Clinical Chemistry Podcast

High-density lipoproteins, or HDLs, are macromolecular assemblies that play a key role in lipid transport, but also exert effects in endothelial function, thrombosis, and inflammation.  A recent focus by several groups on HDL function rather than HDL cholesterol revealed that efflux capacity was inversely associated with coronary artery disease.  Traditionally, cholesterol efflux is measured using...

Machine learning involves the study of algorithms and mathematical models so that computer systems can progressively improve their performance on solving a specific task. A recent application of machine learning through the interpretation of urine steroid profiles appears in the November 2018 issue of Clinical Chemistry .

A recent study appears in the September 2018 issue of Clinical Chemistry,  an assessment of digital PCR as a primary reference measurement procedure to support advances in precision medicine.

In almost all high-income countries, the U.S. included, women live longer than men.  As we enter a new era in which biomedical data are increasingly ubiquitous, current and future research may help us understand the fundamental issues that drive differences in longevity and other health outcomes between men and women.  Our ability to measure the entire spectrum of information about the human biolo...

The unintended pregnancy rate in the United States is approximately 45% despite of variety of contraceptive options available to women.  Today, male condoms and withdrawal are the only reversible contraceptive methods available to men with typical failure rates between 10% and 20%.  But what about a male contraceptive pill?  Studies indicate that more than half of men would be interested in using...

The January 2019 issue of Clinical Chemistry is devoted to the area of men's health.  Aside from non-melanoma skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in the United States.  It is remarkable that even though the introduction of prostate specific antigen, or PSA, into U.S. clinical practice occurred over three decades ago, researchers and clinicians are still debating its va...

Preeclampsia is a serious disorder of pregnancy that occurs by 24 weeks of gestation or later and can occur in up to 5% of all pregnancies.  Maternal weight, advancing maternal age, nulliparity, a previous pregnancy with preeclampsia, and insulin-dependent diabetes are just some of the predisposing factors for developing preeclampsia.  Over the past few years, development in screening, prevention,...

The December 2018 issue of Clinical Chemistry published a Perspective article titled "CRISPR Methods for Nucleic Acid Detection Herald the Future of Molecular Diagnostics," which discusses the findings of Chen and colleagues who earlier this year were the first to create a diagnostic tool out of a CRISPR-Cas system and demonstrate its clinical utility. 

Coronary artery disease is the most common cause of death and morbidity in developed countries, resulting in substantial healthcare costs.  The early detection of this disease and identification of patients at risk for myocardial infarction has enormous medical and economic value.  The introduction of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin assays has revolutionized early diagnosis of myocardial infarct...