Blood markers of clogging arteries emerge
By Janet Raloff
Japanese researchers have taken a step toward the development of a blood test that could serve as an early warning for people who are at risk of developing vascular disease.
The researchers zeroed in on lipoproteins, biochemicals that ferry cholesterol in blood and are susceptible to a chemical transformation called oxidation. Once oxidized, one type of lipoprotein triggers inflammatory reactions that lead to artery-clogging plaque. Now, the Japanese scientists have measured oxidized lipoprotein in the blood of patients and other volunteers and found that it correlates with the severity of heart disease.