January 30, 2012 — Expanded cholesterol assessment of moderate risk patients can play an important role in identifying and monitoring the progression of atherosclerosis. That’s according to a clinical study that used the Vertical Auto Profile (VAP) cholesterol test to analyze lipids potentially associated with carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT).
The study; Indicators of the Atherogenic Lipoprotein Phenotype Measured with Density Gradient Ultracentrifugation Predict Changes in Carotid Intima-Media Thickness in Men and Women was published in the January 2012 issue of Vascular Health and Risk Management. The sub-analysis demonstrated that using the VAP test density gradient ultracentrifugation (DGU) method, researchers were able to get a detailed look at how lipoproteins and their subfractions were associated with CIMT progression in men and women at moderate coronary heart disease (CHD) risk.
The study analyzed subjects from the control arm of an earlier double-blind, randomized, clinical trial designed to evaluate the effects of consumption of pomegranate juice compared to a control beverage on CIMT over a period of 18 months. Researchers investigated the relationships between baseline lipoprotein cholesterol, triglyceride (TG) and apolipoprotein B (apoB) levels assessed with the VAP Test and progression of posterior wall common CIMT in men and women at moderate risk of CHD.
Researchers reported that higher levels of TG-rich lipoprotein cholesterol, lower levels of HDL and HDL subfractions, and a greater proportion of LDL carried by more dense LDL particles were associated with CIMT progression in men and women at moderate risk for CHD. The atherogenic lipoprotein phenotype identified by the VAP Test is more strongly associated with CIMT progression than LDL, Non-HDL and apoB concentrations.
The atherogenic phenotype may have an important role in the initiation and progression of early atherosclerosis, and Maki said the data should provide clinicians with useful information to better predict CHD risk and more clearly understand the importance of measurement of lipoprotein subspecies.
The VAP Test is a direct and comprehensive measurement of cholesterol markers associated with heart disease, providing accurate information that can effectively identify and target risk in clinical care. The VAP Test identifies a significantly greater number of people at risk for heart disease than the standard cholesterol test.
For more information: www.atherotech.com
November 12, 2025 
