Get and Stay Well – Diagnostics

LP-PLA2 TEST

Lp-PLA2 test is a simple blood test that measures the amount of an enzyme in your blood called Lp-PLA2. When your arteries are inflamed, a fatty deposit called plaque builds up in the walls of the artery. If the amount of Lp-PLA2 in your blood is high, this may indicate that the plaque might rupture through the inside wall of the artery into your bloodstream, where it may cause a clot that could result in a heart attack or stroke. Your body will create a thick fibrous cap to contain the lipid pool and stabilize the plaque. As the lipid pool continues to grow, the fibrous cap thins and eventually ruptures resulting in a clot (thrombus). Individuals who have an elevated Lp-PLA2 Test score and one or more risk factors have more than twice the risk of having a heart attack. If the Lp-PLA2 Test is elevated and they have high blood pressure, their risk for stroke increases more than 6 times. In addition, almost 95% of people with risk factors for heart attack or stroke who had a Lp-PLA2 Test of less than 200 ng/mL did not have a heart attack or stroke within 4 years.