WASHINGTON, Sept. 3,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Association for
Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine (ADLM, formerly AACC) has
issued expert guidance on lipid tests, which measure blood levels
of fats and cholesterol to help assess a patient's risk of heart
disease and stroke. By giving clinicians and laboratory medicine
professionals much-needed clarity on how to best use these tests,
the new guidelines will ensure that more patients with
cardiovascular disease get the treatment they need.
Read the guidance document here:
https://www.myadlm.org/Science-and-Research/Academy-Guidance/Lipids-and-Lipoproteins
Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease involves the hardening
and narrowing of the arteries due to the buildup of plaques made of
cholesterol and fat cells (also known as lipids). In the disease's
later stages, plaques can block arteries, leading to heart attack
and/or stroke, which in turn can lead to disability and even death.
Thankfully, these outcomes can be prevented through lifestyle
modifications, such as changes in diet and exercise, and through
cholesterol-lowering medication. Atherosclerosis often doesn't have
symptoms until a severe blockage occurs, making routine lipid
testing integral to catching it in time for patients to start
treatment. However, lipid tests are not currently standardized,
with many testing parameters that could impact a patient's
diagnosis varying from lab to lab. This means that, depending on
where a patient is tested, they could get an incorrect test result
that leads to them not getting the life-saving treatment they
need.
A multidisciplinary group of experts formed by the Academy of
Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine set out to remedy this
situation by developing a guidance document that covers all the
best practices that labs and healthcare providers should follow
when testing for lipids. This guidance draws on the most rigorous,
up-to-date research, and key highlights of its recommendations
include the following:
- Standard lipid panels should report total
cholesterol, triglycerides, and high-density lipoprotein
cholesterol (HDL-C).
- Non-HDL-C and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C)
should be calculated and reported as well using the newer Martin
and Sampson equations, which are more accurate than the traditional
methods used to calculate these values.
- Only patients with hypertriglyceridemia and pediatric
patients with elevated non-HDL-C need to fast before giving samples
for a lipid panel. This will make lipid testing more accessible for
patients for whom fasting is difficult, such as older patients and
those who are on certain medications.
"The guidance document aims to improve standardization of
clinical lipid testing workflows," wrote the document authors Drs.
Jing Cao, Leslie Donato, Joe M.
El-Khoury, Anne Goldberg,
Jeffery W. Meeusen, and Alan T. Remaley. "It is our hope that these
recommendations and subsequent revisions serve as a comprehensive
resource to support clinicians and laboratories in lipid assessment
and enhancing patient care."
About the Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory
Medicine (ADLM)
Dedicated to achieving better health through laboratory
medicine, ADLM brings together more than 70,000 clinical laboratory
professionals, physicians, research scientists, and business
leaders from around the world focused on clinical chemistry,
molecular diagnostics, mass spectrometry, translational medicine,
lab management, and other areas of progressing laboratory science.
Since 1948, ADLM has worked to advance the common interests of the
field, providing programs that advance scientific collaboration,
knowledge, expertise, and innovation. For more information,
visit www.myadlm.org.
Christine DeLong
ADLM
Associate Director, Communications & PR
(p) 202.835.8722
cdelong@myadlm.org
Molly Polen
ADLM
Senior Director, Communications & PR
(p) 202.420.7612
(c) 703.598.0472
mpolen@myadlm.org
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SOURCE Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine
(ADLM)