Randox Reagents: Solving the Problem of Heart Attack Misdiagnosis
A report has today revealed that almost a third of patients in England and Wales are being given a misdiagnosis following a heart attack, following a study of 243 NHS hospitals, conducted by researchers at Leeds University.
Timely evaluation of patients with chest pain and subsequently suspected heart attack is a major challenge for hospitals around the world, with chest pain typically representing around 5% of all visits to the Emergency Department (ED) and 25% of ED admissions. One of the biggest challenges facing emergency doctors now is how to prioritise people presenting with chest pain – to primarily deal with those suffering from a heart attack, and to be able to move those who are not, to a different ward, to alleviate the pressures of the overrun A&E departments.
Responding to the escalating misdiagnosis crisis in emergency hospitals across the globe, scientists at Randox Laboratories in the UK have developed a test which could help clinicians rule out heart attacks in patients immediately upon arrival at hospital; allowing clinicians to accurately prioritise those who have truly suffered heart attacks.
This Randox test, for Heart-type fatty acid-binding protein (H-FABP), is a highly sensitive biomarker for use in the earlier diagnosis of patients with suspected Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI), enabling faster “rule-in” and “rule-out”. H-FABP is detectable as early as 30 minutes after chest pain onset, significantly earlier than traditionally used biomarkers such as Troponin or CK-MB , which typically require 6-12 hours to reach detectable concentrations.
Put simply, given that H-FABP is released earlier than traditional biomarkers used in diagnosing a heart attack, an earlier diagnosis is achievable.
A succession of recent international clinical trials have demonstrated that by combining H-FABP, via this new laboratory assay, with the existing tests already used in hospitals for for Troponin I or Troponin T, the sensitivity and negative predictive value for ruling out AMIs is significantly improved.
Growing evidence indicates that even when one of the newer generation of “highly sensitive” Troponin assays is used, utilising the combination of Troponin and H-FABP is superior to Troponin alone.
The value of H-FABP is not just in positive diagnosis – but doctors are beginning to see it as a means of ‘ruling out heart attack’ when a patient presents at A&E with chest pain.
Please do get in touch if you would like to find out more about our H-FABP test, and how this can go a long way in solving the heart attack misdiagnosis crisis, by emailing reagents@randox.com
We Are Randox | Randox Rugby Team Promote Healthy Work-Life Balance at Randox
As a global healthcare diagnostics company, we know a thing or two about health. And we know that taking time out from our busy lives to relax and unwind is important to stay healthy. Whether that’s taking your dog for a walk, meeting up with friends, getting lost in a good book, or playing your favourite sport.
Playing a competitive sport brings a wealth of benefits – it’s the perfect way to socialise and look after your health at the same time! Not only is it good for your physical health, but can go a long way in maintaining your mental wellbeing too.
There is great value in exercise and fresh air. However, it’s an unfortunate fact of life that most 9-5ers just don’t have the opportunity to indulge in this pleasure very often.
Randox, being a company serious about health and wellbeing, like to know we’re giving our employees the best opportunities to be as healthy as they can, and live their lives as fulfilled as possible.
Amongst many sports in which Randox encourages employees to take part, we encourage our employees to regularly take the time to engage in some friendly competition of 5-a-side rugby against each other. The County Antrim countryside, in which our Randox headquarters are located, is the perfect setting for an informal game of rugby – our rugby players can let off some steam and take in the scenery at the same time!
The team was banded together by Randox Founder and Managing Director, Dr. Peter FitzGerald, who occasionally joins in on the games himself! Dr. FitzGerald is a strong advocate of teamwork and camaraderie in the workplace.
Jonathan Acheson, Randox Health Sales Executive, who plays for our Randox Rugby Team, commented;
“At Randox we work hard but we play hard too! Our work can often be very fast-paced and Randox is expanding phenomenally – for example we’re all working towards our 5 year sponsorship of the Randox Health Grand National, beginning in 2017, which is keeping us all very busy. So it’s important that we take time to unwind and recharge our batteries. We’re lucky that we’re able to take advantage of being in such a lovely area of Northern Ireland – right beside Lough Neagh – and so we can get outside after work and have a good run-about!”
Follow Randox Careers on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay up-to-date with the hashtag #WeAreRandox
We Are Randox | Randox employees put the ‘fun’ in fundraising!
Randox employees put the ‘fun’ in fundraising last Friday with a water balloon fundraiser in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support!
Randox employee, Gary Laverty, initiated this fantastic fundraising event and allowed colleagues to throw water balloons at him in efforts to raise money for this worthy charity. Raising an impressive £409.38 for the charity, Gary spoke of great admiration for Macmillan;
“When my father was ill last year, Macmillan offered tremendous support to both him and my family. Their commitment to helping cancer patients is incredible, really life-changing. I debated a few fundraising ideas but thought that the water balloon idea was something unusual so I hoped people would see it as a really fun event. The fundraiser went really well and I am delighted at the amount we raised for such an amazing charity! My colleagues got really involved and it was a really fun event, thankfully it wasn’t too cold on the day!”
The Macmillan Cancer Support charity aim to improve the lives of everyone living with cancer. They are committed to ensuring no one faces cancer alone by offering support and assistance right from the beginning of a diagnosis, through treatment and beyond, including support to the wider family circle.
We were delighted to welcome Margaret Young from Macmillan to Randox HQ in Crumlin yesterday to present a cheque from Gary’s tremendous fundraising efforts;
“We were absolutely delighted to hear of the water balloon fundraiser and hope that Gary and all the staff at Randox enjoyed themselves. Thank you to all those who took part and donated, especially to Gary!”
Well done Gary!
Careers Tips | Don’t Get Stressed… Deskercise!
Ever wonder how motivated and successful people stay so calm at work? Here at Randox, we know that even the most enjoyable careers can get stressful, even for the most motivated employees!
According to a CIPD Absence Management Survey the number one cause for long term sickness is stress. When the paperwork begins to pile up and to-do lists become longer it can be difficult not to let the mounting pressure get to you. But, there’s good news! Exercise is not only for the body, but the mind too. Exercise at work can improve our mental wellbeing improving our ability to deal with the pressure/stress in our working lives. So, if you want to keep your cool like John from H.R., here’s some tips on how you can make some changes today towards improving your mood (even on Mondays!)
1. Get up a go. We all realise how important exercise is but making the time for it in our busy lives can be difficult. Why not make simple changes increasing the amount of physical activity you can squeeze into your day. Take the stairs whenever you can. Perhaps even park your car in a space further away meaning more time to stretch your legs.
2. Stretch at your desk. Research by the NHS says Adults in the UK are sitting for 7 hours a day! Find yourself staring at your computer screen all day? Alternate your tasks at works. Why not even try the CIPD suggested “chairobics”…stretches you can do without even leaving your chair such as rotating your shoulders. Chairobics is so widely praised there’s even sit-down aerobics classes based on teaching people how to get moving at their desk!
3. Clear your head. Don’t be afraid to take a screen-break every now and again. I know it can seem like you’re wasting your precious work time, but clearing your head of the stresses you accumulate at work will give you a clearer perspective on things ensuring you remain motivated and more productive. There is a long history of research into breaks and the correct amount of time for a computer-break. Employers first began offering the break because of its effects of revival on work quality. Not only does it revive your work, however, it revives you! Physical activity goes a long way contributing to improving your own mental well being. Any activity that makes you feel good does well. Feeling good boosts your productivity in work and as the saying goes “Nothing will work unless you do”.
4. Sit up straight. Good posture at your desk will improve your breathing making you feel calmer and therefore less like likely to get stressed no matter what work related task is thrown your way. Bad posture, on the other hand can cause many problems such as pains, and headaches. Try this. Roll your shoulders back and straighten your spine. Lift you chin up. How much better do you feel? More motivated and ready to take on the world of work? Don’t question the power of good posture on your mood!
In conclusion, we quote Ziggy Marley; “Doing something that is productive is a great way to alleviate emotional stress. Get your mind doing something that is productive.” We all want to be as cool as a cucumber in stressful situations at work so the next time you’re feeling under pressure try some of these tips and smile! It’s Friday, afterall!
For more tips, follow Randox Careers on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Take a look at our website to discover the endless job opportunities open to you!
Randox Biochip Blood Test detects Alzheimer’s Disease risk in 3 hours
Randox are delighted to announce that at this week’s American Association for Clinical Chemistry Annual Scientific Meeting and Clinical Lab Expo, in Philadelphia, we have been presented with a NACB / AACC Distinguished Abstract Award for a new Randox Biochip Blood Test to identify Alzheimer’s Disease risk.
Or more specifically, an award for our “Development of a New Biochip Array for ApoE4 Classification from Plasma Samples using Immunoassay Based Methods!”
Out of 1024 posters presented at the diagnostics conference, which is the largest of its kind globally, the poster for our new ApoE4 test, presented by our R&D Scientist Dr. Emma Harte, was one of only 29 to receive this prestigious award.
Emma is one of a team of Randox scientists at our Teoranta site in Dungloe, Co. Donegal, Ireland who carried out this pioneering Alzheimer’s research.
The ApoE4 poster demonstrated the work involved in the development of our ApoE4 blood test, performed on our patented Randox Biochip Array Technology. This blood test is an affordable method of identifying patients at risk of developing Alzheimer’s Disease, and provides a faster alternative to standard testing which analyses a patient’s DNA. Standard molecular testing can be both time-consuming and expensive.
The Randox ApoE4 Biochip Array can conduct multiple diagnostic tests on a single blood sample, which has both cost and time-saving benefits, in addition to a rapid diagnosis for the patient.
The Randox Biochip analyses the Apolipoprotein E (ApoE), a gene which is recognised as one of the most significant genetic risk factors for dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases.
There are three versions of the ApoE gene: E2, E3 and E4. The E4 version increases a person’s risk of developing late-onset Alzheimer’s disease, and it may also be associated with an earlier onset of memory loss.
Each parent passes on one ApoE gene to their child. Around 25% of the population inherit one copy of the ApoE4 gene. Inheriting two copies of the E4 variant increases a person’s disease risk by 10 times or more.
Our research into the identification of this gene was conducted in conjunction with our colleagues at the Medical University of Vienna, and verified the accuracy of the Randox Biochip Blood Test by analysing 384 samples and comparing the results to that of a standard molecular diagnostic test. Both tests provided the same accurate results, however the Biochip test results were available in a significantly faster 3 hours.
In combination with information on medical and family history, medication, and lifestyle, an individual’s ApoE4 status, as obtained from the Randox Biochip test, can go a long way in advising personalised medicine for the patient.
“This type of testing is important in our quest to understand and diagnose Alzheimer’s and empower patients to understand risks, consider medication, and even make early lifestyle changes,” said Emma, our R&D Scientist.
“Pairing this test with medical and family history for risk of Alzheimer’s disease has the real potential to advance personalised medicine. This fast, accurate testing will allow doctors and patients to make more informed choices earlier to potentially slow the possible progress of Alzheimer’s.”
Dr. Emma Harte PhD, one of our Randox R&D Scientists! Emma presented our ApoE4 poster at this week’s AACC Annual Meeting and Clinical Lab Expo, in Philadelphia.
We Are Randox | Making Great Teams in the Lab and on the Pitch!
Our Randox employees are multi-talented – not only in their roles as world-class scientists, software developers, engineers, marketeers and sales people, but also in their lives outside work. At Randox we have swimmers, cyclists, dancers, musicians, horse riders…the list goes on! And at Randox Teoranta, we have a group of Randox employees who work together as a team not only in the labs, but also on the pitch!
This weekend, our Randox Teoranta football team took part in a number of challenging football games at the Mary from Dungloe Annual Soccer Tournament. The tournament kicked off on Saturday 30th of July at 10.30am and continued on throughout the day, with six teams from across the County taking part; Gweedore Celtic, Glenea Utd, St. Catherine’s, Strand Rovers, Randox, and the Keadue Rovers.
The Randox Teoranta team comprises of a number of experienced football players, some of whom already play for prestigious clubs in the area;
- Ciaran Ferry, Lead Manufacturing Operator – currently plays for Gweedore Celtic in the Donegal Soccer League
- Shaun Boyle, Manufacturing Operator – currently plays for Keadue Rovers in the Donegal Soccer League
- Kevin Boyle, Manufacturing Operator – former Keadue Rovers player
- Daniel Melly, Mechanical Design Engineer – currently plays for Keadue Rovers in the Donegal Soccer League
- Darren McGeever, Mechanical Design Engineer – currently plays for Glenea Utd in the Donegal Soccer League
- Ryan Kettle, Biochip Formulation Operative – currently plays for Drumkeen Utd in the Donegal Soccer League
- Daryl Devenney, Scientist – currently plays for Keadue Rovers
- Mal Mc Fadden, Stores Operative – former Keadue Rovers player
- Aidan O’Donnell, Stores Operative – currently plays for Strand Utd in the Donegal Soccer League
- Robert Farrell, Stores Operative – former Home Farm player
Team Manager and current Chairman of Keadue Rovers Football Club, Ben Boyle, commented;
“The Mary from Dungloe soccer tournament was the first competition for our newly formulated Randox team, and we were all excited to represent our company. As you can see, a lot of our players were playing against their own respective clubs such as Keadue Rovers, Gweedore Celtic, Glenea Utd and Strand Utd, who all took part, so there was certainly some friendly rivalry on the day!”
The Teo team successfully won one of their four matches during the tournament which saw Glenea Utd of the Donegal Senior League take home the coveted Perpetual Cup. Randox lost to the eventual winners of the tournament in their first game by a narrow 1 goal margin. In their second game they lost 2-0 to Strand Rovers but hit form in their third encounter against Gweedore Celtic. Teo emerged as winners when the whistle blew at 3-0, with goals from Darren McGeever, Mal McFadden and Daryl Devenney. The Teo team unfortunately lost their fourth match 1-0 after a very close encounter with Keadue Rovers.
A victory against Keadue would have seen Teo reach a play off to make the final but it just wasn’t to be on this occasion. The final then saw Glenea Utd and Keadue rovers go head-to-head, leaving Glenea victorious on penalties and emerging the victors of the tournament.
The tournament on the Shorefront pitch followed a week jam-packed full of activities during the Mary from Dungloe Festival, including a visit from the Marys to Randox Teoranta for a guided tour of the facilities.
On Sunday, Eva Ni Dhoibhlinn was then officially announced as Mary from Dungloe at a Crowning Cabaret which was televised on Irish TV.
Shaun Boyle, Randox Teoranta Football Team Captain, enjoyed taking part in the tournament, which he described as a much-loved and eagerly anticipated event during the Mary from Dungloe festival;
“All of us in the Randox team gave it our all. During such a popular event as the annual Mary from Dungloe Soccer Tournament, we were of course up against top quality opposition, but played our absolute best. We may need a few diagnostic kits to analyse our injuries from the tournament – especially for the older players in the squad!”
Ciaran Richardson, Head of R&D at Randox Teoranta, congratulated the team on their efforts and is looking forward to seeing the team play in their next big game;
“From everyone at Randox I’d like to say a big well done to all the players in the Randox Teo football team. They played exceptionally well and it was great to see their teamwork in the workplace transfer on to the pitch.”
Follow Randox Careers on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay up-to-date with the hashtag #WeAreRandox.
Randox ramping up business in the US at AACC
Following its recent £1 billion sales announcement, Randox Laboratories is maintaining its focus on international markets, as a group of 30 representatives from the diagnostics company, which has headquarters in County Antrim, have travelled to the US this week, to take part in the world’s largest diagnostics conference – in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The American Association of Clinical Chemistry (AACC) Annual Meeting and Clinical Lab Expo, known as the leading event for laboratory medicine worldwide, is attended by over 20,000 delegates from across the globe, and offers Randox the opportunity to showcase their capabilities and to network with leading healthcare professionals and key decision makers.
Managing Director of Randox, Dr. Peter FitzGerald, explained the company’s focus on business with the US;
“The USA is one of our most important markets and we have been exporting our diagnostic products there since the early 1980s. For example, we have Randox Clinical Chemistry Analysers in key Ivy League Institutions, such as Yale University School of Medicine, and Harvard University. It is vital to nurture and develop these key relationships, as well as endeavor to establish new ones.”
Randox’s expertise in diagnostics means that the company has been able to diversify beyond healthcare, into the veterinary, research, forensic, and food safety sectors in the US. For example, a number of countries have implemented strict regulations on their meat imports in recent years, meaning that US exports have had to source new ways of demonstrating the quality of their products. Randox Food Diagnostics technology have enabled US exporters to demonstrate residue-free products, by screening for the growth promoter Ractopamine.
Randox’s Toxicology division is also at the forefront of one of the world’s key health challenges; ‘legal highs.’ Key state level agencies for forensic investigations, such as The Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences, are able to stay on top of this growing public health threat by custom ordering Randox biochips to test the most relevant drugs of abuse within their state.
Dr. FitzGerald continued;
“Following the Brexit decision there will of course be particular business challenges, but at Randox we will maintain our commitment to research and development, and seek new opportunities in international markets such as the US. A growing demand for Randox innovations in the US has supported a $10m investment in our new facility Kearneysville, in West Virginia, which will be officially opened later this year, and will enable us to strengthen our position in that market.”
AACC runs from the 31st July – 4th August at the Pennsylvania Convention Center Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Randox can be found at booth #2927.
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Randox Celebrates Success at Global Sales Conference in Templepatrick
Randox employees gathered at the Hilton Hotel in Templepatrick from 4th to 8th of July for their Global Sales Conference. The conference was aimed at celebrating the hard work and dedication of Randox employees in addition to providing a chance for team building and enhanced product training. The week was a great success with critical sales information being discussed on existing products but also on exciting new products set to launch later this year. Through these product focused workshops and interactive sessions (including case studies and market success stories) the company is sure to benefit from the experience!
Inclusive of 130 Randox sales representatives from across 23 different countries, the sales conference was a multi-cultural experience with employees from the UK and Ireland, USA, Australia, China, France, Mexico, Brazil, Jamaica, the UAE, India, Puerto Rico, South Africa and Vietnam. To mark the diversity of the Randox team a series of presentations were given in the native language of Randox’s international employees; this really highlighted the global presence of Randox and enhanced the pride of Randox staff. This was further heightened by Dr Peter FitzGerald’s announcement of Randox hitting £1 billion of sales since inception.
Pride wasn’t the only factor adding to the motivation of Randox employees during the week. With the conference consisting of team briefings, training sessions and team building activities, Randox employees were boosted with a sense of support. These sessions focused on increasing their knowledge of current products, in addition to providing insight into new products which are soon to be released.
Speaking about these sessions, Global Marketing Manager, Eamon Lenehan said;
“It was fantastic to see so many of our sales teams, from across the world, in one place. It really highlighted the scale and reach of our business as a global company. The interactive sessions nurtured a sense of teamwork and debate across all product groups. The focus on unique selling points and key sales strategies for existing and exciting new products will enable our sales teams to reach and exceed their goals.”
Following this Global Marketing Manager, Stuart Penrose said;
“The interactive nature of our sessions really sang through; the main one being a “Master Mind” session that had a Magnus and 5 sales reps on the panels, all answering multiple choice questions and generating great debate amongst the team.”
All Randox divisions made an appearance from the Reagents, Quality Control and RX series clinical product divisions to Randox Biosciences, Food Diagnostics, Testing Services and Toxicology teams. To end the eventful week Randox employees were treated to a Gala dinner which was thoroughly enjoyed by all!
What is Visceral Fat?
Visceral fat (or abdominal fat) is body fat which is stored within the abdominal cavity. It wraps around your vital organs including the liver, pancreas and intestines, and as a result can have a negative impact on your health. In fact, visceral fat has been linked to increased risk of health problems such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.
It is important to distinguish the difference between subcutaneous fat and visceral fat…
Subcutaneous fat is the fat we store under our skin. It is the tissue that we can feel when we pinch ourselves, and contains blood vessels in addition to fatty tissues. Visceral fat, on the other hand, cannot be felt in such a way as it is the extra fat stored around our organs. It is the most dangerous type of fat as it much harder to identify.
No matter what your shape or size, you may be carrying excess visceral fat!
Regardless of shape or size an individual can be carrying excess visceral fat. This means that whether your doctor tells you that you’re underweight, overweight, obese or of a healthy weight, you may be carrying excess visceral fat within your abdominal cavity.
That is why BMI is an inaccurate measurement of health…
Body Mass Index (BMI) is used by many as an indicator of health. It involves comparing your weight in relation to your height to give an indication of your weight status i.e. whether you are categorised as underweight, overweight, healthy or obese. It doesn’t take into account muscle mass, age, sex, ethnicity, general level of fitness or visceral fat. Therefore, even if you have a ‘healthy’ BMI you may still be carrying excessive visceral fat, and could still be at risk of the health complications associated with it.
As a result, relying on BMI could put you at risk of countless diseases…
Visceral fat is often referred to as ‘active fat’ due to the effect it has on our hormones and body functions. It can interrupt normal hormone communications between your vital organs, and can lead to insulin resistance and eventually type 2 diabetes. Additionally, it can affect the functions of your organs and puts you at higher risk of developing heart disease or cancers including breast cancer or colorectal cancer.
So, what can you do to protect yourself?
Factors which contribute to visceral fat levels include stress, diet and exercise habits in addition to age, ethnicity and gender. Living a healthy lifestyle will therefore reduce your chances of visceral fat accumulating in your abdominal cavity.
If you are worried about your visceral fat levels the waist-to-hip ratio (found by dividing waist width by hip width) can give an indication of total fat as well as the level of visceral fat, however the most accurate measurement of visceral fat is to measure adiponectin levels in the blood.
Adiponectin (a blood analyte) is closely linked with visceral fat; low levels of adiponectin indicate high levels of visceral fat. The Adiponectin test enables true measurement of visceral fat levels and allows for more accurate measurement of health than traditional BMI; if you have been diagnosed with unhealthy BMI and believe this to be an inaccurate diagnosis, testing your adiponectin levels can help determine your true measurement of health. Simply ask your doctor for the Adiponectin test!
Further reading:
For health professionals:
The adiponectin test from Randox can accurately assess levels of abdominal visceral fat, independent of age, race or fitness level. Assessing adiponectin, and therefore visceral fat levels, can help assess risk of CKD, as well as a range of other illnesses such as pre-diabetes, CVD and various cancers. Contact us now for further information.
