Carolina Liquid Chemistries Corp. (CLC) recently added the PLAC^® test to their extensive menu of reagents for use on chemistry analyzers. The PLAC Test is an enzyme assay for the in vitro quantitative determination of Lp-PLA₂ (lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2) activity.

This is the only blood test cleared by the FDA to be used in conjunction with clinical evaluation and patient risk assessment as an aid in predicting CHD risk in patients with no prior history of cardiovascular events. Now most clinical laboratories can perform this test, as it can be run on chemistry analyzers along with lipid profiles and other tests.

Lp-PLA₂ is defined as a vascular specific inflammatory marker that detects rupture-prone plaque. The greater the Lp-PLA₂ activity, the greater the risk for fatal and nonfatal coronary heart disease(CHD)events. The PLAC Activity Test showed a strong association with CHD events as compared to traditional risk factors even after adjusting for age, gender, race, diabetes and smoking status. The absolute risk of CHD events is 2.1 times greater with a positive PLAC Test. Only complex clinical conditions such as diabetes and smoking status demonstrated greater hazard ratios for CHD events.