We Are Randox | Randox Wears Yellow for World Mental Health Day 2018
Today is World Mental Health Day and Randox is getting involved to raise money for our two charity partners – AWARE NI and Ulster University’s Mind Your Mood.
Colleagues across Randox sites in Northern Ireland have been donning yellow in order to raise awareness of mental health and wellbeing and also to raise funds for these two fantastic causes.
Wear Yellow Wednesday is part of a series of events taking place at Randox as part of Randox Mental Health & Wellbeing Month – an initiative which encourages staff to take care of their mental wellbeing and seeks to support the work of AWARE NI and Mind Your Mood.
The month also entails a charity ‘freefall’ abseil from the dome of Victoria Square when 14 brave Randox colleagues will scale the heights to raise money for AWARE NI. You can visit their JustGiving page here: https://www.justgiving.com/teams/RANDOXAWARE
AWARE NI is the depression charity for Northern Ireland. They have two offices in both Belfast and Derry. AWARE has an established network of 25 support groups in rural and urban areas across the country which are run by trained volunteers. AWARE also deliver mental health and well being programmes into communities, schools, colleges, universities and workplaces.
Ulster University’s Mind Your Mood initiative is a service managed by Student Support but designed and delivered by students to have lived experiences of mental health illness. Mind Your Mood was created to help build resilience to avoid mental illness, provide support at the earliest point to avoid progression of mental illness to something more serious and threatening and to build resilience and awareness and provide support to help students with already-diagnosed mental illness.
For more information on Randox Mental Health & Wellbeing Month please contact the Randox PR team on 028 9442 2413 or by emailing randoxpr@randox.com
Randox launches Mental Health & Wellbeing Month
Randox Health Holywood is this week hosting a fundraising event for mental health charities AWARE NI and Ulster University’s Mind Your Mood to launch Randox’s Mental Health & Wellbeing Month throughout October.
Held on Saturday 6th October 2018, 10am – 12noon, the health check company’s coffee morning event will offer customers, visitors and the residents of Holywood the opportunity to call in, grab a tea or coffee, and sample some scones and sweet treats, all while helping to raise money for those who need it most.
By shining a light on mental health issues, Randox hopes to educate its staff on how to look after their mental health while also raising funds for its two official charity partners. The fundraising coffee morning launches a month of staff initiatives including a Wear Yellow for World Mental Health Day on Wednesday 10th October, a company-wide Bake Sale on Friday 26th October, and a freefall abseil from the dome of Victoria Square Belfast on Sunday 21st October.
Randox Founder and Managing Director, Dr Peter FitzGerald, commented;
“Every one of us has been touched either directly or indirectly by these issues and it’s something we at Randox wish to help to address. We have for example invested significantly in research that will determine how problems with the digestive system can affect your mood, sleep and stress levels. We hope that our partnerships not only help those affected by mental ill-health across Northern Ireland, but also empower our Randox staff to take care of their own mental well-being.”
AWARE NI is the depression charity for Northern Ireland with an established network of 23 support groups in rural and urban areas across the country, all run by trained volunteers. AWARE deliver mental health and wellbeing programmes in to communities, schools, colleges, universities and workplaces while also running a 24hr email help service.
Mind Your Mood, managed by Ulster University, is designed and delivered by students who have life experience of mental health illness to help other students avoid mental illness, provide support at the earliest point, build awareness of mental illness and provide support to students who are already diagnosed with mental illness.
Donations for the Randox Team Abseil can be made here: https://www.justgiving.com/teams/RANDOXAWARE
For more information about Randox Mental Health & Wellbeing Month, please contact RandoxPR@randox.com.
Introducing the EveryBusiness Offering from Randox Health
Absenteeism has long been a problem in business. There are a variety of reasons why employees may be absent but one of the most common is illness. Employees lose an average of 30.4 working days a year due to sickness or underperforming at work due to ill health, according to research by VitalityHealth.
Its 2017 Britain’s Healthiest Workplace report, which surveyed 31,950 employees, found that productive working days lost due to physical and mental health issues cost the UK economy approximately £77.5 billion a year.
At Randox Health, we’re aiming to change the statistics and help employees to live healthier for longer. Our innovative health checks can detect disease and irregularity at the earliest stage, allowing lifestyle changes to be made now when potential illness can still be reversed.
Having a healthier workforce, conscious of how their lifestyle choices are affecting them, has been proven to encourage productivity and decrease absenteeism. Poor employee productivity is just as damaging to the workplace economy as absenteeism. One of the main causes of low productivity is poor health.
Take care of your staff with an Everybusiness programme at Randox Health. The gift of health is invaluable and will not only allow employees to enjoy the benefits of the world’s most comprehensive health programme available, but will also save your business time and money.
Our health checks are the most advanced blood screening packages available in the world as we use our patented Biochip Array Technology. Using this technology, hundreds of individual blood tests can be carried out on a single sample, allowing you to have truly unrivalled knowledge about your health both now and in the future.
We specialise in wellbeing, assessing up to 350 elements of your body and allowing early identification of illness before problems develop.
For more information on the EveryBusiness offering from Randox Health, please contact info@randoxhealth.com or phone 0800 2545 130.
Womenās Health: Testing for CVD
Did you know that cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death in women? Cardiovascular disease, or CVD, accounts for 27% of all female deaths. That’s much higher than what is commonly thought to be the biggest killer of women – breast cancer. At Randox, we’re using our innovative technology to diagnose CVD cases as early as possible so appropriate treatment can be sought.
The Randox clinical product range offers a wide range of products to combat heart issues including the RX series extensive cardiac testing panel, reagents such as H-FABP, Adiponectin an TxB Cardio and an extensive cardiac QC range available in both liquid & lyophilised format.
You can find out more about how Randox is helping to diagnose women’s health issues, such as CVD, here.
What is CVD?
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a general terms for conditions that affect the heart and/or blood vessels. It is usually associated with the build-up of fatty deposits in the arteries and an increased risk of blood clots.
CVD is one of the main causes of death and disability in the UK but can often largely be prevented with a healthy lifestyle.
Types of CVD
Coronary heart disease
This occurs when the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle is blocked or reduced
Stroke
A stroke is where the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off, which can cause brain damage and possibly death. A transient ischaemic attack (also called a TIA or “mini-stroke”) is similar, but the blood flow to the brain is only temporarily disrupted.
Causes of CVD
The exact cause of CVD isn’t clear, but there are lots risk factors that can increase your risk of getting it. The more risk factors you have, the greater your chances of developing CVD. Risk factors include:
- High blood pressure
- Smoking
- High cholesterol
- Diabetes
- Inactivity
- Being overweight or obese
- Family history of CVD
- Ethnic background
Preventing CVD
- Stop smoking
- Have a balanced diet
- Exercise regularly
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Cut down alcohol consumption
How is Randox helping to detect CVD?
Randox has developed the RX series of clinical chemistry analysers for superior semi-automated and fully automated testing. The RX series extensive dedicated test menu goes beyond routine testing and has many unique and high-performance tests available. Our range of tests covers many tests for the diagnosis and monitoring of cardiac diseases.
Cardiac Panel
| Cholesterol | CRP Full Range(0.3-160mg/l) | Direct LDL Cholesterol | sLDL |
| CK-MB | CRP High Sensitivity | Heart-Type Fatty Acid Binding Protein (H-FABP) | Triglycerides |
| CK-NAC | Digoxin | Lipoprotein(a) | TxB Cardio |
| CRP | Direct HDL Cholesterol | Myoglobin | Adiponectin |
Our world leading test menu of high quality reagents guarantees excellence in patient care ensuring unrivalled precision and accuracy reducing costly test re-runs or misdiagnosis and offering complete confidence in results.
The RX series clinical chemistry analysers provide laboratories with a robust and smart solution ensuring you maintain a consistent workflow and can provide accurate results first time, every time. Offering excellent customer support services, our trained engineers are on hand to work with you in preserving the continuity of your operations while maximising the potential of your RX series instrument.
For more information visit: https://www.randox.com/clinical-chemistry-analysers/
Did you know that cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death in women? Cardiovascular disease, or CVD, accounts for 27% of all female deaths. That’s much higher than what is commonly thought to be the biggest killer of women – breast cancer. At Randox, we’re using our innovative technology to diagnose CVD cases as early as possible so appropriate treatment can be sought.
The Randox clinical product range offers a wide range of products to combat heart issues including the RX series extensive cardiac testing panel, reagents such as H-FABP, Adiponectin an TxB Cardio and an extensive cardiac QC range available in both liquid & lyophilised format.
You can find out more about how Randox is helping to diagnose women’s health issues, such as CVD, here.
What is CVD?
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a general terms for conditions that affect the heart and/or blood vessels. It is usually associated with the build-up of fatty deposits in the arteries and an increased risk of blood clots.
CVD is one of the main causes of death and disability in the UK but can often largely be prevented with a healthy lifestyle.
Types of CVD
Coronary heart disease
This occurs when the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle is blocked or reduced
Stroke
A stroke is where the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off, which can cause brain damage and possibly death. A transient ischaemic attack (also called a TIA or “mini-stroke”) is similar, but the blood flow to the brain is only temporarily disrupted.
Causes of CVD
The exact cause of CVD isn’t clear, but there are lots risk factors that can increase your risk of getting it. The more risk factors you have, the greater your chances of developing CVD. Risk factors include:
- High blood pressure
- Smoking
- High cholesterol
- Diabetes
- Inactivity
- Being overweight or obese
- Family history of CVD
- Ethnic background
Preventing CVD
- Stop smoking
- Have a balanced diet
- Exercise regularly
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Cut down alcohol consumption
How is Randox helping to detect CVD?
Randox has developed the RX series of clinical chemistry analysers for superior semi-automated and fully automated testing. The RX series extensive dedicated test menu goes beyond routine testing and has many unique and high-performance tests available. Our range of tests covers many tests for the diagnosis and monitoring of cardiac diseases.
Cardiac Panel
| Cholesterol | CRP Full Range(0.3-160mg/l) | Direct LDL Cholesterol | sLDL |
| CK-MB | CRP High Sensitivity | Heart-Type Fatty Acid Binding Protein (H-FABP) | Triglycerides |
| CK-NAC | Digoxin | Lipoprotein(a) | TxB Cardio |
| CRP | Direct HDL Cholesterol | Myoglobin | Adiponectin |
Our world leading test menu of high quality reagents guarantees excellence in patient care ensuring unrivalled precision and accuracy reducing costly test re-runs or misdiagnosis and offering complete confidence in results.
The RX series clinical chemistry analysers provide laboratories with a robust and smart solution ensuring you maintain a consistent workflow and can provide accurate results first time, every time. Offering excellent customer support services, our trained engineers are on hand to work with you in preserving the continuity of your operations while maximising the potential of your RX series instrument.
For more information visit: https://www.randox.com/clinical-chemistry-analysers/
June focus: Women’s Health
Randox is dedicated to improving health worldwide. Throughout the month of June we hope to highlight how the Randox clinical product range can ensure accurate and swift diagnosis and, by doing so, improve women’s health. We can do this by allowing for necessary steps to be taken post-diagnosis. A common-held misconception is that breast cancer is the biggest threat to a woman’s health, however, the biggest health risk to women statistically is heart disease which accounts for roughly 27% of female deaths. The Randox clinical product range offers a wide range of products to combat heart issues including the RX series extensive cardiac testing panel, reagents such as H-FABP, Adiponectin an TxB Cardio and an extensive cardiac QC range available in both liquid & lyophilised format.
Randox Reagents
Randox Reagents have the highest quality reagents on the market and a test menu comprising of over 118 assays covering over 100 disease markers. Several of these reagents will play a key role in diagnosis in women such as Randox’s Lipoprotein (a) – Lp(a) test, The Randox Lp(a) offers swift and accurate diagnosis of elevated circulation Lp(a) levels which is significant for women as they have an increased risk of CVD due to elevated levels of Lp(a). Several traditional CVD risk markers, including elevated LDL may be absent in some women, elevated Lp(a) levels may identify women at high risk of developing CVD.
RX Series
The RX series range of clinical chemistry analysers offers the most comprehensive testing profile for assessing health in males and females. Urinary tract infections are more commonly found in women and the RX series extensive renal function panel will provide clarity in terms of a woman’s urological health by testing for 19 separate analytes, including microalbumin. The RX series microalbumin test can detect very low levels of albumin in urine and if albumin is detected it can be an indicator of kidney injury and can result in irreversible damage. To view the full RX series test menu click here.
Quality Control
The Randox Acusera Maternal Screening quality control is the only commercially available control which covers all six analytes used during first and second trimester screening of Down’s syndrome and Spina Bifida. Instrument-specific target values and ranges are provided for AFP, Inhibin A, PAPP-A, β hCG, Total hCG and Unconjugated Estriol. The inclusion of PAPP-A and Inhibin A eliminates the need to purchase additional controls at extra expense.
RIQAS
The RIQAS Maternal Screening EQA programme is designed to monitor the performance of screening tests used during the first and second trimester of pregnancy to assess the risk of Down’s syndrome, Spina Bifida and Trisomy 18. 100% human serum ensures commutability while the lyophilised material allows for enhanced stability. Monthly reporting allows laboratories to become aware of issues and remedy them early.
Take the #TrueAgeChallenge and win a FitBit on each day of the Balmoral Show with Randox Health
Who is the 2018 Balmoral Show’s healthiest person? That’s a question Randox Health is posing at this year’s event, as it announces details of an interactive challenge ahead of this week’s event.
Anyone over the age of 16 can take part by visiting the Randox Health stand and taking part in the True Age Challenge. It involves a Body Composition Analysis (BCA) machine which assesses 25 different areas of your body including the ratio of muscle to fat, bone density, hidden visceral fat and cellular hydration levels.
But it’s the reveal of a person’s ‘true’ or metabolic age that can really leave people amazed!
The #TrueAgeChallenge winner will receive a FitBit Blaze each day of the Balmoral Show. They will either be the single person with the greatest difference between their body age and ‘true’ age as determined by the BCA, or if there are multiple people with the same age difference, they will be entered into a draw.
Peter FitzGerald, Managing Director of Randox, commented:
“The True Age Challenge is a novel way to highlight the importance of finding out the current state of your own personal health. For many people, talking intimately about our health can be taboo so we’re working to start that crucial conversation that sparks a desire within people to take control of their health. Our ambition is to help people extend their lives, and live healthier for longer.”
Local well-known names, Young Farmers’ Clubs of Ulster President James Speers and Downtown Radio presenter Kirstie McMurray are looking forward to taking part.
James Speers, President of the Young Farmers’ Clubs of Ulster, said of the challenge:
“It’s shaping up to be another great year at Balmoral and the Randox Health True Age Challenge is a fantastic way for people to get a quick overview of their health while at the show. I’m looking forward to partaking in the challenge – hopefully I’ll be pleasantly surprised!”
Downtown Radio and Downtown Country presenter, Kirstie McMurray, commented:
“When I heard about the Randox Health True Age Challenge I was keen to have a go! I’ve been going to a gym regularly for a year now and I’m interested to see the difference that has made to my health. Fingers-crossed I’m a few years ‘younger’ than my real age!”
Randox Health will be on stand A7 throughout Balmoral Show 2018.
Follow Randox Health’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to find out about our #TrueAgeChallenge and daily winners.
For more information about the #TrueAgeChallenge, please contact Randox PR on 028 9442 2413 or email RandoxPR@randox.com
NeoNatal
Metabolic health is a term used to describe a collection of required chemical reactions that take place in all living organisms. A metabolic disorder develops when an abnormal chemical reaction occurs which alters the normal metabolic process.
Did you know?
Approximately 20-25% of the world’s adult population have metabolic syndrome?
Randox has developed the RX series of clinical chemistry analysers for superior semi-automated and fully automated testing. The RX series extensive dedicated test menu goes beyond routine testing and has many unique and high-performance tests available. Our range of tests covers several parameters to assess your overall metabolic health.
Metabolic Health Profile
| Albumin | Chloride | Potassium |
| Alkaline Phosphatase | C02 Total | Sodium |
| ALT | Creatinine | Total Bilirubin |
| AST (GOT) | Glucose | Total Protein |
| Direct Bilirubin | Lactate | Urea |
| Calcium |
The RX series clinical chemistry analysers provide laboratories with a robust and smart solution ensuring you maintain a consistent workflow and can provide accurate results first time, every time. Offering excellent customer support services, our trained engineers are on hand to work with you in preserving the continuity of your operations while maximising the potential of your RX series instrument.Our world-famous test menu of high quality reagents ensures excellence in patient care, guaranteeing unrivalled precision and accuracy reducing costly test re-runs or misdiagnosis and offering complete confidence in results.
For more information visit: https://www.randox.com/clinical-chemistry-analysers/
Metabolic syndrome comprises of risk factors such as high blood pressure, high blood sugar/cholesterol and abdominal fat, which together, can lead to serious long term problems including an increased risk of heart disease, stroke and developing type 2 diabetes. Randox have developed an extensive range of reagents to accurately diagnose and monitor metabolic health, with the aim that patients can take the appropriate measurements to improve their health.
All reagents are available for use on a wide range of third party biochemistry analysers. Contact us to request an application for your specific analyser.
Adiponectin
Adiponectin is a clinical diagnostic biomarker for metabolic risk assessment. Adiponectin is solely excreted by adipocytes and is a protein hormone with anti-inflammatory and insulin-sensitising properties. It plays an important role in a number of metabolic processes such as glucose regulation and fatty acid oxidation. Levels of adiponectin have been linked with several pathologies including metabolic syndrome, cancer and cardiovascular disease, as levels are inversely correlated with Abdominal Visceral Fat (AVF). Randox is one of the only manufacturers of adiponectin in an automated biochemistry format, removing the inconvenience and time consumption associated with traditional ELISA-based testing.
For more information visit: https://www.randox.com/adiponectin/
Small-dense LDL (sLDL) Cholesterol
Small-dense LDL cholesterol is a vital cardiac risk marker, usually tested in patients with prediabetes or metabolic syndrome. Randox sLDL utilises the “Denka Seiken” method which produces results in less than ten minutes. Research has shown individuals with a predominance of sLDL have a 3-fold increased risk of myocardial infarction (MI), even for those who HDL, LDL, Total Cholesterol and Triglyceride levels are considered ‘normal’. Elevated levels of sLDL are associated with a sedentary lifestyle, a diet high in saturated fat, insulin resistance, pre-diabetes and genetic disposition. Measurement of sLDL allows the clinician to get a more comprehensive picture of lipid risk factors and tailor treatment accordingly. Reducing LDL levels reduce the risk of both CVD and MI.
For more information visit: www.randox.com/sldl-cholesterol/
TxBCardio™
Randox TxBCardio™ is used to assess the level of aspirin resistance in patients at risk of cardiovascular disease. Aspirin resistance is a serious clinical problem and is estimated to affect 25-20% of patients on a low dosage. It is important to assess aspirin resistance as this may be anticipated in patients with metabolic syndrome. The identification of these patients can be significantly improved through the use of Randox TxBCardio™ as the results generated can be used to enable timely intervention by clinicians and they can focus on anti-platelet therapy.
For more information visit: https://www.randox.com/txbcardio/
Other metabolic health tests:
- Albumin
- Alkaline Phosphatase
- ALT
- AST (GOT)
- Direct Bilirubin
- Calcium
- Chloride
- CO2 Total
- Creatinine
- Glucose
- Lactate
- Potassium
- Sodium
- Total Bilirubin
- Total Protein
- Urea
When diagnosing and monitoring metabolic-related complications such as Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease (CVD), it is vital that laboratories have a robust Quality Control (QC) system in place to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the results produced. As a world leading manufacturer of QC solutions including Third Party Controls and External Quality Assessment (EQA), our extensive product portfolio is designed to help reduce costs and time without compromising on quality.
Diabetes
Liquid HbA1c Control
- Liquid ready-to-use format ideal for use in the lab or at the POC
- Whole blood sample matrix commutable with that of the patient sample
- Assayed control with values available for HPLC
- Convenient bi-level pack accurately covering the patient reportable range
- Open vial stability of 30 days ultimately helping to reduce waste and costs
- For more information visit: https://www.randox.com/liquid-hba1c-quality-control/
Glycated Hemoglobin EQA Programme
- Monthly analysis ensuring early identification of test system errors
- Maximised peer groups for comparative performance assessment
- Reports available within 72 hours allowing corrective action to be taken immediately
- User-friendly reports delivering at-a-glance performance assessment
- For more information visit: https://www.randox.com/hba1c-eqa/
CVD risk
Lipid Control
- Covers the complete lipid profile
- True third party control ensuring unbiased performance assessment with any instrument or method
- Manufactured from 100% human serum ensuring a matrix commutable with the patient sample
- Free from Sodium Azide which can interfere with direct clearance methods of HDL and LDL Cholesterol
- Three clinically significant levels available covering low, borderline and high risk levels of HDL and LDL Cholesterol
- For more information visit: https://www.randox.com/lipid-quality-control/
- Covers the complete lipid profile with a choice of reporting just three parameters at a reduced cost
- Monthly analysis ensuring early identification of test system errors
- Maximised peer groups for comparative performance assessment
- Reports available within 72 hours allowing corrective action to be taken immediately
- User-friendly reports delivering at-a-glance performance assessment
- For more information visit: https://www.randox.com/lipids-eqa/
Our Randox Health clinics offer comprehensive health testing as part of our Signature, Everyman and Everywoman packages to give you a comprehensive picture of your overall metabolic health. Our clinics utilise the same cutting-edge tests and quality control that we have available to clinical laboratories globally, as well as our patented Biochip Array Technology (BAT).
For more information visit: https://www.randoxhealth.com/
A common misconception surrounding metabolic health is that it refers solely to your weight, and if you are overweight you are considered to be unhealthy. But in actual fact this may not be entirely true. Good metabolism means that your body is in good overall health, which doesn’t account for just your weight! Common metabolic disorders include genetic metabolic disorders, diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Understanding and testing to see how well your metabolism is functioning is key to ensuring long lasting health.
Genetics
There are a number of genetic metabolic disorders caused by mutations of single genes. Examples of common disorders include Gaucher’s disease, hemochromatosis and cystic fibrosis. Gaucher’s disease is a genetic disorder that affects the body’s ability to break down fat that can accumulate in the liver/spleen and bone marrow. Hemochromatosis is a condition that is caused by the over-absorption and build-up of iron while cystic fibrosis is a metabolic disorder that appears as a result of a build-up of mucus in lungs/liver and intestines. Each of these metabolic disorders affect certain organs from functioning properly and therefore your overall healthiness.
Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is one of the most common types of metabolic disorders in the world that is expected to affect 592 million people by 2035. It is characterised by high blood sugar, insulin resistance or a lack of insulin being produced by the pancreas. Insulin resistance occurs when the body isn’t able to use insulin the right way which increases blood glucose levels. Insulin is needed for cells to take in glucose (sugar) from the bloodstream and convert it into energy. Over time this lack of insulin can damage the organs in your body.
Metabolic Syndrome
Metabolic syndrome (also known as syndrome X, Reaven’s syndrome, and CHAOS) is not a disease but a collection of risk factors that affect your health; these include high blood pressure, high blood sugar/cholesterol and abdominal fat. Left untreated, these risk factors, together, can lead to long term serious problems including an increased risk of heart disease, stroke and developing type 2 diabetes.
Can you improve your metabolic health?
Yes! The good news is that if you discover that your metabolic health is not up to scratch you can improve it through a combination of diet, exercise and lifestyle adjustments such as:
- 30 minutes of moderate to intense exercise 5-7 times a week
- Low-dose aspirin to reduce your risk of stroke or heart attack
- Quit smoking
- Medication for blood pressure/cholesterol/ blood sugar
- Limit alcohol intake
- Eat a healthy balanced diet
Related Products
Determining your True Body Age with Randox Health
How much do you know about metabolic syndrome?
It is often mistaken for diabetes, but the truth is, metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions – including increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol. When these occur together, your risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes is increased.
Determining whether or not a patient has metabolic syndrome is a complex process, with basic measurements including height and weight, as well as tests for insulin, leptin (a hunger-suppressing hormone) and adiponectin (a hormone inversely related to dangerous internal fat) factoring in to a comprehensive scientific investigation.
The first step in this investigation is often a test for Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), which is the rate at which the body consumes calories for basic bodily processes – eg. maintaining internal temperature, repairing cells, pumping blood and powering muscles.
With the results of your Basal Metabolic Rate at hand, the scientific team at Randox Health can then present you with your Metabolic Age, or True Body Age as it is often known, by comparing your best Basal Metabolic Rate to other age groups.
The result is relative to gender, age, height and weight and other lifestyle factors. Increased BMR can be the result of frequent physical exercise, stress, illness, diabetes or hyperthyroidism (an overactive thyroid gland), whereas decreased BMR can be associated with old age, loss of lean body mass or hypothyroidism (an underactive thyroid gland). Certain drugs, for example antidepressants, and menopause, can also affect BMR.
If the age indicated is lower than your actual age, then congratulations! With your healthy living habits, you have managed to shave years off your age. If the result is higher than your actual age, then you may need to increase your exercise levels or review your diet to improve your results.
And therein lies the good news. With changes to diet and exercise, you can prevent or even reverse metabolic syndrome.
And that’s why it’s so important to find out the status of your health at the earliest possible stage – so that you can make the necessary changes to your lifestyle before you develop a more serious condition.
At Randox Health events across the country, including this year’s Randox Health Grand National, our team of scientists are offering free ‘True Body Age’ results on their Body Composition Analysis machine, which assesses 25 different areas of your body. It takes measurements including ratio of muscle to fat, bone density, hidden visceral fat and cellular hydration levels.
In its measurement of Basal Metabolic Rate the BCA machine will give challengers their True Body Age, which can be a great way to kickstart your health improvement journey.
It is however, only the first step in obtaining a comprehensive understanding of your current health, and determining the conditions of which you are personally at risk of developing in the future.
Randox Health goes beyond standard testing – offering the world’s most comprehensive and personalised health check. Following your initial Body Composition Analysis and True Body Age reading, our scientific experts will then analyse up to 350 different results from a blood sample you provide. Armed with the knowledge of your results, you can truly take control of your health and make a change to improve your future wellbeing.
Phone the Randox Health team today to make a booking: 0800 2545 130
Or join us at the Randox Health Grand National for a FREE Body Composition Analysis which will tell you your True Body Age.
Metabolic Health
Metabolic health is a term used to describe a collection of required chemical reactions that take place in all living organisms. A metabolic disorder develops when an abnormal chemical reaction occurs which alters the normal metabolic process.
Did you know?
Approximately 20-25% of the world’s adult population have metabolic syndrome?
A common misconception surrounding metabolic health is that it refers solely to your weight, and if you are overweight you are considered to be unhealthy. But in actual fact this may not be entirely true. Good metabolism means that your body is in good overall health, which doesn’t account for just your weight! Common metabolic disorders include genetic metabolic disorders, diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Understanding and testing to see how well your metabolism is functioning is key to ensuring long lasting health.
Genetics
There are a number of genetic metabolic disorders caused by mutations of single genes. Examples of common disorders include Gaucher’s disease, hemochromatosis and cystic fibrosis. Gaucher’s disease is a genetic disorder that affects the body’s ability to break down fat that can accumulate in the liver/spleen and bone marrow. Hemochromatosis is a condition that is caused by the over-absorption and build-up of iron while cystic fibrosis is a metabolic disorder that appears as a result of a build-up of mucus in lungs/liver and intestines. Each of these metabolic disorders affect certain organs from functioning properly and therefore your overall healthiness.
Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is one of the most common types of metabolic disorders in the world that is expected to affect 592 million people by 2035. It is characterised by high blood sugar, insulin resistance or a lack of insulin being produced by the pancreas. Insulin resistance occurs when the body isn’t able to use insulin the right way which increases blood glucose levels. Insulin is needed for cells to take in glucose (sugar) from the bloodstream and convert it into energy. Over time this lack of insulin can damage the organs in your body.
Metabolic Syndrome
Metabolic syndrome (also known as syndrome X, Reaven’s syndrome, and CHAOS) is not a disease but a collection of risk factors that affect your health; these include high blood pressure, high blood sugar/cholesterol and abdominal fat. Left untreated, these risk factors, together, can lead to long term serious problems including an increased risk of heart disease, stroke and developing type 2 diabetes.
Can you improve your metabolic health?
Yes! The good news is that if you discover that your metabolic health is not up to scratch you can improve it through a combination of diet, exercise and lifestyle adjustments such as:
- 30 minutes of moderate to intense exercise 5-7 times a week
- Low-dose aspirin to reduce your risk of stroke or heart attack
- Quit smoking
- Medication for blood pressure/cholesterol/ blood sugar
- Limit alcohol intake
- Eat a healthy balanced diet
Related Products
Randox has developed the RX series of clinical chemistry analysers for superior semi-automated and fully automated testing. The RX series extensive dedicated test menu goes beyond routine testing and has many unique and high-performance tests available. Our range of tests covers several parameters to assess your overall metabolic health.
Metabolic Health Profile
| Albumin | Chloride | Potassium |
| Alkaline Phosphatase | C02 Total | Sodium |
| ALT | Creatinine | Total Bilirubin |
| AST (GOT) | Glucose | Total Protein |
| Direct Bilirubin | Lactate | Urea |
| Calcium |
The RX series clinical chemistry analysers provide laboratories with a robust and smart solution ensuring you maintain a consistent workflow and can provide accurate results first time, every time. Offering excellent customer support services, our trained engineers are on hand to work with you in preserving the continuity of your operations while maximising the potential of your RX series instrument.Our world-famous test menu of high quality reagents ensures excellence in patient care, guaranteeing unrivalled precision and accuracy reducing costly test re-runs or misdiagnosis and offering complete confidence in results.
For more information visit: https://www.randox.com/clinical-chemistry-analysers/
Metabolic syndrome comprises of risk factors such as high blood pressure, high blood sugar/cholesterol and abdominal fat, which together, can lead to serious long term problems including an increased risk of heart disease, stroke and developing type 2 diabetes. Randox have developed an extensive range of reagents to accurately diagnose and monitor metabolic health, with the aim that patients can take the appropriate measurements to improve their health.
All reagents are available for use on a wide range of third party biochemistry analysers. Contact us to request an application for your specific analyser.
Adiponectin
Adiponectin is a clinical diagnostic biomarker for metabolic risk assessment. Adiponectin is solely excreted by adipocytes and is a protein hormone with anti-inflammatory and insulin-sensitising properties. It plays an important role in a number of metabolic processes such as glucose regulation and fatty acid oxidation. Levels of adiponectin have been linked with several pathologies including metabolic syndrome, cancer and cardiovascular disease, as levels are inversely correlated with Abdominal Visceral Fat (AVF). Randox is one of the only manufacturers of adiponectin in an automated biochemistry format, removing the inconvenience and time consumption associated with traditional ELISA-based testing.
For more information visit: https://www.randox.com/adiponectin/
Small-dense LDL (sLDL) Cholesterol
Small-dense LDL cholesterol is a vital cardiac risk marker, usually tested in patients with prediabetes or metabolic syndrome. Randox sLDL utilises the “Denka Seiken” method which produces results in less than ten minutes. Research has shown individuals with a predominance of sLDL have a 3-fold increased risk of myocardial infarction (MI), even for those who HDL, LDL, Total Cholesterol and Triglyceride levels are considered ‘normal’. Elevated levels of sLDL are associated with a sedentary lifestyle, a diet high in saturated fat, insulin resistance, pre-diabetes and genetic disposition. Measurement of sLDL allows the clinician to get a more comprehensive picture of lipid risk factors and tailor treatment accordingly. Reducing LDL levels reduce the risk of both CVD and MI.
For more information visit: www.randox.com/sldl-cholesterol/
TxBCardio™
Randox TxBCardio™ is used to assess the level of aspirin resistance in patients at risk of cardiovascular disease. Aspirin resistance is a serious clinical problem and is estimated to affect 25-20% of patients on a low dosage. It is important to assess aspirin resistance as this may be anticipated in patients with metabolic syndrome. The identification of these patients can be significantly improved through the use of Randox TxBCardio™ as the results generated can be used to enable timely intervention by clinicians and they can focus on anti-platelet therapy.
For more information visit: https://www.randox.com/txbcardio/
Other metabolic health tests:
- Albumin
- Alkaline Phosphatase
- ALT
- AST (GOT)
- Direct Bilirubin
- Calcium
- Chloride
- CO2 Total
- Creatinine
- Glucose
- Lactate
- Potassium
- Sodium
- Total Bilirubin
- Total Protein
- Urea
When diagnosing and monitoring metabolic-related complications such as Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease (CVD), it is vital that laboratories have a robust Quality Control (QC) system in place to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the results produced. As a world leading manufacturer of QC solutions including Third Party Controls and External Quality Assessment (EQA), our extensive product portfolio is designed to help reduce costs and time without compromising on quality.
Diabetes
Liquid HbA1c Control
- Liquid ready-to-use format ideal for use in the lab or at the POC
- Whole blood sample matrix commutable with that of the patient sample
- Assayed control with values available for HPLC
- Convenient bi-level pack accurately covering the patient reportable range
- Open vial stability of 30 days ultimately helping to reduce waste and costs
- For more information visit: https://www.randox.com/liquid-hba1c-quality-control/
Glycated Hemoglobin EQA Programme
- Monthly analysis ensuring early identification of test system errors
- Maximised peer groups for comparative performance assessment
- Reports available within 72 hours allowing corrective action to be taken immediately
- User-friendly reports delivering at-a-glance performance assessment
- For more information visit: https://www.randox.com/hba1c-eqa/
CVD risk
Lipid Control
- Covers the complete lipid profile
- True third party control ensuring unbiased performance assessment with any instrument or method
- Manufactured from 100% human serum ensuring a matrix commutable with the patient sample
- Free from Sodium Azide which can interfere with direct clearance methods of HDL and LDL Cholesterol
- Three clinically significant levels available covering low, borderline and high risk levels of HDL and LDL Cholesterol
- For more information visit: https://www.randox.com/lipid-quality-control/
- Covers the complete lipid profile with a choice of reporting just three parameters at a reduced cost
- Monthly analysis ensuring early identification of test system errors
- Maximised peer groups for comparative performance assessment
- Reports available within 72 hours allowing corrective action to be taken immediately
- User-friendly reports delivering at-a-glance performance assessment
- For more information visit: https://www.randox.com/lipids-eqa/
Our Randox Health clinics offer comprehensive health testing as part of our Signature, Everyman and Everywoman packages to give you a comprehensive picture of your overall metabolic health. Our clinics utilise the same cutting-edge tests and quality control that we have available to clinical laboratories globally, as well as our patented Biochip Array Technology (BAT).
For more information visit: https://www.randoxhealth.com/
Randox celebrate British Science Week 2018
The theme this year for British Science Week is exploration & discovery. Randox Laboratories was established in 1982 with the aim to revolutionise healthcare through continuously improving diagnostic solutions as diagnostics are vital to improving healthcare and disease diagnosis. To achieve this, 28% of the total annual revenue is reinvested in R&D.
Did you know?
The RX series have analyser placements in over 120 countries worldwide
5th largest manufacturer of clinical chemistry reagents in the world.
3rd largest manufacturer of QC and calibrators globally, supplying to 60,000 labs worldwide.
Largest international EQA scheme, with more than 45,000 lab participants in 133 countries.
Patient care is the primary focus of clinical chemistry testing and Randox has developed the RX series of clinical chemistry analysers for high quality semi-automated and fully automated testing. The RX series combines robust hardware and intuitive software with the world leading RX series test menu, including routine chemistries, specific proteins, lipids, therapeutic drugs, drugs of abuse, antioxidants and diabetes testing.
Renowned for quality and reliability, the RX series has one of the most extensive dedicated clinical chemistry test menus on the market guaranteeing real cost savings through consolidation of routine and specialised tests onto a single platform. This extensive dedicated test menu of high quality reagents guarantees excellence in patient care ensuring unrivalled precision and accuracy reducing costly test re-runs or misdiagnosis and offering complete confidence in results.
The RX series offers both semi-automated and fully automated clinical chemistry analysers to suit your laboratory needs. Choose from the RX misano, RX monaco, RX daytona+, RX imola and RX modena to start your journey with the RX series today.
The market-leading reagents portfolio from Randox is internationally recognised as being of the highest quality, offering rapid and reliable results. With 118 assays, covering over 100 disease markers, Randox offers the most comprehensive product portfolio in the diagnostic market incorporating antioxidants, cardiology, diabetes, drugs of abuse, hepatic function, lipids, renal function, specific proteins, therapeutic drug monitoring and veterinary testing. Randox assays are available in a wide range of formats and methods providing greater flexibility and choice for your laboratory. In addition to flexible pack sizes, a comprehensive list of 13,000 applications for 195 clinical chemistry analysers can be provided as dedicated reagent packs (Easy Read & Easy Fit Reagents).
Through continued exploration to expand the clinical test panels, Randox discovered numerous high performing and unique tests. These tests are either unique to Randox or offer a superior methodology for more accurate results. Such tests include:
– Adiponectin is a protein hormone secreted by adipocytes which has an important role in a number of metabolic processes. Adiponectin is a diabetes biomarker as adiponectin levels are inversely correlated with abdominal visceral fat (AVF) levels, which has proven to be a strong predictor of several pathologies including metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), some cancers and cardiovascular disease (CVD).
– Cystatin C is a small cysteine proteinase inhibitor that is produced at a constant rate by all nucleated cells. Cystatin C is a more sensitive marker of renal function than creatinine as up to 50% of renal function can be lost before significant creatinine levels become detectable. Cystatin C is also useful in patients where creatinine measurements are inconclusive or unreliable, such as patients who are obese, malnourished, have liver cirrhosis or reduced muscle mass.
– 5th Generation Bile Acids is a highly sensitive marker of hepatic function, enabling the early detection of liver disease. The Randox 5th Generation Bile Acids assay utilises an advanced enzyme cycling method which displays outstanding sensitivity and precision when compared to traditional enzymatic based tests.
The Randox High Performance and Unique Tests brochure can be downloaded here for further information.
As the aim of British Science Week 2018 is to inspire innovation and celebrate science, Randox Quality Control are celebrating the fact that we have evolved into one of the principal manufacturers of quality controls and calibrators in the world. With approximately 70% of clinical decisions based on laboratory test results, it is clear to see the significant role laboratory testing plays. Our extensive range of Acusera Controls help labs to find and correct flaws in their analytical processes before potentially incorrect patient results are released, ultimately helping to improve health worldwide.
With more than 390 analytes available across the range, labs can significantly reduce costs without compromising on quality. We specialise in consolidation, our range of multi-analyte controls is designed to cover your test menu, ultimately reducing costs, preparation and storage space for any lab.
Manufactured independently, our third-party range of controls delivers unbiased performance assessment with any instrument or method, furthermore our commutable materials are designed to mimic the patient sample and ensures accurate and reliable test results. Designed to complement our range of third party controls the Acusera 24•7 software is the only peer group program to offer automatic calculation of measurement uncertainty helping laboratories to meet ISO 15189 requirements. Peer group statistics are also uniquely updated live, in real-time giving you access to the most up-to-date information possible enabling rapid and effective troubleshooting.
As the largest EQA scheme in the world, RIQAS (Randox International Quality Assessment Scheme) is used by more than 45,000 laboratory participants in 133 countries worldwide. Comprising 33 programmes a wide range of clinical testing is covered. Each RIQAS programme delivers high quality samples spanning clinically relevant levels to allow identification of concentration related biases; our frequent, user-friendly reporting enables early identification of system errors and our report turnaround time of less than 72 hours from the submission deadline, ensures corrective action can be implemented earlier, reducing costly errors with patient results.
Diagnostics is the key enabler to improve healthcare, patient outcomes and reduce the burden on healthcare; 80% of all medical decisions are based on diagnostic tests. In 1982, we had meagre resources, but we felt we could develop and manufacture world class diagnostic tests. Through continuously improving diagnostic solutions through exploration and discovery, Randox are a world leading manufacturer of diagnostic solutions.