Berkeley Cholesterol Test
The Berkeley cholesterol test is a relatively new comprehensive test that has helped make state of the art cholesterol risk testing publicly available. The test, made available by Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in agreement with the private company Berkeley HeartLab, is designed to help many detect heart disease earlier than normal.
Cardiovascular disease, which accounts for 35 to 40 percent of all deaths in the United States, is the leading cause of death in the country. The Berkeley cholesterol test is designed to identify and detect a number of new traits and abnormalities that are known to be associated with high-risk of heart disease. The objective is to identify risk factors at an earlier stage and assist physicians to better decide which therapy is best suited for individual patients.
The basic cholesterol tests (blood lipoprotein analysis) which most people receive consists of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL or bad cholesterol), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL or good cholesterol), and triglycerides levels. The Berkeley test consists of these basics plus a number of additional tests to give a greater overall picture of an individuals cholesterol levels. Among the additional tests included with Berkeley are LDL particle size, Lp(a), HDL sub classification, Apolipoprotein A-1, Apolipoprotein E, and Apolipoprotein B-100. Berkeley lab researchers hope over the long term to also build a comprehensive database of families and individuals with shared traits which may then be used to define genetic markers of heart disease risk.
The Berkeley Lab is located in the hills above the University of California's Berkeley campus and is the oldest of the U.S. Department of Energy's National Laboratories. The lab is managed by the University of California.
