Lp-PLA₂: Emerging Biomarker in Atherosclerotic Risk Assessment

The incidence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) has become the leading cause of morbidity and mortality, causing asignificant financial burden to the nation. The risk factors like hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, obesity and family history have got a strong association with CVD and thus having a predictive value to some extent. LpPLA₂ is an enzyme specific to arterial inflammation making it a promising biomarker for predicting the development of CVD. This study was undertaken to assess the reliability and specificity of Lp-PLA2 as a biomarker in patients with risk of CVD. DiaSys India a subsidiary of DiaSys Diagnostic Systems GmbH supported a research study for assessing Lp-PLA₂ as a biomarker for CVD vis-à-vis Vitamin D concentration among Indian population. The study clearly demonstrated that Lp-PLA2 is a more specific marker in predicting the development of CVD compared to the conventional markers.