Expert Consensus Panel Recommendation for Incor...

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, California, June 23 /PRNewswire/ --

    diaDexus, Inc. today announced the release of a supplement to The
American Journal of Cardiology, Vol. 101, No 12A June 16, 2008 that includes
an expert consensus panel recommendation to include testing for
lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2), a vascular-specific
inflammatory marker, as an adjunct to traditional cardiovascular disease
(CVD) risk assessment. These recommendations are consistent with and build on
the Adult Treatment Panel III guidelines (ATP III) for the use of
inflammatory markers in patients at moderate to high CVD risk to improve
identification of those at even higher risk for heart attack and stroke who
would benefit from proven therapeutic and lifestyle treatments to prevent
these cardiovascular events.



    The six paper supplement entitled "Advances in the Detection of
Rupture-Prone Plaque: The Role of Lipoprotein-Associated Phospholipase A2 in
Cardiovascular Risk Assessment" was authored by a consensus panel of experts
in the fields of cardiology, neurology and laboratory medicine. The panel was
formed to review the rapidly emerging literature on Lp-PLA2, an enzyme
implicated in the formation of rupture prone plaque.



    Peter H. Jones, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine and Co-Director,
Baylor Lipid and Atherosclerosis Clinic, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston,
Texas and co-author of the summary paper entitled "Consensus Panel
Recommendation for Incorporating Lipoprotein Associated Phospholipase A2
Testing into Cardiovascular Disease Risk Assessment Guidelines" comments, "As
a highly specific biomarker for vascular inflammation, Lp-PLA2 can identify
persons who are at increased risk for heart attack and/or stroke. Elevated
Lp-PLA2 levels should prompt consideration of increasing the cardiovascular
risk category from moderate to high or high to very high risk, directing
initiation or intensification of statin therapy to reduce LDL-cholesterol to
prevent heart attacks and strokes." The consensus panel also endorsed a
simplified framework for traditional Framingham risk factor assessment in
which any patient with two risk factors is recommended for Lp-PLA2 testing,
given that most individuals with two risk factors are at moderate CV risk. In
addition, a clinical cutpoint for Lp-PLA2 of >200 ng/mL was recommended for
considering a patient at higher risk.



    In the paper entitled "Lp-PLA2 and Risk of Stroke", Philip Gorelick, MD,
MPH, Professor and Head of Neurology, University of Illinois College of
Medicine, provides a review of several prospective epidemiological studies of
Lp-PLA2 and stroke risk, and states that "determining patients at high risk
for stroke may be challenging because total and LDL cholesterol may not
predict stroke risk very well." The panel recommends testing Lp-PLA2 to help
identify moderate-risk individuals who may be at high risk of stroke for whom
more intensive lifestyle and pharmacotherapies may be indicated to reduce
stroke and other major vascular events.



    In his paper entitled "Lp-PLA2: An Independent Predictor of Coronary
Events in Primary and Secondary Prevention," Jeffrey Anderson, MD, Professor
of Medicine (Cardiology), University of Utah School of Medicine reported:
"Lp-PLA2 appears to be highly specific for high atherosclerotic disease
activity, independent and additive to traditional risk factors and metabolic
syndrome. As such, Lp-PLA2 could alert the clinician to initiate proven
strategies for coronary event and stroke reduction."



    Both a PDF of the supplement and a searchable text version can be found
on The American Journal of Cardiology website at:
http://www.ajconline.org/issues/contents?issue_key=S0002-9149(08)X0017-7



ABOUT DIADEXUS

    diaDexus, Inc., the educational sponsor of this supplement, is a
privately held diagnostics company based in South San Francisco, CA, focused
on the development and commercialization of patent-protected in vitro
diagnostic products addressing unmet needs in cardiology and oncology. The
PLAC Test for Lp-PLA2 is the only blood test cleared by the FDA to aid in
assessing risk for both coronary heart disease and ischemic stroke associated
with atherosclerosis. The test can be ordered through a physician and is
available through many national and local laboratories. For more information,
visit http://www.plactest.com or http://www.diaDexus.com.



ABOUT THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CARDIOLOGY

    The American Journal of Cardiology (http://www.ajconline.org), is one of
the oldest and most prestigious cardiology journals published in the United
States. AJC publishes peer-reviewed, original scientific studies that have
direct clinical significance. The information contained in this supplement in
The American Journal of Cardiology is not a substitute for medical advice or
treatment, and the Journal recommends consultation with your physician or
healthcare professional. AJC is published by Elsevier.



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