HealthNews
Detecting the
Hidde
ust when
"cholester-
ol coun-
ters" final-
ly got the
good and
the bad
choles-
terols sort-
ed out, along comes a
jarring fact: More than
half the people who suf-
fer heart attacks and
strokes have normal
cholesterol levels.
in up to 20 percent of
these cases a blood fac-
tor cal ledApoprotein B
is the culprit.
Working on the pio-
neering team for
Apoprotein B research
at the Mayo Clinic was
James J. Maciejko,
Ph.D., who now directs
Sinai's Center for Lipid
Metabolism and Ather-
osclerosis.
Dr. Maciejko followed
up his Mayo laboratory
research with clinical
research at Sinai that
led to an F.D.A.-ap-
proved test for measur-
ing Apoprotein B.
Apoprotein B has
been the missing link in
the blood-fat story. It
transports and metab-
olizes blood throughout
the body. High concen-
trations cause choles-
terol to be imbedded in
vessel walls where it
builds up and may
eventually lead to a
heart attack or stroke.
"We have confirmed
at Sinai and other re-
search centers around
the country that many
people with low to nor-
mal cholesterol have
potentially threatening
levels of Apoprotein B,"
Dr. Maciejko says.
"New discoveries like
the Apoprotein B test
are providing a promis-
ing future for all those
who have gone about
their lives unaware
that they are at risk of
heart disease."
"The center's goal,"
he continues, "is to pro-
vide an avenue for pre-
vention." Also, he notes,
those who have already
suffered cardiac prob-
lems can avoid recur-
rences if they are
identified with high
Apoprotein B levels.
The center Dr.
Maciejko directs has
three components: a
clinic, where patients
with blood fat problems
are diagnosed and
treated; a lab, where
basic research is con-
ducted; and the lipid
laboratory — the only
one of its kind in Michi-
gan.
Dr. Maciejko is par-
ticularly proud of the
laboratory where re-
sults are standardized
to meet the require-
ments of the National
Heart Luna and Blood
institute, which named
Sinai a Center of Ex-
cellence.
When there is a dis-
crepancy in blood lipid
level results — which
can vary by up to 60
percent from lab to lab
— Sinai is the place in
Michigan where blood
samples are taken for a
definitive and accurate
measurement. For the
patient who comes to
Sinai in the first place,
this means reliable in-
formation which is im-
mediately available.
'Many of the patients
I see have been treated
for two years with no
results," Dr. Maciejko
says. "1. hear from them:
I've tried every drug on
the market and nothing
works.' After a complete
work-up, a specific,
often esoteric problem
is found and the right
drug is prescribed in
the right dosages."
Dr. Maciejko con-
cludes, "The research
component at Sinai
makes us better able to
offer the community
new drugs, as well as
new ways of using
existing drugs."
(
HealthNews
HealthNews is published as a commu-
nity service to provide up-to-date
information about Sinai Hospital, its
physicians and services.
HealthNews is produced by Sinai
Hospital's Corporate Communica-
tions/Marketing Department. For more
information, please write Sinai Hospi-
tal Corporate Communications/
Marketing, 6767 W. Outer Drive,
Detroit, Michigan 48235.
Sinai's Center for Lipid Metabolism and Atherosclerosis uses leading-edge research coupled with patient education to treat
individuals with high cholesterol.
Copyright 1993 by Sinai Hospital.
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