press release

June 1, 2012, 1:19 p.m. EDT

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Jun 01, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- This week Atherotech Diagnostics Lab joins leaders in cardiovascular and lipid management at the 2012 National Lipid Association Scientific Sessions in Scottsdale, Ariz. Several members of the company's Medical Advisory Board will present cutting-edge science and take part in discussions on the latest in lipidology innovation.

Atherotech Diagnostics Lab will share research in three scientific poster sessions co-authored by Medical Advisory Board members Peter P. Toth, M.D., Steven R. Jones, M.D., Atherotech Chief Medical Officer Michael E. Cobble, M.D., and Krishnaji Kulkarni, Ph.D., laboratory director at Atherotech. The abstracts will be presented in the NLA's Diabetes, Insulin Resistance and Dyslipidemia category.

The company's VAP(R) Lipid Panel was utilized in research to assess the effectiveness of the antiglycemic agent exenatide in reducing heart disease risk and improving lipid subclass profiles. Authors concluded that -- compared to the basic lipid panel -- expanded lipoprotein tests such as the VAP (Vertical Auto Profile) Lipid Panel provide the clinician with better information on the patient's underlying lipid disorders and can be easily incorporated into routine clinical management.

In presentation No. 109, Reduction In Estimated 10-Year Coronary Heart Disease Risk Using Reynolds Risk Score: A Post Hoc Analysis Of Exenatide-Treated Patients With Type 2 Diabetes, researchers used the VAP Lipid Panel to evaluate the effectiveness of once weekly (ExQW) and twice daily (ExBID) exenatide formulation on cardiovascular disease risk in Type 2 diabetes patients. Researchers concluded that therapy with exenatide resulted in a significant reduction in 10-year coronary heart disease risk as estimated by the Reynolds Risk Score. The abstract authors expect further delineation of the potential cardiovascular implications of exenatide on Type 2 diabetes patients in the ongoing Exenatide Study of Cardiovascular Event Lowering Trial (EXSCEL).

In presentation No. 110, Treatment With Exenatide BID and QW for 30 Weeks was Associated With Favorable Lipid and Lipid Subclass Changes in Patients With Abnormal Baseline Values, the effectiveness of once weekly and twice daily exenatide on lipid subclass profiles and vascular inflammation was assessed using the VAP Lipid Panel. Researchers studied patient samples from the DURATION-1 exenatide clinical trial. Exenatide therapy improved a wide range of cardiovascular disease risk markers, including vascular inflammation and the atherogenic lipid profile. Abstract authors observed that the preponderance of small, dense LDLc lipoproteins in DURATION-1 patient samples was masked by the incomplete information obtained from the standard lipid profile.

In presentation No. 156, Lipoprotein Effects of Exenatide in Diabetic Subjects with Elevated Pretreatment Levels of Serum Lipoprotein(a) Cholesterol: A Post Hoc Analysis of DURATION-1, authors aimed to evaluate the effects of exenatide on serum lipids, apolipoproteins, Lp(a), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) in a subset of patients from the DURATION-1 study who had elevated pre-treatment levels of Lp(a) cholesterol. Using the VAP Lipid Panel in assessment, results showed that, among patients with elevated Lp(a) at baseline and Type 2 diabetes, exenatide (either EBID or EQW) therapy was associated with significant reductions in median values of Lp(a)c and the cholesterol content of Lp(a) particles, hs-CRP, and triglycerides.

"These studies present research and treatment scenarios that demonstrate the clinical value of a comprehensive, accurate lipid panel in heart disease risk assessment and Type 2 diabetes," said Cobble, a primary care family physician in Sandy, Utah, diplomate of the American Board of Clinical Lipidology and certified hypertension specialist. "In the DURATION-1 patient population, the VAP Lipid Panel revealed important clinical information about lipid disorders that were missed using the basic lipid profile, potentially resulting in misclassification of patient risk."

The VAP Lipid Panel directly measures cholesterol concentrations of all five major lipoprotein cholesterol classes and their subclasses and identifies a significantly greater number of people at risk for heart disease than the basic cholesterol test. Atherotech provides physicians with a single source for the VAP Lipid Panel and more than 60 other cardiovascular and metabolic tests. The company provides its unique testing services to physicians, hospitals, clinics and other laboratories throughout the U.S.

For a schedule of Atherotech's activity at the 2012 NLA Scientific Sessions, visit www.cobblescorner.com/nla2012atherotech . For more information, visit www.Atherotech.com or call 877.901.8510. Atherotech Diagnostics Lab is on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/Atherotech and also on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/Atherotech .

About Atherotech Diagnostics Lab

Atherotech is a CLIA-certified clinical reference laboratory and cardiodiagnostic company focusing on cardiometabolic tests, including the company's patented VAP Lipid Panel, which reports the cholesterol content of all lipids, components and subclasses. The VAP Lipid Panel is the first cholesterol profile to comply with updated National Cholesterol Education Program ATP III recommendations for direct LDL measurement, which is accurate with non-fasting samples. The VAP Lipid Panel is available through national and regional diagnostic laboratories and is reimbursed by many of the largest private insurers as well as Medicare. For more information, visit www.Atherotech.com .

SOURCE: Atherotech Diagnostics Lab

Copyright Business Wire 2012

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