A study conducted by Dr. Eric Thorin of the Montreal Heart Institute, suggests blood levels of angiopoietin-like protein 2 (angptl2) may represent an early biomarker for atherosclerosis. Researchers discovered levels of angptl2 are six times higher in mice with coronary heart disease than in healthy mice. Their study also revealed angptl2 levels increase with age in healthy subjects but increases prematurely in those subjects with high cholesterol and pre-atherosclerotic lesions. More research is needed, however if confirmed, these results represent a major advancement in the prevention and diagnosis of atherosclerosis.
