-density lipoprotein (LDL, the "bad" cholesterol). Lp-PLA2 is carried to the walls of coronary arteries by LDL, where the enzyme can activate an inflammatory response and the development of unstable, rupture-prone plaque. As a result, Lp-PLA2 serves as a specific indicator of vascular inflammation. Individuals identified as being at high risk for heart disease or stroke based on elevated Lp-PLA2 levels are candidates for proactive preventive measures, such as lifestyle modification and therapeutic intervention.
About diaDexus
diaDexus, Inc., a privately held biotechnology company based in South San Francisco, is focused on the discovery, development, and commercialization of clinically valuable, patent-protected diagnostic products. In addition to the PLAC test, diaDexus is developing a pipeline of novel cancer diagnostic tests. For more information, visit www.plactest.com or www.diaDexus.com.
Source: diaDexus
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