Accurate - The accuracy of VAP measurements are verified by beta quantification, a standard procedure for lipoprotein analysis based on centrifugation. Affordable - The VAP Test is reimbursed by most insurance carriers and Medicare/Medicaid. You can find out more information by contacting Atherotech. Accessible - Obtaining a VAP Test is easy. Contact your local clinical lab, or obtain a VAP Test directly by contacting Atherotech.

Download Accuracy Data (pdf)

Easy – Because we are directly measuring LDL-C, fasting is not required. Effective – By reporting 22 different components of cholesterol, the VAP Test identifies risks you can't see with a standard lipid panel.

More Comprehensive Test
The VAP Test uses an advanced technology that provides a more accurate, individualized picture of your heart disease and diabetes risk so you and your doctor can take steps to prevent a future heart attack. For example, the VAP Expanded Lipid Profile measures not only the basic information provided by the routine cholesterol test, but also identifies hidden cholesterol problems that can increase your risk of developing heart disease or diabetes—even if your routine cholesterol test results are "normal." As a result, the VAP Test was named one of "Ten Ways to Live Longer" by Forbes.com and was selected as one of "Five Tests Worth Paying For" by The Wall Street Journal.

Why the Need for a VAP Test
Heart disease is the leading killer of both men and women in the United States—causing the deaths of more than 500,000 people each year. Unfortunately, getting "normal" results back from a routine cholesterol test doesn't mean one is safe from heart disease. That's because routine cholesterol tests fail to identify half of those at risk—robbing many people of the opportunity to take preventive steps that might save their lives.

The VAP Test provides valuable information that can identify hidden heart disease risks. It breaks down cholesterol beyond HDL (high-density lipoprotein, the "good" cholesterol), LDL (low-density lipoprotein, the "bad" cholesterol), and triglycerides—providing new information that can help your doctor better assess and manage your heart disease risk. VAP Tests also help identify the metabolic syndrome-which leads to diabetes and heart disease, and affects a staggering 55 million Americans.

Clinical Need
The role of cholesterol testing in clinical practice is to stratify a patient's risk for cardiovascular disease and to direct therapy to reduce that risk. Accuracy and comprehensiveness in cholesterol testing are critical, especially in light of lower LDL goals, as well as the need to measure and treat a variety of cholesterol subclasses and components. As a result, the heart disease and diabetes risk factors reported by the the VAP Test technology are the best choice for patients at risk for cardiometabolic disorders.

Apolipoprotein B100 (apoB100)
Several studies have shown that apolipoprotein B (apoB) is a better risk predictor for coronary heart disease (CHD) than several other risk factors, including LDL cholesterol.[1],[2] Since each atherogenic lipoprotein (Lp(a), LDL, IDL, and VLDL) contains one molecule of apoB, apoB concentration therefore represents the total number of atherogenic particles. Atherotech has developed a novel procedure to report apoB utilizing non-HDL-cholesterol along with lipoprotein density distribution using the patented VAP ultracentrifugation method. Atherotech has thoroughly validated this new procedure by comparing the VAP apoB with measured apoB using serum from 1,797 patients. This comparison has yielded an excellent correlation coefficient (r = 0.97) with bias of only 0.8%.
References:
      1. AMORIS Study, Lancet, 2001; 358: 2026-33.
      2. Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, Circulation, 2005; 112: 3375-83.

Direct-Measured LDL
One of the key benefits of the VAP technology is a direct-measured LDL. The routine cholesterol panel, which estimates LDL using the Friedewald formula, provides only a 40% predictive value for coronary heart disease. In contrast, the VAP Test, which directly measures LDL, identifies a far greater number of patients at risk for heart disease.

Because of the concerns regarding the reliability of estimated LDL, the NCEP ATP III guidelines recommend that direct LDL measurement methods be used as they are unaffected by triglycerides and patient fasting. In fact, estimated LDL cholesterol levels become significantly inaccurate in patients with heart disease or the equivalent (LDL goal <70-100 mg/dL). Estimated LDL cholesterol levels often fail to accurately classify risk for those patients with triglycerides >200 mg/dL.

How to get a VAP Test Obtaining a VAP Test is easy. Your physician can refer you to a local clinical lab to handle the test, which requires just a small blood sample. The VAP Test is reimbursed by most insurance carriers and Medicare/Medicaid. You can also obtain a VAP Test directly by contacting Atherotech.

View a sample (pdf)

NCEP ATP III Secondary Targets of Therapy and Emerging Risk Factors
In addition to the LDL cholesterol level, the VAP technology also reports the NCEP ATP III secondary targets of therapy and emerging risk factors, which play a role in raising a patient's level of risk. Measuring these risk factors is the key to managing atherogenic dyslipidemia, setting more aggressive LDL goals, and providing expanded indications for therapy.

• Increased remnant lipids (intermediate-density lipoprotein and small very low-density lipoprotein) are candidates for intervention, and can heighten heart disease risk substantially beyond that predicted by LDL alone.
• The presence of the "lipid triad" (small LDL, low HDL and elevated triglycerides) of the metabolic syndrome is considered, as a whole, a risk factor.
• LDL Pattern B is an indication of atherogenic dyslipidemia and the metabolic syndrome.
• Elevated levels of lipoprotein(a) are an independent risk factor for heart disease.

Patients with abnormal screening profiles or positive family history also benefit from identification of secondary and emerging risk factors. These may be used along with clinical judgment to raise a patient's risk classification, lower their target LDL goal, and/or modify their treatment plan.

Education
Atherotech offers a comprehensive education program designed to increase physician understanding and use of advanced lipid testing in clinical practice. Included are presentations, articles, and other educational materials. Contact Atherotech for more information.

The Atherotech MSC
Atherotech's Medical Science Consultants (MSCs) are a valuable resource available to Atherotech clinicians working towards a better understanding of lipid particle fractionation and available tests related to CV risk reduction. They provide in-depth knowledge on key clinical and scientific research supporting cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention and risk reduction. Their expertise includes collaborative support in CV risk stratification, as well as discussions of treatment options to facilitate therapy aimed at the reduction of CVD risk. Our MSCs can explain how the Vertical Auto Profile (VAP) and other Atherotech CV related test panels, along with Our Healthy Heart program, can easily be integrated into daily clinical practice.

MSCs are clinical, non-sales professionals who work to help increase the medical community’s understanding of cardiovascular preventive medicine and increase clinical practice efficiency. MSCs have an extensive knowledge base of cardiovascular risk reduction including comprehensive lipid testing and metabolism, insulin resistance, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, CVD and other related disorders.

Speakers Bureau
Atherotech has assembled a group of leading experts and clinicians in a variety of medical specialties who are available to make presentations about advanced lipid testing. For more information, please contact Atherotech