Lipids

• Total Cholesterol (TC)
  Measures the amount of cholesterol in all cholesterol-containing lipoproteins
• Triglycerides (TG)
  Elevated levels increase CVD risk by altering lipoprotein metabolism
• Direct Low Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (LDL-C)
  Amount of cholesterol in the atherogenic low-density lipoproteins
• High Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (HDL-C)
  Amount of cholesterol in high-density lipoproteins (HDL)
  Higher levels of HDL are associated with reduced CVD risk, but not all HDL is good
• Lipid Ratio
  TC/HDL-C is a stronger risk factor than either LDL-C or HDL-C
  Low HDL-C/TG is associated with insulin resistance

• Lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a))
  Elevated levels, present in 20% of the population, are an independent risk factor for CVD
• Apolipoprotein B (ApoB)
  A major protein in atherogenic particles
  Stronger predictor of CVD than LDL-C

Metabolics

• Homocysteine
  High levels are associated with vitamin B deficiency and increased risk for CVD and dementia
• Glucose
  Fasting glucose is a strong predictor of diabetes and CVD risk
• Insulin
  Debate over what optimal/healthy insulin level should be
  This marker is possibly quite time sensitive regarding samples sent from NZ (TBC).
• Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c)
  Assesses the average blood glucose over the last (three to four months or 120 days which is the average life of the red blood cell) two to three months

Inflammation

• High Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hs-CRP)
  Acute phase inflammatory protein
  Associated with atherosclerosis after excluding other causes