Lp-PLA2 (lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2) is an enzyme transported primarily in LDL.¹ Lp-PLA2 hydrolyzes oxidized phospholipids, generating lysophosphatidylcholine, which up-regulates adhesion molecules and cytokine expression. Lp-PLA2 is secreted by cells of the monocyte–macrophage series, T-lymphocytes and mast cells.^2-4

Clinical studies have shown that elevated Lp-PLA2 levels are associated with increased risk of CHD and stroke. The PLAC^® test is an enzyme immunoassay developed for the quantitative determination of Lp-PLA2 in human plasma, for use in conjunction with clinical evaluation and patient risk assessment in predicting risk for coronary heart disease, and ischemic stroke associated with atherosclerosis.

After being diagnosed with diabetes, many people work on improving their health to decrease the likelihood of complications. Kidney disease, skin disorders, blindness and foot problems are well-known complications of the condition. However, there is another risk that often hides in the background, unbeknownst to the patient.

Heart disease and stroke are major complications associated with diabetes, yet nearly 70 percent of people with diabetes aren’t aware of the connection between heart attack, stroke and diabetes.* Because people with diabetes often experience high blood pressure and high cholesterol levelsalong with other health problems, they are at an increased risk of developing arterial disease – a condition that can ultimately lead to a stroke or heart attack. Although this may seem dire, the long-term outlook for diabetics can be positive if risk factors are managed properly.

            Besides cancer and heart diseases, strokeis the third leading cause of death. Approximately 1/4 of all stroke victims die as a direct result of the stroke or its complications. Stroke is caused by uncontrolled diet that is high in saturated and trans fats resulting in cholesterol build up in the arteries and high blood pressure. In other words, if cholesterol building up in the arteries is blocking the circulation of blood in any part of the body causing oxygen not to be delivered to the brain, resulting in some cells in the brain to die off and are unable reproduce, then we have stroke. Other strokes happen when a blood vessel in the brain ruptures causing the cells in your brain to be deprived of oxygen in your blood, they die and never come back.

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States, and a leading cause of severe, long-term disability. About 700,000 Americans will suffer a stroke this year and 500,000 of those will be first attacks. Yet predictive models used in cardiovascular disease, such as the Framingham Risk Score and the Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III), have determined all patient risk estimates and treatment recommendations entirely on coronary heart disease outcomes and do not include stroke. While increased cholesterol levels have been strongly associated with coronary heart disease event rates, lipids have not been shown to be a predictor for stroke events.¹ While the lack of association between stroke and cholesterol levels makes the identification of patients at high risk for stroke challenging, numerous pharmacologic agents have been shown to be beneficial in reducing the incidence of primary stroke.

Stroke in children is not as rare as once thought and the symptoms do not mirror stroke in adults. In its first scientific statement on the topic, the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association addresses treatment, symptoms and risk for stroke in infants and children.