World Heart Day 2018 – Randox Reagents
World Heart Day 2018 – Randox Reagents
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the number one cause of death globally and more people die annually from CVD than any other disease state. On World Heart Day 2018, Randox Reagents are committed to developing niche and superior performance assays for the early detection of CVD risk with the hope to change this statistic and improve the heart health of millions worldwide.
There are a number of influencing factors that can lead to a patient experiencing a cardiovascular event. The risk factors for this multifactorial disease include: genetic predisposition, age, gender, smoking, hypertension, stress, dietary habits and physical inactivity. Little evidence exists explaining the mechanism of the Apolipoproteins in the body and their contribution to the causes of some of these cardiac diseases.
Apolipoprotein E
Apolipoprotein E (Apo E) is a lipid transport and signalling protein found in the blood which is synthesized mostly by the liver. Apo E has been found to have many roles in the body including the promotion of antiatherogenic properties. Essentially the main function of Apo E is to act as a ligand to the LDL receptor. This relationship plays a critical role in metabolism by promoting cellular uptake of lipoproteins. Through this process Apo E acts as a major component of overall plasma cholesterol homeostasis which facilitates the hepatic uptake of lipoproteins by binding to their receptors. It works to stabilise the equilibrium of cholesterol in the blood by transporting the cholesterol between cells preventing platelet aggregation. Apo E deficiency can influence the plasma concentration and metabolic destination of LDL creating an increased risk of CVD.
Apolipoprotein C-III
Apolipoprotein C-III is another apolipoprotein found in the circulatory system. Its metabolic actions have been found to be actively different to ApoE. The Apo C-III has been found to prevent binding of VLDL cellular receptors resulting in the conversion of VLDL to LDL rather than promoting the clearance of the circulatory system. In addition, it specifically and directly encourages proatherogenic changes in monocytes and endothelial cells. Research has found that the plasma concentration of LDL with Apo C-III strongly predicts the incidence of recurrent cardiovascular events.
Working together to lower CVD Risk
The conflicting roles of Apo E and Apo C-III in the circulatory system has created interest amongst researchers and has raised the question ‘Could the ApoE content of LDL Cholesterol with Apo C-III reduce the proatherogenic nature of Apo C-III reducing a patient’s risk of a CVD event?’.
In fact, studies have now found that the presence of ApoE is associated with lower atherogenicity of LDL Cholesterol containing Apo C-III. The abundance ApoE relative to the abundance of LDL Cholesterol with Apo C-III is a protective factor against coronary heart disease. This relationship is further supported by the antagonistic relationship between the two apolipoproteins. The idea that Apo E may be able to effectively protect against the effects of the combination of LDL Cholesterol with Apo C-III is important to consider due to their strong links with CVD.
The Randox Apolipoprotein E and Apolipoprotein C-III reagent allows for prompt and accurate diagnosis of Apolipoprotein levels, an influencing factor in cardiovascular disease.
The Randox Apolipoprotein E reagent
The benefits of the Randox Apo E assay includ:
- Excellent working reagent stability when stored at +2 to +8 ̊C
- A wide measuring range of 1.04 -12.3 mg/dl enabling the comfortable detection of levels outside of the health range, 2.7-4.5 mg/dl
- Liquid ready-to-use reagent for convenience and ease-of-use
- Immunoturbidimetric method
The Randox Apolipoprotein C-III reagent
The key benefits of the Randox C-III assay include:
- Liquid ready-to-use reagent for convenience and ease-of-use
- Excellent Linearity of 21.7 mg/dl. The approximate normal upper limit for Apo CIII is 9.5 mg/dl therefore the Randox assay will comfortably detect elevated, potentially harmful levels of Apo C-III
- Limited interference from Bilirubin, Haemoglobin, Intralipid and Triglycerides for truly accurate results
- Applications are available detailing instrument-specific settings for a wide range of clinical chemistry analyzers
- Immunoturbidimetric method
References
- Apolipoprotein E in VLDL and LDL with Apolipoprotein C-III is Associated with a Lower Risk of Coronary Heart Disease. Mendivil, Carlos, et al. s.l. : Journal of the American Heart Association , 2013.
If you are a cardiologist, clinician or laboratory who are interested in running assays for cardiovascular disease, Randox offer a range of high-quality routine and niche assays including: Adiponectin, Lp(a), H-FABP and HDL3, which can be used to diagnose conditions commonly affecting the heart. 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/apolipoprotein-e / or email: reagents@randox.com
World Heart Day – 29th September 2017
World Heart Day – 29th September – Introduction
This year (29th September 2017) join us as we help to raise awareness for World Heart Day! The theme for this year’s World Heart Day is to share the power – and you know what they say… “Knowledge is Power” so throughout this blog we will be providing vital knowledge as well as tips to having a healthy heart!
The heart is a muscular organ that pumps blood around the body and is indeed central to your circulatory system. The system consists of a network of blood vessels, including, veins, arteries and capillaries. These vessels transport blood – as well as carrying oxygen and other important nutrients – to every part of the body. Ensuring a healthy heart is therefore vital.
What is CVD?
When too much pressure is put on our hearts we start to run into some issues – the general term for conditions affecting the heart is Cardiovascular Disease – better known as CVD. The exact cause of CVD is far from clear, with many factors increasing your chances of developing CVD. These risk factors can include, but are not limited to, high blood pressure, smoking, high cholesterol, being overweight or in many cases, can be hereditary.
It is important to note that Cardiovascular Disease is accountable for nearly half of all non-communicable disease (NCD) deaths, therefore making it the number one killer across the globe! Scary thought considering there are a whopping 17.3 million CVD related deaths per year – including stroke and heart disease. Understanding CVD in today’s society is more important than ever before, we need to know the truth about CVD and be able to decipher the facts from the fiction. Below you can see a few examples of common misconceptions regarding CVD and also some that are indeed true.
Only older men can get heart disease/CVD
False
Cardiovascular Disease can develop before birth
True
Exercising won’t help if you’re genetically predisposed to CVD
False
Low and middle-income countries are the most susceptible to CVD
True
It is estimated that by 2030 the number of deaths, due to CVD, will rise to an enormous 23 million globally! However, by raising awareness of the critical numbers and facts we can all help prevent CVD by making small, simple lifestyle changes.
Tips for a Healthy Heart
Using our “art into heart” graphic below, we decided to outline some of our Randox QC top tips for staying healthy! Why not try some of them and feel the effects of having a happy, healthy heart!
This World Heart Day, join us and many more around the world, to raise awareness for this great cause and unite together to “Share the Power”.
Keeping your heart healthy
Today is World Heart Day. We all know someone close to us who has been affected by heart related disease despite extensive research being carried out to try and prevent it
According to the British Heart Foundation, today in the UK alone:
- 435 people will lose their lives to Cardiovascular Disease (CVD)
- More than 110 people will be younger than 75
- 515 people will go to hospital due to a heart attack
- 190 people will die from a heart attack
From 2011 to 2013 a study of men and women under the age of 75 recorded an annual loss of 41,786 people noted by British Heart Federation. In the United States of America around 1.5 million people suffer from heart attacks and strokes each year. CVD is currently the leading cause of death in United States.
However, the British Heart Foundation have revealed that the annual number of deaths from CVD in the UK has fallen by more than half, since their establishment. This is a great achievement, but more can be done in the race to beat heart disease.
Take control of your heart health today
Keeping a healthy heart is key to your well-being. Our healthy tips below give some examples of how you can start working towards a healthier heart today.
Quit Smoking
Smoking is still a major cause of CVD. Smoking causes your blood vessels to thicken and become narrower making your heart beat faster and increases blood pressure. This puts significant pressure on your heart and can result in a number of heart related diseases.
Smoking can cause blood clots to form, blocking your arteries which makes it extremely difficult for your heart to pump blood around your body. This is one of the leading cause of CVD and Strokes. According to the NHS, after one year of giving up smoking your risk of a heart attack falls by about half that of a smoker.
Even if you are not a smoker, you should try and avoid inhaling second hand smoke where possible.
Limit your alcohol intake
Drinking excess alcohol can result in considerable health implications.
According to the NHS guidelines, both men and women shouldn’t drink any more than 14 units per week. If you do drink 14 units per week this should be spread out over 3 days or more.
The British heart Foundation stated in their October 2010 statistical report ‘While moderate consumption (one or two drinks a day) does not increase the risk of CVD, it is estimated in men that 2% of CVD and 5% of strokes are due to excessive drinking.
Get Active
Exercise not only releases endorphins which can have an extremely positive effect on our mental wellbeing, but it will also improve our physical health.
A study carried out by the World Heart Federation revealed that walking at least two hours a week reduced the incidence of premature death from cardiovascular disease by about 50%.
You should aim to do at least 30 minutes exercise 5 days a week to keep a healthy heart. Simple exercises such as walking to work instead of taking your car a few days a week, cycling for 30 minutes after work, or going swimming at the weekend can help to reduce your risk of CVD.
Cut down on saturated fat
Eating foods high in saturated fat can raise the level of cholesterol in your blood. Saturated fats include foods such as processed meats, fatty meats, whole milk and cream, butter and lard. Replacing these with healthier options such a coconut oil, lean cut meats, and skimmed milks can help improve your health and reduce your risk of heart disease greatly.
Randox is a leading provider of diagnostic reagents for the assessment of cardiovascular disease risk. Assessment of cardiac health and regular cardiac screening is vital so that risk factors can be detected in the earliest stages. Our dedicated test menu includes an extensive cardiac panel, including; CK-MB, Lipoprotein (a), TxB cardio, Myoglobin and H-FABP.
These tests can be run on our range of clinical chemistry analysers, the RX series, which will provide you with accurate and reliable results. The RX series combines robust hardware and intuitive software with the RX series dedicated test menu boasting innovation, ease-of-use, and superior technology for your laboratory.
You can view our complete test menu here https://www.randox.com/complete-rx-test-menu/.
Support World Heart Day 2016 by taking a healthy heart selfie and post it via twitter using the hashtag
#WorldHeartDay #HealthyHeartSelfie