Cardiovascular health

Innovative blood test to determine the individual risk of stroke and heart attack

The PLAC® test is an innovative risk marker that measures the enzymatic activity of Lp-PLA2 (lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2), a specific biomarker for vascular inflammation involved in the formation of unstable plaques that cause majority of cardiovascular events. 

This easy blood test for the detec­tion of Lp-PLA2 offers a more individual risk assess­ment than the usual examinations. Approximately 70% of the heart attacks and most of the strokes are caused by rupture of vascular de­posits, also called atherosclerotic plaques.

Who should be tested and when?

Men ≥ 45; women ≥ 55 with at least 2 of these risk factors:

• Hypertension
• History of cardiovascular diseases or diabetes
• Overweight
• Increased cholesterol levels
• Smoking
• Lack of exercise

Results and Interpretation

The determination of Lp-PLA2 (a vessel-specific inflammation enzyme) shows if plaques are located within the arte­rial vessel wall that tend to rupture. The PLAC®-Test results allow to stratify the individual risk of a patient and ad­just the treatment depending on the results.

Additional information:

The PLAC^®-Test is a CE-labelled test.

Oxidative stress

Oxygen is vital because it allows the production of energy from organic matter. Paradoxically, oxygen can also be harmful: physiological processes such as cellular respiration or protective mechanisms of the body constantly produce highly reactive oxygen compounds, including free radicals, all highly toxic.

Oxidative stress is defined as a disturbance in the balance between the production of free radicals and the ability of the body to neutralize them leading to an accumulation of free radicals. Oxidative stress over a long period may promote the development of diseases: cardiovascular diseases, chronic infectious diseases, inflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases and even cancer. Besides, oxidative stress plays also an important role in aging.

The factors or conditions below may contribute to oxidative stress:

• Heavy physical efforts
• Unbalanced diet
• Consumption of tobacco and alcohol
• Chronic fatigue
• Physical or mental stress
• Chronic and inflammatory diseases
• Treatments such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, oral contraception
• Pollution, UV radiation
• Infections

There is a conclusive link between high levels of oxidative stress and a patient’s health.
However, in more than 80% of cases, it is possible to reduce oxidative stress and thus to improve health status, regardless of clinical context or patient’s age.

Targeted laboratory diagnoses are therefore essential for an early diagnosis and treatment of oxidative stress.

Laboratoires Réunis offers, in addition to a wide range of individual analyses, the following laboratory diagnostic profiles for the detection of oxidative stress:

• Oxidative stress-base profile: antioxidative capacity, oxidized LDL and 8-OHdG
• Profile of complete oxidative stress: antioxidant capacity, 8-OHdG, oxidized LDL, SOD, GPX, Se, Zn, Vit A & E, ubiquinone, citrulline, nitrotyrosine,
• Nitrosative stress profile: ubiquinone, nitrotyrosine, nitrophenylacetic acid, citrulline

Minerals are dissolved substances that are present within and outside the body cell. They are essential for several metabolic processes like enzyme activation, regulation of water balance and pH. Increased or decreased levels can impair metabolic processes and additionally give information about possible diseases.

Laboratoires Réunis offers complete analysis of minerals including sodium, potassium, magnesium, copper, iron, zinc, selenium. Single analysis on demand.

Vitamins are crucial parts of biochemical conversions in the body, such as co-factors in enzyme reactions and play an important role against oxidative stress. Deficiency or excess of vitamins can lead to a decreased function of several (organ) systems and the human body as a whole. Therefore, vitamin testing gives insight into absolute and relative deficiencies, and provides information about the impact of dietary changes and supplementations.

Laboratoires Réunis offers the following tests related to vitamins:

• Vitamin B3
• folic acid (vitamin B9)
• Vitamin B12
• Holotranscobalamin (active vitamin B12)
• Biotin (vitamin H)