World Heart Day – Raising awareness of Cardiovascular Diseases

On 29^th September, World Heart Day is an opportunity for everyone to stop and consider how best to use heart for humanity, for nature, and for yourself. Beating cardiovascular disease is something that matters to every beating heart.

In May 2012, world leaders committed to reducing global mortality from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) by 25% by 2025. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is accountable for nearly half of all NCD deaths making it the world’s number one killer. World Heart Day is, therefore, the perfect platform for the CVD community to unite in the fight against CVD and reduce the global disease burden.

World Heart Day is a global campaign created by the World Heart Federation in which it informs people around the globe that CVD, including heart disease and stroke, is the world’s leading cause of death claiming 18.6 million lives each year. It aims to highlight the actions that individuals can take to prevent and control CVD as well as to drive action to educate people by controlling risk factors such as tobacco use, unhealthy diet, and physical inactivity.

What are cardiovascular diseases?

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a group of disorders relating to the heart and blood vessels and they include:

• coronary heart disease – disease of the blood vessels supplying the heart muscle
• cerebrovascular disease – disease of the blood vessels supplying the brain
• peripheral arterial disease – disease of blood vessels supplying the arms and legs
• rheumatic heart disease – damage to the heart muscle and heart valves from rheumatic fever, caused by streptococcal bacteria
• congenital heart disease – malformations of heart structure existing at birth
• deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism – blood clots in the leg veins, which can dislodge and move to the heart and lungs

How can Randox help with these current global challenges

Cardiovascular disease, including heart disease, is easier to treat when detected early. Here at Randox, we utilise innovative diagnostic tests for early risk assessment capable of diagnosing disease at the earliest possible stages, because we understand that “prevention is better than cure”.

Randox Laboratories is a world leader in innovative diagnostics with 40 years’ experience and a leading provider of diagnostic reagents for the assessment of cardiovascular disease risk. Randox offer an extensive menu of cardiac biomarkers within the cardiology reagents panel including:

Risk Assessment

• CK-MB – useful in patients with chest pain; Creatine Kinase is an enzyme produced in many different types of cells, of which high levels indicate muscle trauma or damage.
• Myoglobin – a small protein which leaks out of muscle cells after injury, is also considered a biomarker for the detection of Myocardinal Infraction.
• Routine lipid tests to determine the patient’s cholesterol and triglyceride levels – HDL Cholesterol, LDL Cholesterol, Total Cholesterol and Triglycerides
• Independent risk assessment tests such as sdLDL Cholesterol and Lipoprotein(a) to determine any genetic factors which may increase their risk of CVD. Please note, this is necessary even for patients who have good cholesterol levels
• Secondary tests, such as High Sensitivity CRP, in addition to risk assessment markers and lipid evaluation – secondary tests are important in predicting future cardiac events of individuals with no previous history of CVD and those deemed healthy because of primary tests; approximately half of all heart attacks occur in patients classified as low risk. In addition, they can also be used to evaluate the risk of a recurrent cardiac event
• Homocysteine – elevated levels of homocysteine have been linked to various disease states including CVD. Extremely high levels are found in patients with homocystinuria, of which many suffer from early arteriosclerosis.

More information

If you are a clinician or lab interested in our Cardiology & Lipids Panel, we have a wealth of resources available:

Download our Reagents Brochure 

Download our Cardiology & Lipid Testing Brochure

If you would like to get in touch with a Sales representative please email us reagents@randox.com

Cardiac QC

Acusera Cardiac Controls is designed to deliver an assayed solution for Tropinin I and NT-proBNP testing. Its intended use with Roche, Abbott and Siemens. This control is manufactured using only the highest quality material and offers a 7-day thawed stability at +2ºC to +8ºC.

Four levels are available covering the clinically relevant range, including High Sensitivity Troponin I.

Features and Benefits

• Liquid for ease-of-use stability
• Aqueous material
• 4 Clinically relevant levels (including Ultra-Low)
• Stable to expiry date at -18-24ºC storage
• Thawed stability of 7 days at 2°C – 8°C

For more information, visit our Cardiac Quality Control website 

If you have any other queries, don’t hesitate on contacting us at qualitycontrol@randox.com

Heart Health Test

High Cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke therefore at Randox Health we have the Heart Health Test to keep our cholesterol at a healthy level. This is done from the convenience of your home with our home sample collection kit. Heart Health measures your total cholesterol, HDL (good) cholesterol, LDL (bad cholesterol) and triglycerides.

Why we get tested?

There is so much importance in identifying cholesterol imbalance early which allows you to make appropriate dietary and lifestyle changes which in turn reduces your risk of heart disease and stroke. It is essential to acknowledge that regardless of your age and physical health, anyone can have high cholesterol; high levels may be a result of genetics or lifestyle which can often display with no underlying symptoms. Those with a family history of heart disease, who are overweight/ obese, drink alcohol, smoke regularly, lead a sedentary lifestyle or have diabetes are at an increased risk and should get tested.

Find out more here