CRP Assay
CRP Assay
Reagent | C-Reactive Protein (CRP)
Powered by BiozC-Reactive Protein (CRP): The Most Sensitive Acute Phase Reactant
Benefits of the Randox Assay
Limited Interference
The Randox CRP assay has shown to have limited interference from conjugate and free bilirubin, haemoglobin, Intralipid® and triglycerides.
Liquid ready-to-use
The Randox CRP assay is available in a liquid ready-to-use format for convenience and ease-of-use.
Stable to expiry
The Randox CRP assay is stable to expiry when stored at +2oC to +8oC.
Applications available
Applications available detailing instrument-specific settings for the convenient use of the Randox CRP assay on a variety of clinical chemistry analysers.
Dedicated calibrator and controls available
Dedicated CRP calibrator and controls available offering a complete testing package.
Ordering Information
| Cat No | Size | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CP7950 | R1 7 x 20ml (L) R2 2 x 12ml | Enquire | Kit Insert Request | MSDS | Buy Online |
| CP9742 | R1 6 x 66ml (L) R2 6 x 13ml | Enquire | Kit Insert Request | MSDS | Buy Online |
| CP3826 | R1 6 x 20ml (L) R2 3 x 9ml | Enquire | Kit Insert Request | MSDS | Buy Online |
| (L) Indicates liquid option | |||||
Instrument Specific Applications (ISA’s) are available for a wide range of biochemistry analysers. Contact us to enquire about your specific analyser.
More Information
C-reactive protein (CRP) is the dominant acute phase protein in mammals 1. Elevated levels of CRP are not disease specific but are synthesised, by hepatocytes, in response to pro-inflammatory cytokines during inflammatory and/or infectious processes 2, 3. The physiological function of CRP is the enhancement of cell-mediated immunity through the promotion of phagocytosis, accelerated chemotaxis and the activation of platelets 1.
Known as a biomarker of acute inflammation, many large-scale prospective studies demonstrate the association between CRP and chronic inflammation, including: cardiovascular disease (CVD), cerebrovascular accident (CVA) (ischaemic stroke), Alzheimer’s Disease, and age-related macular degeneration 2.
CRP is a major cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor. A CRP level of >10mg/l correlates with a >4% risk of developing a fatal CVD event in 10 years, including: myocardial infarction, peripheral arterial disease, stroke and sudden cardiac death. Inflammation is an integral part in the development and rapid progression of coronary heart disease (CHD) 4.
The coronary artery disease (CAD) process is characterised by increasing levels of inflammatory biomarkers. CRP is not only an excellent biomarker or mediator of atherosclerosis but is a strong independent marker in the prediction of adverse CV events, including: myocardial infarction, ischaemic stroke, and sudden cardiac death. CPR can be utilised as a clinical guide for the diagnosis, management and prognosis of CVD 5.
The development of a cerebrovascular accident (CVA) (stroke) is the result of longstanding vascular inflammation, thrombosis, plaque rupture and subsequent brain ischaemia or infarction. Elevated CRP levels is associated with the development of CVA 6.
High sensitivity CRP (hsCRP) plays an important role in the early diagnosis, prognosis, long and short death risk and prediction of etiological subtypes of stroke 7. Find out more about the Randox hsCRP assay.
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia, accounting for 60-80% of dementia cases 7. CRP is believed to be involved in the pathophysiology of cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) and neurodegeneration 8. CRP levels are associated with cognitive impairment 9. Inflammation should be considered as a target treatment, with the aim of delaying the progression of subclinical brain damage and cognitive decline 8. Midlife elevations in CRP are associated with an increased risk of developing AD. Patients with AD, CRP elevations continues to predict increased dementia severity suggestive of a possible pro-inflammatory endophenotype in AD 10.
In COVID-19 patients, CRP testing has proved to perform well in discriminating disease severity and predicting adverse outcomes 11. CRP levels positively correlates with lung lesions, reflecting disease severity, and should be considered a key indicator in disease monitoring (see fig. 1) 12.
CRP levels are associated with computed tomography (CT) scores and COVID-19 disease development, with CRP levels increasing in the initial stage of severe COVID-19, prior to the CT findings 13.
Elevated CRP levels have been identified in 86% of patients admitted to hospital. CRP measurements are useful in diagnosis, assessing prognosis and monitoring for clinical improvements or deterioration 14.
Fig. 1. Relation between CRP levels, clinical severity, and lung lesions 12
CRP Calibrator
CRP Control
Specific Protein EQA
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References
Cardiac Risk
Your heart is amazing. Not only is it your most critical organ but also one of the most hard-working. The average adult heart beats around 100,000 times a day, acting as a giant pump for all the blood in your body. Indeed, every day your heart pumps over nine litres of blood through a system of blood vessels over 60,000 miles long – it’s little wonder, then, the importance placed on looking after such a vital muscle.
Did you know?
Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs) are the number 1 cause of death globally, more people die annually from CVDs than any other cause.
Over time, and influenced by lifestyle choices, the heart grows weaker, needing to work harder to fulfil its function. Crucial lifestyle changes now could limit your risk of developing serious cardiac conditions, such as Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) in the future.
While lifestyle changes may help to limit your risk of CVD, and related heart condition, it is impossible to eradicate it completely for everyone. Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death globally. Across the world, 17.7 million people died from CVDs in 2015. In the UK, it accounts for nearly one death around every eight minutes.
But early screening and improved access to cutting-edge diagnostics could lower this figure significantly. According to the WHO there are 8 key risk factors of developing CVD and they account for as much as 61% of all cardiovascular deaths, these include;
Smoking
The harmful substances in tobacco can damage and narrow blood vessels, causing CVDs. Smoking kills approximately half of persistent smokers, around 14% of deaths from circulatory disease can be attributed to smoking.
High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure (hypertension) is one of the most important risk factors of CVD, if your blood pressure is too high your blood vessels can become damaged.
High BMI
Being overweight or obese increases the risk of developing diabetes and high blood pressure, both of which can cause CVD. You’re at an increased risk of CVD if your BMI is 25 or above.
High Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a fatty substance found in the blood, high levels of cholesterol can cause blood vessels to narrow and increase the risk of developing a blood clot. Reducing the populations LDL-Cholesterol by 5% would prevent 64,000 cases of CVD.
Lack of Physical Activity
If you don’t exercise regularly, it’s more likely you’ll develop high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and become overweight. All of which are risk factors of CVD. Exercising regularly helps to keep the heart healthy.
Other CVD risk factors include an excessive alcohol intake, an unhealthy diet and high levels of blood glucose.
Related Products
Randox has developed the RX series of clinical chemistry analysers for superior semi-automated and fully automated testing. The RX series extensive dedicated test menu goes beyond routine testing and has many unique and high-performance tests available. Our range of tests covers many tests for the diagnosis and monitoring of cardiac diseases.
Cardiac Panel
| Cholesterol | CRP Full Range(0.3-160mg/l) | Direct LDL Cholesterol | sLDL |
| CK-MB | CRP High Sensitivity | Heart-Type Fatty Acid Binding Protein (H-FABP) | Triglycerides |
| CK-NAC | Digoxin | Lipoprotein(a) | TxB Cardio |
| CRP | Direct HDL Cholesterol | Myoglobin |
Our world leading test menu of high quality reagents guarantees excellence in patient care ensuring unrivalled precision and accuracy reducing costly test re-runs or misdiagnosis and offering complete confidence in results.
The RX series clinical chemistry analysers provide laboratories with a robust and smart solution ensuring you maintain a consistent workflow and can provide accurate results first time, every time. Offering excellent customer support services, our trained engineers are on hand to work with you in preserving the continuity of your operations while maximising the potential of your RX series instrument.
For more information visit: https://www.randox.com/clinical-chemistry-analysers/
Cardiac health and regular cardiovascular screening is important to enable risk factors to be detected in their earliest stages. Randox reagents offer a comprehensive cardiology product profile which includes high performance reagents for the detection of conventional risk factors, as well as emerging biomarkers associated with further risk.
sLDL cholesterol
sLDL cholesterol is a vital cardiac risk marker which utilises the “Denka Seiken” method which produces results in less than ten minutes. Research has shown individuals with a predominance of sLDL have a 3-fold increased risk of myocardial infarction (MI), even for those who HDL, LDL, Total Cholesterol and Triglyceride levels are considered ‘normal’. Elevated levels of sLDL are associated with a sedentary lifestyle, a diet high in saturated fat, insulin resistance, pre-diabetes and genetic disposition. Measurement of sLDL allows the clinician to get a more comprehensive picture of lipid risk factors and tailor treatment accordingly. Reducing LDL levels reduce the risk of both CVD and MI.
For more information visit: www.randox.com/sldl-cholesterol/
Lipoprotein (a)
Lipoprotein (a) is a major independent genetic risk factor for premature CVD and elevated levels can occur in patients with otherwise normal lipid levels, therefore providing much needed information in relation to a patient’s risk of developing CVD.Along with other tests, Lp(a) can provide additional information on a patient’s risk factor of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD).
The Randox Lp(a) assay is one of the only methodologies on the market that detects the non-variable part of the Lp(a) molecule and therefore suffers minimal size related bias providing more accurate and consistent results.
For more information visit: www.randox.com/lipoprotein-a/
HDL3 Cholesterol
HDL3 Cholesterol is a smaller and more dense sub fraction of the HDL particle. HDL comprises of several subclass particles, which differ in their sizes, densities and components. HDL is the scavenger of cholesterol within arterial walls and the levels of HDL3 is too low, the ability to remove this cholesterol is reduced. Therefore, it is widely accepted that there is an inverse correlation between HDL3 and cardiovascular disease risk.
For more information visit: https://www.randox.com/hdl3/
Cardiology and Lipid Testing Panel
- Apolipoprotein A-I
- Apolipoprotein A-II
- Apolipoprotein B
- Apolipoprotein C-II
- Apolipoprotein C-III
- Apolipoprotein E
- Cholesterol (sLDL)
- Cholesterol (HDL)
- Cholesterol (LDL)
- Cholesterol (Total)
- Cholesterol (HDL3)
- Lipoprotein (a)
- High sensitivity CRP
- Homocysteine
- Triglycerides
- HDL3-C
- sPLA₂-IIA
- Heart Type Fatty Acid Binding Protein (H-FABP)
- CK-MB
- Myoglobin
- Digoxin
- TxBCardio™
Browse our full cardiology and lipid testing panel here.
To request an application for your specific analyser, contact us at reagents@randox.com
When diagnosing and monitoring CVD, it is vital that laboratories have a robust Quality Control (QC) system in place to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the results produced. The Acusera Cardiac Controls have been designed to cover a wide range of cardiac markers at clinical decision levels eliminating the need for additional low level controls at extra expense. Available in both liquid ready-to-use and lyophilised formats, they are ideal for use at the point-of-care and in the laboratory. Manufactured from 100% human serum a matrix similar to that of the patient is guaranteed.
Liquid Cardiac Control
- Liquid ready-to-use
- 100% human serum
- Assayed target values provided for 8 cardiac markers
- Cut off levels for Troponin I and T in line with internationally recommended levels
- Stable to expiry date at 2°C – 8°C
- Open vial stability of 30 days at 2°C – 8°C for all analytes
Analytes
| Myoglobin | Troponin I | Troponin T |
| NT – ProBNP | CK-MB (Mass) | D-dimer |
| Digoxin | hsCRP |
Find out more about our Liquid Cardiac Quality Control here.
Other cardiac quality controls include:
For more information, visit our Cardiac Quality Controls page.
RIQAS Cardiac Programme
The RIQAS Cardiac EQA programme is designed to monitor the performance of up to 7 clinically significant cardiac markers. Two flexible reporting options are available to suit the needs of all laboratory sizes.
- Accredited to ISO/IEC 17043
- Lyophilised for enhanced stability
- 100% human serum
- Bi-weekly reporting
- Submit results and view reports online via RIQAS.Net
- Register up to five instruments at no extra cost
For more information, visit our RIQAS Cardiac Programme page.
Our Randox Health clinics offer comprehensive health testing as part of our Signature, Everyman and Everywoman packages to identify and assess risk of developing Cardiovascular Disease. Our clinics utilise the same cutting-edge tests and quality control that we have available to clinical laboratories globally, as well as our patented Biochip Array Technology (BAT).
For more information visit: https://www.randoxhealth.com/
Homocysteine & Women’s Health
Homocysteine is a thio-containing amino acid produced by the intracellular demethylation of methionine. Elevated levels of homocysteine (hyperhomocysteinemia) is more common in women than in men and is associated with a wide array of illnesses. It has also been proven to cause several problems in women including: cardiovascular disease (CVD), colon cancer, pregnancy complications, and birth defects.
Cardiovascular Disease
Elevated levels of circulating homocysteine correlates with an increased risk of vascular occlusion (blockage of a blood vessel). Hyperhomocysteinemia can cause inflammation of the endothelium (thin layer of cells linking the interior blood vessels). Failure to lower homocysteine levels can cause further inflammation of the arteries, veins, and capillaries causing atherosclerosis. Consequently, blood and oxygen supply to tissues is reduced, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Elevated levels correlates with higher diastolic and systolic blood pressure, hypertension. However, this correlation is stronger in women than in men. Women with elevated levels of homocysteine have a 3-fold increased risk of CVD, whereas men have a 2-fold increased risk.
Colon Cancer
Women with hyperhomocysteinemia have an increased risk of colorectal cancer than women with lower levels. Women who present with the highest levels of homocysteine have more than a 70% increased colorectal cancer risk. A correlation between reduced levels of folate and increased levels of homocysteine have been found in women with colorectal adenoma. It is recommended that women with hyperhomocysteinemia and reduced levels of folate should increase their intake of fruit and vegetables to reduce their levels of homocysteine and increase their levels of folate.
Pregnancy Complications and Birth Defects
Homocysteine levels should decline during pregnancy, however, in some cases, levels increase. Hyperhomocysteinemia is associated with foetal neural tube defects which causes various conditions, characterised by placental vasculopathy, including pre-eclampsia, abruption, and recurrent pregnancy loss. It has been identified that folate supplementation can half the risk of foetal neural tube defects. One study found that hyperhomocysteinemia was associated with a 2-fold to 3-fold increased risk for pregnancy-induced hypertension, abrupyio placentae, and intrauterine growth restriction.
Randox Homocysteine Reagent
The Randox Homocysteine assay offers a few unique features:
- Limited interference from Bilirubin, Haemoglobin, Triglycerides, and Intralipid, producing more accurate and precise results.
- Two-reagent format for convenience and ease of use
- Calibrator provided with kit, simplifying the ordering process
Other features include:
- Liquid ready-to-use reagents – for optimum user experience
- Excellent linearity – 47. 9 μmol/L, ensuring abnormally high levels of homocysteine are detected.
- Enzymatic method
- Tri-level cardiac control available
If you are a clinician or laboratory who are interested in running assays for women’s health, Randox offer a range of high-quality routine and niche assays including: Adiponectin, Cystatin C, Lipoprotein (a), and Zinc which can be used to diagnose conditions commonly affecting women. These assays can be run on most automated biochemistry analysers.
Instrument Specific Applications (ISA’s) are available for a wide range of biochemistry analysers. Contact us to enquire about your specific analyser.
For more information, visit: https://www.randox.com/homocysteine or email: reagents@randox.com
Women’s Health: Testing for CVD
Did you know that cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death in women? Cardiovascular disease, or CVD, accounts for 27% of all female deaths. That’s much higher than what is commonly thought to be the biggest killer of women – breast cancer. At Randox, we’re using our innovative technology to diagnose CVD cases as early as possible so appropriate treatment can be sought.
The Randox clinical product range offers a wide range of products to combat heart issues including the RX series extensive cardiac testing panel, reagents such as H-FABP, Adiponectin an TxB Cardio and an extensive cardiac QC range available in both liquid & lyophilised format.
You can find out more about how Randox is helping to diagnose women’s health issues, such as CVD, here.
What is CVD?
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a general terms for conditions that affect the heart and/or blood vessels. It is usually associated with the build-up of fatty deposits in the arteries and an increased risk of blood clots.
CVD is one of the main causes of death and disability in the UK but can often largely be prevented with a healthy lifestyle.
Types of CVD
Coronary heart disease
This occurs when the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle is blocked or reduced
Stroke
A stroke is where the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off, which can cause brain damage and possibly death. A transient ischaemic attack (also called a TIA or “mini-stroke”) is similar, but the blood flow to the brain is only temporarily disrupted.
Causes of CVD
The exact cause of CVD isn’t clear, but there are lots risk factors that can increase your risk of getting it. The more risk factors you have, the greater your chances of developing CVD. Risk factors include:
- High blood pressure
- Smoking
- High cholesterol
- Diabetes
- Inactivity
- Being overweight or obese
- Family history of CVD
- Ethnic background
Preventing CVD
- Stop smoking
- Have a balanced diet
- Exercise regularly
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Cut down alcohol consumption
How is Randox helping to detect CVD?
Randox has developed the RX series of clinical chemistry analysers for superior semi-automated and fully automated testing. The RX series extensive dedicated test menu goes beyond routine testing and has many unique and high-performance tests available. Our range of tests covers many tests for the diagnosis and monitoring of cardiac diseases.
Cardiac Panel
| Cholesterol | CRP Full Range(0.3-160mg/l) | Direct LDL Cholesterol | sLDL |
| CK-MB | CRP High Sensitivity | Heart-Type Fatty Acid Binding Protein (H-FABP) | Triglycerides |
| CK-NAC | Digoxin | Lipoprotein(a) | TxB Cardio |
| CRP | Direct HDL Cholesterol | Myoglobin | Adiponectin |
Our world leading test menu of high quality reagents guarantees excellence in patient care ensuring unrivalled precision and accuracy reducing costly test re-runs or misdiagnosis and offering complete confidence in results.
The RX series clinical chemistry analysers provide laboratories with a robust and smart solution ensuring you maintain a consistent workflow and can provide accurate results first time, every time. Offering excellent customer support services, our trained engineers are on hand to work with you in preserving the continuity of your operations while maximising the potential of your RX series instrument.
For more information visit: https://www.randox.com/clinical-chemistry-analysers/
Did you know that cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death in women? Cardiovascular disease, or CVD, accounts for 27% of all female deaths. That’s much higher than what is commonly thought to be the biggest killer of women – breast cancer. At Randox, we’re using our innovative technology to diagnose CVD cases as early as possible so appropriate treatment can be sought.
The Randox clinical product range offers a wide range of products to combat heart issues including the RX series extensive cardiac testing panel, reagents such as H-FABP, Adiponectin an TxB Cardio and an extensive cardiac QC range available in both liquid & lyophilised format.
You can find out more about how Randox is helping to diagnose women’s health issues, such as CVD, here.
What is CVD?
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a general terms for conditions that affect the heart and/or blood vessels. It is usually associated with the build-up of fatty deposits in the arteries and an increased risk of blood clots.
CVD is one of the main causes of death and disability in the UK but can often largely be prevented with a healthy lifestyle.
Types of CVD
Coronary heart disease
This occurs when the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle is blocked or reduced
Stroke
A stroke is where the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off, which can cause brain damage and possibly death. A transient ischaemic attack (also called a TIA or “mini-stroke”) is similar, but the blood flow to the brain is only temporarily disrupted.
Causes of CVD
The exact cause of CVD isn’t clear, but there are lots risk factors that can increase your risk of getting it. The more risk factors you have, the greater your chances of developing CVD. Risk factors include:
- High blood pressure
- Smoking
- High cholesterol
- Diabetes
- Inactivity
- Being overweight or obese
- Family history of CVD
- Ethnic background
Preventing CVD
- Stop smoking
- Have a balanced diet
- Exercise regularly
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Cut down alcohol consumption
How is Randox helping to detect CVD?
Randox has developed the RX series of clinical chemistry analysers for superior semi-automated and fully automated testing. The RX series extensive dedicated test menu goes beyond routine testing and has many unique and high-performance tests available. Our range of tests covers many tests for the diagnosis and monitoring of cardiac diseases.
Cardiac Panel
| Cholesterol | CRP Full Range(0.3-160mg/l) | Direct LDL Cholesterol | sLDL |
| CK-MB | CRP High Sensitivity | Heart-Type Fatty Acid Binding Protein (H-FABP) | Triglycerides |
| CK-NAC | Digoxin | Lipoprotein(a) | TxB Cardio |
| CRP | Direct HDL Cholesterol | Myoglobin | Adiponectin |
Our world leading test menu of high quality reagents guarantees excellence in patient care ensuring unrivalled precision and accuracy reducing costly test re-runs or misdiagnosis and offering complete confidence in results.
The RX series clinical chemistry analysers provide laboratories with a robust and smart solution ensuring you maintain a consistent workflow and can provide accurate results first time, every time. Offering excellent customer support services, our trained engineers are on hand to work with you in preserving the continuity of your operations while maximising the potential of your RX series instrument.
For more information visit: https://www.randox.com/clinical-chemistry-analysers/
Lp(a): For the Accurate Detection of CVD Risk
Lp(a) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), even when classical risk factors such as hypertension, elevated cholesterol, and diabetes have been taken into consideration. High levels of Lp(a) is a heredity condition, associated with complex mechanisms involving the proatherogenic and prothrombotic pathways (1).
Traditional CVD testing panel
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), CVD is the leading cause of death globally, accounting for 31 percent of deaths, totalling 17.7 million deaths per year. 80 percent of all CVD deaths are attributed to heart attacks and strokes, equivalent to 1 in 4. Identifying those who are at a high risk of developing CVD and ensuring that they are receiving the appropriate treatment can prevent premature deaths (2).
The lipid profile is frequently used to assess an individual’s risk of CVD developing later in life. Routine tests to assess CVD risk include: triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). LDL-C has been found to strongly correlate with CVD risk (3). NICE recommend measuring total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, non-HDL cholesterol and triglycerides as the full lipid profile and then review other risk factors, including: age, diet, smoking, QRISK, co-morbidities to view risk and the management of risk (4). However, the current lipid panel needs to be adjusted to ensure that its utilisation is effective in meeting clinician and patient needs.
Lipoprotein(a)
Lipoprotein (a) or Lp(a) consists of two protein molecules, apolipoprotein (a) or apo(a) is covalently linked by a disulphide bond to the apolipoprotein B-100 or apoB-100 of a cholesterol-rich low-density lipoprotein or LDL like particle. Lp(a) is synthesised in the liver and is detectable in the bloodstream (5).
The structure of Lp(a) resembles that of the proteins involved in the breakdown of blood clots, plasminogen and tissue plasminogen activator (TPA). As a result, the biggest concern with Lp(a) is that it prohibits the ability of these proteins to break down blood clots by competing for the ‘binding to fibrin’, boosting the blood’s clotting ability within arteries, thus heightening the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Consequently, high levels of Lp(a) is characterised by atherosclerosis including coronary heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, aortic stenosis, thrombosis and stroke (6).
The Journal of the American Medical Association reviewed 36 studies in 2009 which assessed ‘the role of Lp(a) and vascular disease’ in 126,634 individuals. The study found that a 3.5-fold increase in Lp(a) levels was accompanied with a 13 percent higher risk of coronary heart events and a 10 percent higher risk of stroke (7).
Later, an Italian population study carried out on 826 individuals in 2014 found that elevated levels of Lp(a) is due to two different variations of the apo(a) gene which is determined by the kringle sequence differences at the apo(a) locus. The study found that individuals with one variation had a 50 percent greater risk of CVD, while individuals with both variations had 2.5 times greater risk (7).
According to the Lipoprotein Foundation (2015), based on genetic factors, from birth, one in five or 20% of individuals have high Lp(a) levels greater than 50mg/dL, with most blissfully unaware they have it. Overtime, high levels of Lp(a) gradually narrow the arteries, limiting blood supply to the brain, heart, kidneys and legs, increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes (5).
Testing for high Lp(a) levels
The Lipoprotein (a) Foundation (2015) recommends that Lp(a) levels should be tested if:
- There is a family history of cardiovascular disease including stroke, heart attack, circulation problems in the legs and/or narrowing of the aorta, at a young age
- Stroke or heart attack if classical risk factors including high LDL-cholesterol, obesity, diabetes and smoking have been eliminated
- High levels of LDL-cholesterol following treatment with statins or other LDL lowering medications(5)
When selecting a Lp(a) assay, the Internal Federation of Clinical Chemistry (IFCC) (2004) Working Group on Lp(a) recommends that laboratories use assays that do not suffer from apo(a) size-related bias to minimise the potential risk of misclassification of patients for coronary heart disease (8).
The Lp(a) Foundation reference Marcovina and Albers (2016) in their recommendations for the best Lp(a) test. The study came to the following conclusions:
- Robust assays based on the Denka method, reportable in nanomoles per litre (nmol/L) are traceable to WHO/IFCC reference material
- Five-point calibrators with accuracy-based assigned target values will minimise the sensitivity of to the size of apo(a)
- Upon request, manufacturers should provide the certificate of evaluation of the calibrator and reagent lots with the relative expiration dates (9)
Benefits of the Randox Lp(a) assay
The Randox Lp(a) assay is one of the only methodologies on the market that detects the non-variable part of the Lp(a) molecule and so suffers minimal size related bias providing more accurate and consistent results. This methodology allows for the detection of Lp(a) in serum and plasma. The Randox Lp(a) kit is standardized to the WHO/IFCC reference material, SRM 2B, and is the closest in terms of agreement to the ELISA reference method.
A five-point calibrator is provided with accuracy-based assigned target values which accurately reflects the heterogeneity of isoforms present in the general population.
Liquid ready-to-use reagents are more convenient as the reagent does not need to be reconstituted, reducing the risk of errors.
Applications are available for a wide range of biochemistry analysers which details instrument-specific settings for the convenient use of the Randox Lp(a) assay on a variety of systems. Measuring units in nmol/L are available upon request.
References
- Li, Yonghong, et al. Genetic Variants in the Apolipoprotein(a) Gene and Coronary Heart Disease. Circulation: Genomic and Precision Medicine. [Online] October 2011. [Cited: April 24, 2018.] http://circgenetics.ahajournals.org/content/4/5/565.
- World Health Organisation. Cardiovascular Disease. [Online] 2017. [Cited: April 30, 2018.] http://www.who.int/cardiovascular_diseases/en/.
- Doc’s Opinion. Lipoprotein (a). [Online] 2013. [Cited: April 30, 2018.] https://www.docsopinion.com/health-and-nutrition/lipids/lipoprotein-a/.
- National Institutional for Health and Care Excellence. Cardiovascular disease: risk assessment and reduction, including lipid modification. [Online] July 2014. [Cited: April 30, 2018.] https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg181/chapter/1-recommendations#lipid-modification-therapy-for-the-primary-and-secondary-prevention-of-cvd-2.
- Lipoprotein(a) Foundation. Understand Inherited Lipoprotein(a). [Online] 2015. [Cited: April 24, 2018.] http://www.lipoproteinafoundation.org/?page=UnderstandLpa.
- Heart UK. Lipoprotein (a). [Online] June 23, 2014. [Cited: April 24, 2018.] https://heartuk.org.uk/files/uploads/huk_fs_mfss_lipoprotein_02.pdf.
- Ashley, Robert. High lipoprotein(a) levels may indicate heart disease in some. The Brunswick News. [Online] March 05, 2018. [Cited: April 24, 2018.] https://thebrunswicknews.com/opinion/advice_columns/high-lipoprotein-a-levels-may-indicate-heart-disease-in-some/article_16ab1049-7a6f-5da0-8966-59e94ae31b6d.html.
- Dati, F; Tate, J R; Marcovina, S M; Steinmetz, A; International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine; IFCC Working Group for Lipoprotein(a) Assay Standardization. First WHO/IFCC International Reference Reagent for Lipoprotein(a) for Immunoassay–Lp(a) SRM 2B. NCBI. [Online] 2004. [Cited: April 30, 2018.] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15259385.
- Tsimikas, Sotirios. A Test in Context: Lipoprotein(a) – Diagnosis, Prognosis, Controversies, and Emergining Therapies. 6, s.l. : Elsevier, 2017, Vol. 69. 0735-1097.
If you are a cardiologist or a laboratory who are interested in running cardiology and lipid assays, Randox offer a wide range of high-quality, routine and niche assays including: adiponectin, H-FABP, sLDL, TxBCardio, HDL2/3-C, Homocysteine, Apo C-II, Apo C-III and Apo E. These can be run on most automated biochemistry analysers.
Instrument Specific Applications (ISA’s) are available for a wide range of biochemistry analysers.
For more information, visit: https://www.randox.com/lipoprotein-a or email: reagents@randox.com
NeoNatal
Metabolic health is a term used to describe a collection of required chemical reactions that take place in all living organisms. A metabolic disorder develops when an abnormal chemical reaction occurs which alters the normal metabolic process.
Did you know?
Approximately 20-25% of the world’s adult population have metabolic syndrome?
Randox has developed the RX series of clinical chemistry analysers for superior semi-automated and fully automated testing. The RX series extensive dedicated test menu goes beyond routine testing and has many unique and high-performance tests available. Our range of tests covers several parameters to assess your overall metabolic health.
Metabolic Health Profile
| Albumin | Chloride | Potassium |
| Alkaline Phosphatase | C02 Total | Sodium |
| ALT | Creatinine | Total Bilirubin |
| AST (GOT) | Glucose | Total Protein |
| Direct Bilirubin | Lactate | Urea |
| Calcium |
The RX series clinical chemistry analysers provide laboratories with a robust and smart solution ensuring you maintain a consistent workflow and can provide accurate results first time, every time. Offering excellent customer support services, our trained engineers are on hand to work with you in preserving the continuity of your operations while maximising the potential of your RX series instrument.Our world-famous test menu of high quality reagents ensures excellence in patient care, guaranteeing unrivalled precision and accuracy reducing costly test re-runs or misdiagnosis and offering complete confidence in results.
For more information visit: https://www.randox.com/clinical-chemistry-analysers/
Metabolic syndrome comprises of risk factors such as high blood pressure, high blood sugar/cholesterol and abdominal fat, which together, can lead to serious long term problems including an increased risk of heart disease, stroke and developing type 2 diabetes. Randox have developed an extensive range of reagents to accurately diagnose and monitor metabolic health, with the aim that patients can take the appropriate measurements to improve their health.
All reagents are available for use on a wide range of third party biochemistry analysers. Contact us to request an application for your specific analyser.
Adiponectin
Adiponectin is a clinical diagnostic biomarker for metabolic risk assessment. Adiponectin is solely excreted by adipocytes and is a protein hormone with anti-inflammatory and insulin-sensitising properties. It plays an important role in a number of metabolic processes such as glucose regulation and fatty acid oxidation. Levels of adiponectin have been linked with several pathologies including metabolic syndrome, cancer and cardiovascular disease, as levels are inversely correlated with Abdominal Visceral Fat (AVF). Randox is one of the only manufacturers of adiponectin in an automated biochemistry format, removing the inconvenience and time consumption associated with traditional ELISA-based testing.
For more information visit: https://www.randox.com/adiponectin/
Small-dense LDL (sLDL) Cholesterol
Small-dense LDL cholesterol is a vital cardiac risk marker, usually tested in patients with prediabetes or metabolic syndrome. Randox sLDL utilises the “Denka Seiken” method which produces results in less than ten minutes. Research has shown individuals with a predominance of sLDL have a 3-fold increased risk of myocardial infarction (MI), even for those who HDL, LDL, Total Cholesterol and Triglyceride levels are considered ‘normal’. Elevated levels of sLDL are associated with a sedentary lifestyle, a diet high in saturated fat, insulin resistance, pre-diabetes and genetic disposition. Measurement of sLDL allows the clinician to get a more comprehensive picture of lipid risk factors and tailor treatment accordingly. Reducing LDL levels reduce the risk of both CVD and MI.
For more information visit: www.randox.com/sldl-cholesterol/
TxBCardio™
Randox TxBCardio™ is used to assess the level of aspirin resistance in patients at risk of cardiovascular disease. Aspirin resistance is a serious clinical problem and is estimated to affect 25-20% of patients on a low dosage. It is important to assess aspirin resistance as this may be anticipated in patients with metabolic syndrome. The identification of these patients can be significantly improved through the use of Randox TxBCardio™ as the results generated can be used to enable timely intervention by clinicians and they can focus on anti-platelet therapy.
For more information visit: https://www.randox.com/txbcardio/
Other metabolic health tests:
- Albumin
- Alkaline Phosphatase
- ALT
- AST (GOT)
- Direct Bilirubin
- Calcium
- Chloride
- CO2 Total
- Creatinine
- Glucose
- Lactate
- Potassium
- Sodium
- Total Bilirubin
- Total Protein
- Urea
When diagnosing and monitoring metabolic-related complications such as Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease (CVD), it is vital that laboratories have a robust Quality Control (QC) system in place to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the results produced. As a world leading manufacturer of QC solutions including Third Party Controls and External Quality Assessment (EQA), our extensive product portfolio is designed to help reduce costs and time without compromising on quality.
Diabetes
Liquid HbA1c Control
- Liquid ready-to-use format ideal for use in the lab or at the POC
- Whole blood sample matrix commutable with that of the patient sample
- Assayed control with values available for HPLC
- Convenient bi-level pack accurately covering the patient reportable range
- Open vial stability of 30 days ultimately helping to reduce waste and costs
- For more information visit: https://www.randox.com/liquid-hba1c-quality-control/
Glycated Hemoglobin EQA Programme
- Monthly analysis ensuring early identification of test system errors
- Maximised peer groups for comparative performance assessment
- Reports available within 72 hours allowing corrective action to be taken immediately
- User-friendly reports delivering at-a-glance performance assessment
- For more information visit: https://www.randox.com/hba1c-eqa/
CVD risk
Lipid Control
- Covers the complete lipid profile
- True third party control ensuring unbiased performance assessment with any instrument or method
- Manufactured from 100% human serum ensuring a matrix commutable with the patient sample
- Free from Sodium Azide which can interfere with direct clearance methods of HDL and LDL Cholesterol
- Three clinically significant levels available covering low, borderline and high risk levels of HDL and LDL Cholesterol
- For more information visit: https://www.randox.com/lipid-quality-control/
- Covers the complete lipid profile with a choice of reporting just three parameters at a reduced cost
- Monthly analysis ensuring early identification of test system errors
- Maximised peer groups for comparative performance assessment
- Reports available within 72 hours allowing corrective action to be taken immediately
- User-friendly reports delivering at-a-glance performance assessment
- For more information visit: https://www.randox.com/lipids-eqa/
Our Randox Health clinics offer comprehensive health testing as part of our Signature, Everyman and Everywoman packages to give you a comprehensive picture of your overall metabolic health. Our clinics utilise the same cutting-edge tests and quality control that we have available to clinical laboratories globally, as well as our patented Biochip Array Technology (BAT).
For more information visit: https://www.randoxhealth.com/
A common misconception surrounding metabolic health is that it refers solely to your weight, and if you are overweight you are considered to be unhealthy. But in actual fact this may not be entirely true. Good metabolism means that your body is in good overall health, which doesn’t account for just your weight! Common metabolic disorders include genetic metabolic disorders, diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Understanding and testing to see how well your metabolism is functioning is key to ensuring long lasting health.
Genetics
There are a number of genetic metabolic disorders caused by mutations of single genes. Examples of common disorders include Gaucher’s disease, hemochromatosis and cystic fibrosis. Gaucher’s disease is a genetic disorder that affects the body’s ability to break down fat that can accumulate in the liver/spleen and bone marrow. Hemochromatosis is a condition that is caused by the over-absorption and build-up of iron while cystic fibrosis is a metabolic disorder that appears as a result of a build-up of mucus in lungs/liver and intestines. Each of these metabolic disorders affect certain organs from functioning properly and therefore your overall healthiness.
Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is one of the most common types of metabolic disorders in the world that is expected to affect 592 million people by 2035. It is characterised by high blood sugar, insulin resistance or a lack of insulin being produced by the pancreas. Insulin resistance occurs when the body isn’t able to use insulin the right way which increases blood glucose levels. Insulin is needed for cells to take in glucose (sugar) from the bloodstream and convert it into energy. Over time this lack of insulin can damage the organs in your body.
Metabolic Syndrome
Metabolic syndrome (also known as syndrome X, Reaven’s syndrome, and CHAOS) is not a disease but a collection of risk factors that affect your health; these include high blood pressure, high blood sugar/cholesterol and abdominal fat. Left untreated, these risk factors, together, can lead to long term serious problems including an increased risk of heart disease, stroke and developing type 2 diabetes.
Can you improve your metabolic health?
Yes! The good news is that if you discover that your metabolic health is not up to scratch you can improve it through a combination of diet, exercise and lifestyle adjustments such as:
- 30 minutes of moderate to intense exercise 5-7 times a week
- Low-dose aspirin to reduce your risk of stroke or heart attack
- Quit smoking
- Medication for blood pressure/cholesterol/ blood sugar
- Limit alcohol intake
- Eat a healthy balanced diet
Related Products
Metabolic Health
Metabolic health is a term used to describe a collection of required chemical reactions that take place in all living organisms. A metabolic disorder develops when an abnormal chemical reaction occurs which alters the normal metabolic process.
Did you know?
Approximately 20-25% of the world’s adult population have metabolic syndrome?
A common misconception surrounding metabolic health is that it refers solely to your weight, and if you are overweight you are considered to be unhealthy. But in actual fact this may not be entirely true. Good metabolism means that your body is in good overall health, which doesn’t account for just your weight! Common metabolic disorders include genetic metabolic disorders, diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Understanding and testing to see how well your metabolism is functioning is key to ensuring long lasting health.
Genetics
There are a number of genetic metabolic disorders caused by mutations of single genes. Examples of common disorders include Gaucher’s disease, hemochromatosis and cystic fibrosis. Gaucher’s disease is a genetic disorder that affects the body’s ability to break down fat that can accumulate in the liver/spleen and bone marrow. Hemochromatosis is a condition that is caused by the over-absorption and build-up of iron while cystic fibrosis is a metabolic disorder that appears as a result of a build-up of mucus in lungs/liver and intestines. Each of these metabolic disorders affect certain organs from functioning properly and therefore your overall healthiness.
Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is one of the most common types of metabolic disorders in the world that is expected to affect 592 million people by 2035. It is characterised by high blood sugar, insulin resistance or a lack of insulin being produced by the pancreas. Insulin resistance occurs when the body isn’t able to use insulin the right way which increases blood glucose levels. Insulin is needed for cells to take in glucose (sugar) from the bloodstream and convert it into energy. Over time this lack of insulin can damage the organs in your body.
Metabolic Syndrome
Metabolic syndrome (also known as syndrome X, Reaven’s syndrome, and CHAOS) is not a disease but a collection of risk factors that affect your health; these include high blood pressure, high blood sugar/cholesterol and abdominal fat. Left untreated, these risk factors, together, can lead to long term serious problems including an increased risk of heart disease, stroke and developing type 2 diabetes.
Can you improve your metabolic health?
Yes! The good news is that if you discover that your metabolic health is not up to scratch you can improve it through a combination of diet, exercise and lifestyle adjustments such as:
- 30 minutes of moderate to intense exercise 5-7 times a week
- Low-dose aspirin to reduce your risk of stroke or heart attack
- Quit smoking
- Medication for blood pressure/cholesterol/ blood sugar
- Limit alcohol intake
- Eat a healthy balanced diet
Related Products
Randox has developed the RX series of clinical chemistry analysers for superior semi-automated and fully automated testing. The RX series extensive dedicated test menu goes beyond routine testing and has many unique and high-performance tests available. Our range of tests covers several parameters to assess your overall metabolic health.
Metabolic Health Profile
| Albumin | Chloride | Potassium |
| Alkaline Phosphatase | C02 Total | Sodium |
| ALT | Creatinine | Total Bilirubin |
| AST (GOT) | Glucose | Total Protein |
| Direct Bilirubin | Lactate | Urea |
| Calcium |
The RX series clinical chemistry analysers provide laboratories with a robust and smart solution ensuring you maintain a consistent workflow and can provide accurate results first time, every time. Offering excellent customer support services, our trained engineers are on hand to work with you in preserving the continuity of your operations while maximising the potential of your RX series instrument.Our world-famous test menu of high quality reagents ensures excellence in patient care, guaranteeing unrivalled precision and accuracy reducing costly test re-runs or misdiagnosis and offering complete confidence in results.
For more information visit: https://www.randox.com/clinical-chemistry-analysers/
Metabolic syndrome comprises of risk factors such as high blood pressure, high blood sugar/cholesterol and abdominal fat, which together, can lead to serious long term problems including an increased risk of heart disease, stroke and developing type 2 diabetes. Randox have developed an extensive range of reagents to accurately diagnose and monitor metabolic health, with the aim that patients can take the appropriate measurements to improve their health.
All reagents are available for use on a wide range of third party biochemistry analysers. Contact us to request an application for your specific analyser.
Adiponectin
Adiponectin is a clinical diagnostic biomarker for metabolic risk assessment. Adiponectin is solely excreted by adipocytes and is a protein hormone with anti-inflammatory and insulin-sensitising properties. It plays an important role in a number of metabolic processes such as glucose regulation and fatty acid oxidation. Levels of adiponectin have been linked with several pathologies including metabolic syndrome, cancer and cardiovascular disease, as levels are inversely correlated with Abdominal Visceral Fat (AVF). Randox is one of the only manufacturers of adiponectin in an automated biochemistry format, removing the inconvenience and time consumption associated with traditional ELISA-based testing.
For more information visit: https://www.randox.com/adiponectin/
Small-dense LDL (sLDL) Cholesterol
Small-dense LDL cholesterol is a vital cardiac risk marker, usually tested in patients with prediabetes or metabolic syndrome. Randox sLDL utilises the “Denka Seiken” method which produces results in less than ten minutes. Research has shown individuals with a predominance of sLDL have a 3-fold increased risk of myocardial infarction (MI), even for those who HDL, LDL, Total Cholesterol and Triglyceride levels are considered ‘normal’. Elevated levels of sLDL are associated with a sedentary lifestyle, a diet high in saturated fat, insulin resistance, pre-diabetes and genetic disposition. Measurement of sLDL allows the clinician to get a more comprehensive picture of lipid risk factors and tailor treatment accordingly. Reducing LDL levels reduce the risk of both CVD and MI.
For more information visit: www.randox.com/sldl-cholesterol/
TxBCardio™
Randox TxBCardio™ is used to assess the level of aspirin resistance in patients at risk of cardiovascular disease. Aspirin resistance is a serious clinical problem and is estimated to affect 25-20% of patients on a low dosage. It is important to assess aspirin resistance as this may be anticipated in patients with metabolic syndrome. The identification of these patients can be significantly improved through the use of Randox TxBCardio™ as the results generated can be used to enable timely intervention by clinicians and they can focus on anti-platelet therapy.
For more information visit: https://www.randox.com/txbcardio/
Other metabolic health tests:
- Albumin
- Alkaline Phosphatase
- ALT
- AST (GOT)
- Direct Bilirubin
- Calcium
- Chloride
- CO2 Total
- Creatinine
- Glucose
- Lactate
- Potassium
- Sodium
- Total Bilirubin
- Total Protein
- Urea
When diagnosing and monitoring metabolic-related complications such as Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease (CVD), it is vital that laboratories have a robust Quality Control (QC) system in place to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the results produced. As a world leading manufacturer of QC solutions including Third Party Controls and External Quality Assessment (EQA), our extensive product portfolio is designed to help reduce costs and time without compromising on quality.
Diabetes
Liquid HbA1c Control
- Liquid ready-to-use format ideal for use in the lab or at the POC
- Whole blood sample matrix commutable with that of the patient sample
- Assayed control with values available for HPLC
- Convenient bi-level pack accurately covering the patient reportable range
- Open vial stability of 30 days ultimately helping to reduce waste and costs
- For more information visit: https://www.randox.com/liquid-hba1c-quality-control/
Glycated Hemoglobin EQA Programme
- Monthly analysis ensuring early identification of test system errors
- Maximised peer groups for comparative performance assessment
- Reports available within 72 hours allowing corrective action to be taken immediately
- User-friendly reports delivering at-a-glance performance assessment
- For more information visit: https://www.randox.com/hba1c-eqa/
CVD risk
Lipid Control
- Covers the complete lipid profile
- True third party control ensuring unbiased performance assessment with any instrument or method
- Manufactured from 100% human serum ensuring a matrix commutable with the patient sample
- Free from Sodium Azide which can interfere with direct clearance methods of HDL and LDL Cholesterol
- Three clinically significant levels available covering low, borderline and high risk levels of HDL and LDL Cholesterol
- For more information visit: https://www.randox.com/lipid-quality-control/
- Covers the complete lipid profile with a choice of reporting just three parameters at a reduced cost
- Monthly analysis ensuring early identification of test system errors
- Maximised peer groups for comparative performance assessment
- Reports available within 72 hours allowing corrective action to be taken immediately
- User-friendly reports delivering at-a-glance performance assessment
- For more information visit: https://www.randox.com/lipids-eqa/
Our Randox Health clinics offer comprehensive health testing as part of our Signature, Everyman and Everywoman packages to give you a comprehensive picture of your overall metabolic health. Our clinics utilise the same cutting-edge tests and quality control that we have available to clinical laboratories globally, as well as our patented Biochip Array Technology (BAT).
For more information visit: https://www.randoxhealth.com/
Renal Function and Health
Your kidneys are vital for survival, they filter waste substances out of your blood and balance the levels of salts and water in our bodies. Your kidneys filter around 180 litres of blood every day, control the production of red blood cells and release hormones that regulate blood pressure – it’s little wonder, then, the importance placed on looking after such a vital organ.
Did you know?
Around 1 in 8 people in the UK will develop Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)
Kidney Disease can affect people of all ages and races, 10% of the population worldwide is affected by Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD.) Since Kidney Disease can sneak up without symptoms it has been labelled a silent killer, a person can lose up to 90% of their kidney function before experiencing any signs or symptoms.
As kidney disease gets worse, wastes can build up in your blood and make you feel sick. You may develop additional problems such as high blood pressure, anemia, weak bones, poor nutritional health and nerve damage. Kidney disease also increases your risk of developing heart or blood vessel disease. These problems often develop slowly and will often lead to kidney failure.
The two main causes of CKD are diabetes and high blood pressure, which are responsible for up to two-thirds of cases, other causes include inherited kidney diseases and malformations at birth.
How is Chronic Kidney Disease detected?
Early detection and treatment is crucial to keep kidney disease from developing into kidney failure, some simple tests can be carried out to detect early kidney disease. These are;
- A urine test to check if there is any protein present
- A blood test to measure levels of creatinine
The best treatment is early detection when CKD can be slowed or stopped, however once kidneys fail, treatment with dialysis or a kidney transplant is needed. 8 of 10 people on the transplant list are waiting for a kidney, the average wait for a new kidney is 3 years, and every day one kidney patient will die waiting for a transplant.
Reduce your risk of developing CKD
Your kidneys are vital to your overall health, so it’s important to look after them. There are 5 simple steps that can help you keep them in good shape;
- Stay hydrated
- Maintain a balanced diet and keep your weight in check
- Monitor your blood pressure
- Quit Smoking
- Limit your alcohol intake
Related Products
Randox has developed the RX series of clinical chemistry analysers for superior semi-automated and fully automated testing. The RX series extensive dedicated test menu goes beyond routine testing and has many unique and high-performance tests available. Our range of tests covers several parameters to assess renal health.
Renal Function
| Albumin | Creatinine Enzymatic | IgG | Phosphorus (Inorganic) |
| Ammonia | Creatinine (Jaffe) | LDH | Urinary Protein |
| Beta-2 Microglobulin | Cystatin C | Magnesium | Urea |
| Calcium | Glucose | Potassium | Uric Acid |
| Chloride | HbA1c/Hb | Sodium | |
Our world-famous test menu of high quality reagents ensures excellence in patient care, guaranteeing unrivalled precision and accuracy reducing costly test re-runs or misdiagnosis and offering complete confidence in results.
The RX series clinical chemistry analysers provide laboratories with a robust and smart solution ensuring you maintain a consistent workflow and can provide accurate results first time, every time. Offering excellent customer support services, our trained engineers are on hand to work with you in preserving the continuity of your operations while maximising the potential of your RX series instrument.
For more information visit: https://www.randox.com/clinical-chemistry-analysers/
Kidney disorders can develop and advance overtime without any signs and the symptoms are not recognised as being associated with renal impairment. Kidney health and regular renal screening is important to enable renal impairment to be detected in its earliest stages to prevent renal failure. Randox offers a comprehensive range of high performance reagents for the detection and characterisation of renal function problems.
All reagents are available for use on a wide range of third party biochemistry analysers. Contact us to request an application for your specific analyser.
Cystatin C
Cystatin C is a useful marker where creatinine measurements are unsuitable e.g. patients who are obese, malnourished, have liver cirrhosis or reduced muscle mass. Cystatin C also does not have a ‘blind area’ unlike creatinine – up to 50% of renal function can be lost before sufficient creatinine levels are detectable. Cystatin C is extremely sensitive to small changes in Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) and so is capable of detecting early stages of renal impairment.
For more information on Cystatin C, visit: www.randox.com/cystatin-c
Enzymatic Creatinine
Creatinine clearance in the kidneys gives a measurement of the GFR which is the standard marker for renal function. The enzymatic method offers superior specificity when compared to the traditional Jaffe method. Other benefits of the enzymatic method over the Jaffe method includes: limited interferences from bilirubin, haemoglobin, Intralipid® and Triglycerides making the assay more suitable for neonatal samples, eliminates the need for urea determination, highly specific and does not overestimate serum creatinine.
For more information on Enzymatic Creatinine, visit: www.randox.com/creatinine
Microalbumin
The detection of albumin in urine can be an indicator of kidney injury, as damage to the glomerular basement membrane results in albumin seeping out of the kidneys into urine. Sustained elevations of urinary albumin concentrations are called Microalbuminuria. The Randox Microalbumin test is an excellent marker of kidney disease and can identify individuals with diabetic nephropathy approximately 5-10 years earlier than proteinuria tests reducing the incidence of end stage renal disease. The American Diabetes Association and Diabetes UK recommend that all diabetics are screened for microalbuminuria on a yearly basis.
For more information on Microalbumin, visit: www.randox.com/microalbumin
Renal Testing Panel
- Cystatin C
- Creatinine Enzymatic
- Creatinine Jaffe
- Microalbumin
- Total Urinary Protein
- Urea
- Sodium
- Potassium
- Albumin
- Ammonia
- β₂ Microglobulin
- Calcium
- Chloride
- Glucose
- HbA1c
- IgG
- LDH
- Magnesium
- Phosphorus (Inorganic)
- Uric Acid
When diagnosing and monitoring Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), it is vital that laboratories have a robust Quality Control (QC) system in place to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the results produced. The Acusera Chemistry and Urine Controls have been designed to cover a wide range of kidney function tests at clinical decision levels eliminating the need for additional low level controls at extra expense.
Our range of Chemistry Controls contain up to 100 analytes and cover a wide range of kidney function tests. Available in a choice of liquid or lyophilised formats, options are available to suit all laboratory sizes and budgets.
Our portfolio of Urine Controls cover the full range of clinical testing, manufactured from 100% human serum a matrix similar to that of the patient is guaranteed. They are available in both liquid ready-to-use and lyophilised formats, making them ideal for use at the point-of-care and in the laboratory.
Common kidney function parameters we cover include;
- Albumin
- Urea/BUN
- Bicarbonate
- Calcium
- Chloride
- Creatinine
- Creatinine Clearance
- Cystatin C
- Glucose
- Phosphate
- Potassium
- Sodium
- Urine Albumin
- Albumin/Creatinine Ratio
- Beta-2 Microglobulin
- Urinalysis
- Urine Protein
For more information, contact us at acusera@randox.com
We also have corresponding RIQAS Chemistry and Urine Programmes which cover the common kidney function tests, including;
RIQAS General Clinical Chemistry Programme
The RIQAS General Clinical Chemistry EQA programme is designed to monitor the performance of up to 52 parameters. Three flexible yet cost effective programme options are available.
- Accredited to ISO/IEC 17043
- Lyophilised for enhanced stability
- Human based serum
- Bi-weekly reporting
- Submit results and view reports online via RIQAS.Net
- Register up to five instruments at no extra cost
- Reference method values are provided for selected parameters/lots
For more information, visit our RIQAS General Clinical Chemistry Programme page.
RIQAS Human Urine Programme
The RIQAS Human Urine EQA programme is designed to monitor the performance of up to 25 routine chemistry assays in urine.
- Accredited to ISO/IEC 17043
- Lyophilised for enhanced stability
- 100% human urine
- Bi-weekly reporting
- Submit results and view reports online via RIQAS.Net
- Register up to five instruments at no extra cost
For more information, visit our RIQAS Human Urine Programme page
Our Randox Health clinics offer comprehensive health testing as part of our Signature, Everyman and Everywoman packages to identify and assess risk of developing Kidney Disease. Our clinics utilise the same cutting-edge tests and quality control that we have available to clinical laboratories globally, as well as our patented Biochip Array Technology (BAT).
For more information visit: https://www.randoxhealth.com/
Take control of your heart health with Randox
Your heart is amazing. Not only is it your most critical organ but also one of the most hard-working. The average adult heart beats around 100,000 times a day, acting as a giant pump for all the blood in your body. Indeed, every day your heart pumps over nine litres of blood through a system of blood vessels over 60,000 miles long – it’s little wonder, then, the importance placed on looking after such a vital muscle.
The heart works 24/7, only taking a rest when you sleep with the natural drop of heart rate and blood pressure. Over time, and influenced by lifestyle choices, the heart grows weaker, needing to work harder to fulfil its function. Crucial lifestyle changes now could limit your risk of developing serious cardiac conditions, such as Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) in the future. Factors which can contribute to your CVD risk include genes inherited from parents or grandparents, smoking, an unhealthy diet, excessive alcohol consumption and low physical activity levels.
You can’t change your DNA, but you can find out what it means to you and your family. One of our advanced tests can identify people living with a common but often hidden disorder – Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH). Fewer than 12% of people in the UK know they have this potentially fatal condition. It is characterised by dangerously high levels of cholesterol which can lead to early onset cardiovascular disease.
While lifestyle changes may help to limit your risk of CVD, and related heart condition, it is impossible to eradicate it completely for everyone. Accounting for 31% of deaths worldwide, CVD is the number one cause of death globally but early screening could lower this figure significantly. That’s why it’s vitally important to detect CVD early before a coronary event like a heart attack occurs.
Today in the UK, 530 people will go to the hospital with a suspected heart attack. Only a fifth of these people will actually be having a heart attack. According to a team from King’s College London, as reported by the BBC, a faster, more accurate diagnosis of whether chest pain is caused by a heart attack would save the health service millions of pounds each year by sending well patients home and freeing up beds. Yet current testing methods do not efficiently differentiate between high-risk patients and the estimated 80% of patients who are not having a heart attack.
Randox’s revolutionary test for Heart-Type Fatty Acid-Binding Protein (H-FABP), when combined with current testing, is able to rule out a heart attack for patients who present at A&E with chest pain which is caused by other conditions such as respiratory issues, meaning they may not need emergency admission.
When measured at the time a patient presents to A&E with chest pain, H-FABP enables doctors to triage patients suffering with a heart attack more efficiently than before, making sure those at high-risk are given medical intervention earlier.
Early screening in the form of a comprehensive health check is essential to detect cardiac irregularities before they become serious problems. Heart damage builds up over time, meaning that when detected early enough, lifestyle changes can help to reduce cardiac risk and potentially even prevent a cardiac event occurring.
Therefore, it is vitally important that individuals are tested for CVD to detect them in the earliest stages to reduce damage, prevent further damage, or even death. Furthermore, many people suffer from inherited cardiac risk factors, which stresses the need for accurate testing.
Randox offer the complete laboratory solution to cardiac risk assessment information to doctors and hospitals, and also directly to the public at Randox Health. Our range of both traditional and novel cardiac risk biomarkers, along with our technologically-advanced range of analysers, serves to allow us to offer the most advanced, most accurate health check available on the planet.
As well as your cardiovascular risk score, a Randox Health check will also assess your cholesterol levels, FH risk, triglycerides, creative kinase, myoglobin, troponin levels and many more heart health indicators. In total, a Randox Health check can assess up to 350 different markers of irregularity or disease in the whole body, from heart to hormone health and skin to stomach.
Many serious future health issues are preventable now with action. Find out more about our health check programmes here.
About Randox Health
Randox Health is a global leader in healthcare diagnostics; today more than 5% of the world’s population – in excess of 370 million people across 145 countries – receives medical diagnosis using Randox products each year.
After investing over £220 million in the invention and production of revolutionary blood-science technology, a single Randox Health check will deliver a complete picture of your health – as it is now and, crucially, how it is likely to develop in the future.
Randox Health has proven that signs of disease or irregularity can be caught at their earliest stage. This means that, with early action, some cases of illness can even be prevented altogether. Our health checks include, but are not limited to, cancer surveillance, fertility monitoring, heart health, nutrition, digestive and diabetes health.
In other words, from one health check, you’ll receive up to 350 results and afterwards avail of expert advice from the Randox scientists or a Randox Health GP. Not only that, but a complete 12-month programme and repeat testing come as standard so you can have full confidence that you are really taking care of yourself.
Find out more information about Randox Health checks here: https://www.randoxhealth.com/our-packages/
RX Series
Randox has developed the RX series range of clinical chemistry analysers for high-quality semi-automated and fully automated testing. Choose between the RX misano, RX monaco, RX daytona+, RX imola, and the RX modena depending on the throughput of your laboratory. The RX series offers a suitable analyser for your laboratory’s needs. For more information on the Randox RX series, please click here or email therxseries@randox.com
Reagents
Randox offers an extensive range of third party diagnostic reagents which are internationally recognised as being of the highest quality; producing accurate and precise results. We have the largest test menu of 118 assays, covering over 100 disease markers including specific proteins, lipids, therapeutic drug monitoring, drugs of abuse, antioxidants, coagulation, diabetes and veterinary testing. A wide range of formats and methods are available providing greater flexibility and choice for any laboratory size. In addition to flexible pack sizes and a comprehensive list of analyser applications, we can also provide dedicated reagent packs (Randox Easy Read and Easy Fit regents) for a wide range of chemistry analysers providing you with freedom of choice from an independent manufacturer.
For more information on Randox Reagents, please click here or email reagents@randox.com
Acusera – Internal Quality Control
The Acusera cardiac controls have been designed to cover a wide range of cardiac markers at clinical decision levels, eliminating the extra expense of an additional low level control. The controls are available in a both liquid ready-to-use and lyophilized formats making them ideal for all situations and manufactured from 100% human serum a matrix similar to that of the patient is guaranteed. For more information on the Randox Acusera internal quality control, please click here or email acusera@randox.com
RIQAS – External Quality Control
The RIQAS Liquid Cardiac EQA programme is designed to monitor the performance of up to 9clinically significant cardiac markers including: CK-MB mass, D-dimer, Digoxin, homocysteine, hsCRP, myoglobin, NT proBNP, troponin I, and troponin T. RIQAS is ISO/IEC 17043 accredited and allows the registration of up to five instruments at no extra cost. All samples are 100% human serum and provided in a liquid ready-to-use format for enhanced convenience. Submit your results bi-weekly and view reports online via RIQAS.Net. For more information on RIQAS, the world’s largest international EQA scheme, please click here or email acusera@randox.com
For further information, please contact the Randox PR team via email: randoxpr@randox.com or phone 028 9442 2413
Celebrating Valentine’s Day with the Cardiac Prediction Array from Randox Biosciences
With Valentine’s Day being in the heart of National Heart Month, Randox Biosciences want to take this opportunity to talk about the importance of looking after your heart and the awareness of the tests out there currently on offer.
The British Health Foundation launched National Heart Month with the aim to spread awareness of heart disease and to encourage the nation to make small changes towards a healthier lifestyle.
Currently Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death in the UK, with 73,000 people dying from Coronary Heart Disease every year in the UK.1
Coronary Heart Disease is a disease in which plaque builds up inside the coronary arteries. Our arteries supply oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscles, however, over time plaque builds up and can harden. This hardened plaque, then narrows the coronary arteries reducing the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the heart, which can lead to angina or a heart attack to occur.2
CHD is more likely with increasing age, in men rather than in women before menopause and if close relatives have suffered CHD early in life. These risk factors cannot be changed, however, there are other risk factors that can be modified. These are known as elevated blood cholesterol, overweight and obesity, smoking, lack of physical activity, unhealthy diet and stress.
You can prevent and control many CHD risk factors with heart-healthy changes and medication. There is only a few risk factors that can’t be controlled such as your age, gender and family history. Nonetheless, many lifestyle changes help control several CHD risk factors at the same time, such as physical activity which may reduce stress, lower your blood pressure, help control diabetes and help control your weight.
If you believe you are at risk of coronary heart disease, you can ask for a risk assessment for heart diseases, heart attack or stroke. However, current CHD risk assessment tools based on common risk factors such as blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels have low predictive value and take no account of genetic predisposition to CHD.
In recent years, Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS) have been carried out to identify genetics variants associated with CHD. Meta-analysis of such studies has identified 19 variants as being associated with CHD.
Individually, the presence of an “at risk” variant does not greatly increase the risk of developing CHD. However, the presence of multiple “at risk” alleles can increase the risk of developing CHD two-fold or greater an effect similar to being a current smoker. Combining genotype information with common risk factors could allow individuals to be more accurately classified therefore preventative therapies and lifestyle advice can be targeted to those who require it most.
In order to utilise the GWAS findings within a clinical setting, individuals require to be genotyped for each of the 19 CHD “at risk” SNPs. However, at present this can be a time consuming and expensive process.
Together with key opinion leaders in cardiovascular genetics, Randox has developed the Cardiac Risk Prediction Array which will allow all 19 SNPs to be genotyped simultaneously, which incorporates a test to identify patients predisposed to statin induced myopathy.
Firstly, a multiplex PCR reaction is performed, where the products amplified correspond to the genotype of the patient sample. The PCR products are then hybridised onto the Cardiac Risk Prediction biochip array and imaged using the Evidence Investigator analyser to identify which PCR products are present. Patient samples can be genotyped within 1 day.
This Heart Month, we are urging the pubic to not only help raise awareness of heart disease but also educate themselves on the signs and symptoms to increase early diagnosis. As a global diagnostic company, Randox Biosciences are committed to the ongoing development of diagnostic tests, as well as our research into numerous disease areas to improve health worldwide.
To find out more email us at info@randoxbiosciences.com
Sources
1 – HeartUK
2 – National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
