TRICARE Now Covers VAP(R) Cholesterol Test

The announcement means that the VAP(R) Test, with its unique ability to identify far more areas of risk than the standard lipid panel, will now be available to the more than 9 million beneficiaries enrolled in the Military Health System (MHS) through TRICARE. The MHS provides quality medical care through a network of providers, military treatment facilities, medical clinics and dental clinics worldwide.

People with a family history or an existing condition of diabetes, high blood pressure or heart disease -- or who are already taking cholesterol lowering medication -- are candidates for the comprehensive VAP (Vertical Auto Profile) Test. In addition, those who don't score within the desirable ranges of the standard cholesterol test should opt for the more detailed VAP Test.

Unlike the standard lipid panel, the VAP Test directly measures LDL. The test is also the only commercially available test that meets the new American Diabetes Association and American College of Cardiology (ADA-ACC) cholesterol guidelines for people at high risk of heart attack and stroke (including people with Type 2 diabetes). The ADA-ACC consensus statement establishes measurement and treatment guidelines for apoB in addition to LDL and non-HDL in high-risk patients.

The largest private insurers such as Medicare, Medicaid and the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program now cover the VAP Test, which reports 15 separate components versus four in the standard cholesterol test, and has been shown to identify more than twice the number of patients with lipid abnormalities than the standard lipid panel (cholesterol and triglyceride test).

The VAP Test is available nationwide. Consumers interested in the test can ask their doctor for more information or visit http://www.thevaptest.com. Individuals should always check their insurance plan for specific benefit coverage.

About Atherotech, Inc.

Atherotech is a cardio-diagnostic company focusing on direct measurement of the comprehensive lipid panel using the company's patented VAP technology, which directly measures the cholesterol content of all lipids, components and subclasses. The VAP Test is the first cholesterol profile to comply with updated National Cholesterol Education Program ATP III recommendations for LDL measurement and the only commercially available advanced lipid profile that routinely reports all three lipoprotein parameters considered necessary by the American Diabetes Association and American College of Cardiology expert consensus guidelines. The VAP Cholesterol Test is available through national and regional diagnostic laboratories and is reimbursed by many of the largest private insurers as well as Medicare. For more information, visit http://www.thevaptest.com.

SOURCE Atherotech, Inc.

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Copyright © 2008, NewsBlaze, Daily News

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