Lab Medicine Rounds

In this episode, Vlad Vasile, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology and cardiologist at Mayo Clinic, discusses cardiovascular risk testing, including biomarkers and clinical implications.

Show Notes

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

01:00 How does the cardiovascular laboratory support patient care?

01:47 Can you tell us a bit about ceramides? What are they?

04:14 When should ceramides be tested? 

06:04 Can you modify someone’s ceramides such that the test can be repeated and monitored, or is it once in a lifetime because ceramides or more static?

08:05 What is the controversary around ceramides? 

09:52 Could you give our listeners an introduction to Lipoprotein(a)?

11:45 Who should be tested for Lipoprotein(a)?

13:59 How do we treat elevated Lipoprotein(a)? 

17:20 How did your interests in laboratory medicine develop? How has this brought meaning for you in your career professionally? 

19:23 Outro

Resources:
1.  Ceramides and Ceramide Scores: Clinical Applications for Cardiometabolic Risk Stratification. Hilvo M, Vasile VC, Donato LJ, Hurme R, Laaksonen R. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2020 Sep 29;11:570628. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2020.570628. eCollection 2020. PMID: 33133018 Free PMC article. Review.

2.  Measuring the contribution of Lp(a) cholesterol towards LDL-C interpretation. Fatica EM, Meeusen JW, Vasile VC, Jaffe AS, Donato LJ. Clin Biochem. 2020 Dec;86:45-51. doi: 10.1016/j.clinbiochem.2020.09.007. Epub 2020 Sep 28. PMID: 32997972

3.  Ceramides improve atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk assessment beyond standard risk factors. Meeusen JW, Donato LJ, Kopecky SL, Vasile VC, Jaffe AS, Laaksonen R. Clin Chim Acta. 2020 Dec;511:138-142. doi: 10.1016/j.cca.2020.10.005. Epub 2020 Oct 12. PMID: 33058843

4.  Ceramide Scores Predict Cardiovascular Risk in the Community. Vasile VC, Meeusen JW, Medina Inojosa JR, Donato LJ, Scott CG, Hyun MS, Vinciguerra M, Rodeheffer RR, Lopez-Jimenez F, Jaffe AS. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2021 Apr;41(4):1558-1569. doi: 10.1161/ATVBAHA.120.315530. Epub 2021 Feb 18. PMID: 33596665

5.  High-Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin for the Diagnosis of Patients with Acute Coronary Syndromes. Vasile VC, Jaffe AS. Curr Cardiol Rep. 2017 Aug 24;19(10):92. doi: 10.1007/s11886-017-0904-4. PMID: 28840515 Review.

6.  Natriuretic Peptides and Analytical Barriers. Vasile VC, Jaffe AS. Clin Chem. 2017 Jan;63(1):50-58. doi: 10.1373/clinchem.2016.254714. Epub 2016 Oct 10. PMID: 28062611 Review.

7.  Diseased skeletal muscle: a noncardiac source of increased circulating concentrations of cardiac troponin T. Jaffe AS, Vasile VC, Milone M, Saenger AK, Olson KN, Apple FS. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2011 Oct 18;58(17):1819-24. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2011.08.026. Epub 2011 Sep 29. PMID: 21962825

8.  Elevated cardiac troponin T levels in critically ill patients with sepsis. Vasile VC, Chai HS, Abdeldayem D, Afessa B, Jaffe AS. Am J Med. 2013 Dec;126(12):1114-21. doi: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2013.06.029. Epub 2013 Sep 28. PMID: 24083646

What is Lab Medicine Rounds?

A Mayo Clinic podcast for laboratory professionals, physicians, and students, hosted by Justin Kreuter, M.D., assistant professor of laboratory medicine and pathology at Mayo Clinic, featuring educational topics and insightful takeaways to apply in your practice.