New Method Rapidly Diagnoses CVD Risk Via Molecular Blood Screening

Lipoproteins play a crucial role in cardiovascular health, with their composition and concentration closely linked to the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). They are also associated with a range of other medical conditions, including diabetes and obesity. Current clinical methods for lipoprotein profiling mainly focus on a limited set of blood markers, primarily aimed at assessing cardiovascular diseases. While nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques offer a more detailed analysis of lipoproteins, they require high-field NMR spectrometers and specialized facilities, which are costly and often not available in clinical settings. Now, a pioneering study has successfully adapted high-field NMR spectroscopy-based lipoprotein analysis for use with more affordable and user-friendly benchtop NMR systems, making high-throughput CVD risk assessments more accessible in clinics and laboratories globally.

This groundbreaking study, conducted by an international team of researchers from the Australian National Phenome Centre (ANPC) at Murdoch University (Murdoch, Australia) and other collaborating institutions, was published in Analytical Chemistry. The team developed a calibration model that enables benchtop NMR spectrometers (operating at 80 MHz) to accurately quantify 25 critical lipoprotein markers, including total cholesterol, LDL-C, HDL-C, ApoA1, and ApoB100, in under 15 minutes per sample. These markers are vital for assessing cardiometabolic risk and monitoring inflammatory conditions, providing clinicians with a quick and reliable diagnostic tool. One of the significant accomplishments of the study was demonstrating the reproducibility of results across three independent laboratories, validating the robustness of the technology.

The ability to conduct precise lipoprotein analysis using compact and easy-to-maintain instruments represents a shift in preventive medicine. The affordability and accessibility of benchtop NMR technology could revolutionize cardiovascular disease screening, particularly in resource-constrained environments or in geographically expansive regions with dispersed populations, such as Western Australia, where centralized testing facilities may be hundreds of kilometers away from rural communities. Beyond CVD risk assessment, this technology could also be applied to diabetes management, chronic inflammatory disease monitoring, and even infectious disease diagnosis, building on the ANPC’s discovery of new biomarkers for active viral infections. The researchers plan to continue refining the benchtop NMR model, expanding its capabilities to support a wider range of clinical applications. Ongoing research will also investigate its potential in tracking disease progression and treatment responses using micro-sampling strategies, further cementing the role of NMR-based diagnostics in modern healthcare.

“Currently most CVD risk markers are only measured on high-risk patients, and it would be much better to detect these markers earlier to enable corrective action,” said ANPC Director and co-study lead Professor Jeremy Nicholson. “This new approach will also allow us to study the general population at scale for the first time.”

“By eliminating the barriers associated with high-field NMR, we are enabling broader access to detailed lipid profiling, which could significantly improve early detection and management of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases,” added Dr. Philipp Nitschke, a contributing researcher to the study.

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