March 11, 2009 - The VAP Cholesterol Test from Atherotech Inc. is now available with apolipoprotein A (apoAI), reportedly increasing its clinical utility in the assessment of risk for heart disease, diabetes and other cardiovascular diseases, and making it the only single cholesterol test that routinely reports apoAI, apoB and the apoB/apoAI ratio.
ApoAI is the main protein component of protective HDL cholesterol while apolipoprotein BI00 (apoB) particles are the main component of atherogenic (bad) LDL cholesterol. In general, the lower the apoB/apoAI value, the lower your risk for heart disease. A ratio of 1 to 2 is considered low risk, while a ratio approaching 1 to 1 would be considered high risk, and anything over that -- where the small LDL particles would dominate -- would be very high risk.
The apoB/apoAI ratio is significantly higher in people with metabolic syndrome, which is present in nearly a quarter of the U.S. population and is a precursor to diabetes. In the Collaborative Atorvastatin Diabetes (CARDS) study of diabetic patients, the apoB/apoAI ratio predicted cardiovascular disease and coronary heart disease events and total mortality better than other lipoprotein variables. The apoB/apoAI ratio is also an independent predictor of insulin resistance in non-diabetic subjects.
The VAP Test reports 20 separate components of blood cholesterol as opposed to four in a standard cholesterol test, and is said to identify a greater number of lipid abnormalities - the major risk factor for heart disease)- than the standard cholesterol test. The VAP Test also identifies markers for metabolic syndrome, a precursor for diabetes.
For more information: www.thevaptest.com/
August 15, 2024 
