oxidized LDL Cholesterol OXLDL
Oxidized LDL Cholesterol from SERUM (code OXLDL)
Why don’t we measure oxidized LDL during a heat wave?
High ambient temperatures can temporarily put extra strain on your body. Heat can lead to increased oxidative stress, fluid loss, and changes in blood circulation. This can indirectly increase the amount of oxidized LDL in the blood. An elevated result may therefore be partly due to the temporary heat stress and may not be representative of your usual condition.
Conditions before and during blood collection can also affect the quality and interpretation of the blood sample, especially at high temperatures. Our partner laboratory therefore performs an HIL check on every sample. This check screens for hemolysis, icterus, and lipemia—three factors that can interfere with laboratory measurements. If the sample does not meet the quality criteria, it will not be analyzed.
However, an HIL check cannot determine the extent to which heat, dehydration, or physical exertion may have temporarily affected your oxidized LDL level. For this reason, as a precaution, we prefer not to offer this test during hot weather.
Would you like to have an initial or follow-up test performed? If so, it’s best to wait until September and choose a time when the heat wave has passed. This will minimize the impact of temporary heat stress and make the results easier to interpret.
At the request of an acupuncturist: “Years ago, Professor Paul Holvoet of the Department of Atherosclerosis and Metabolism at the Faculty of Medicine in Leuven developed a blood test to measure oxidized LDL. Unfortunately, this test is not performed in the Netherlands. It is an important test that can predict cardiovascular disease. My cholesterol, particularly my LDL, is significantly elevated, and I cannot tolerate statins, so for me (and for many other people) this would be a wonderful test.”
Blood Test Predicts Cardiovascular Disease
LEUVEN, June 30, 2006—At KU Leuven, Professor Paul Holvoet of the Department of Atherosclerosis and Metabolism has developed a blood test that can detect the risk of cardiovascular disease at an earlier stage. This is a world first.
Professor Holvoet’s team designed a test that, for the first time, can detect oxidized LDL cholesterol in the blood. The researchers applied the test to more than 3,000 blood samples. The results showed that people with elevated levels of oxidized LDL cholesterol are at high risk of developing cardiovascular disease within 10 years, even if their regular LDL and HDL cholesterol levels are completely normal. The study thus also confirms the suspicion that LDL cholesterol is definitely harmful when it is oxidized.
To calculate the risk of heart disease, researchers typically look at the ratio of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) to low-density lipoprotein (LDL). People with too much LDL in their blood are at greater risk. However, research by the Leuven scientists shows that this is only partially true.
For some time, there has been a suspicion that LDL itself is not harmful, according to Professor Holvoet. Animal experiments did show that it plays a role in the development of cardiovascular disease when it is oxidized. The problem was that this suspicion could not be confirmed in humans because there was no specific test to detect oxidized LDL in the blood. That test is now available.
LDL oxidizes when certain substances are released into the blood. Smoking and elevated blood glucose levels contribute to this process. Adopting a healthier lifestyle can lower levels of oxidized LDL. This is possible starting at age fifteen.
Avoid the following at least 24 hours before the blood test: cocoa, black tea, coffee and liquorice.
