PreMD says study shows Prevu Point of Care can detect early heart disease

By Ted A. Knutson

Washington, Dec. 14 - PreMD Inc. announced a study published Wednesday in the American Heart Journal shows the company's non-invasive Prevu Point of Care (POC) Skin Sterol Test can detect early vascular disease by measuring increased carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), which is an independent predictor of myocardial infarction and stroke.

Prevu tests the amount of cholesterol accumulated in the skin tissues, which has been shown to parallel cholesterol build-up in the coronary arteries. It does not require the drawing of blood or fasting and takes just minutes to perform.

"We are continuing to build on this exciting data with a 600-person trial now underway to further examine the relationship between skin sterol and CIMT," said Dr. Brent Norton, president and chief executive officer of PreMD, in a news release. "[The trial] is expected to generate the data we need to expand Prevu POC's claims for use, which would position our test as the only non-invasive tool to predict who is going to have a heart attack or stroke - something that a blood cholesterol test cannot do."

There is considerable interest in non-invasive, simple and rapidly administered tests to better assess which patients are at increased risk for heart disease, noted Dr. James Stein, a cardiologist at the University of Wisconsin Medical School and principal investigator of the study, in the company's release. He added the significant association with increased CIMT suggests that skin sterol testing may help to identify asymptomatic patients who are at future risk of having a heart attack or stroke.

The study, conducted at the medical school, included 81 patients without known vascular disease who were referred for determination of CIMT. Patients underwent B-mode ultrasonography of the carotid arteries and measurement of skin sterol using Prevu POC. CIMT was significantly higher among patients in the highest quartile of skin sterol (p = 0.011). Skin sterol was associated with increased CIMT even after adjusting for age, sex, glucose, systolic blood pressure, total: high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio, and use of lipid-lowering therapy (p = 0.031).

Toronto-based PreMD - formerly IMI International Medical Innovations, Inc. - is developing rapid, non-invasive tests for the early detection of life-threatening diseases.

The announcement was made in a 6-K filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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