Diagnoptics

Diagnoptics: Non-Invasive and Immediate Assessment of Cardiovascular Risk and Diabetes

Diagnoptics is a company that offers non-invasive and immediate assessment of cardiovascular risk and risk of diabetes with the AGE Reader. The AGE Reader is a medical device that measures the accumulation of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) in the skin, which are biomarkers for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Diagnoptics' mission is to improve public health by providing accurate, reliable, and affordable diagnostic tools for early detection, prevention, and management of chronic diseases.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 17.9 million people die each year from CVDs, representing 31% of all global deaths. The major risk factors for CVDs include high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, smoking, obesity, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, family history of heart disease or stroke, age over 45 years for men or over 55 years for women. However, these risk factors do not always predict accurately who will develop CVDs or when they will occur.

Diabetes mellitus is another major public health problem affecting millions of people worldwide. According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), an estimated 463 million adults aged between 20-79 years were living with diabetes in 2019 globally; this number is expected to rise to nearly 700 million by 2045 if no action is taken. T2DM accounts for about 90% -95% cases of diabetes; it occurs when the body cannot use insulin effectively or produce enough insulin to regulate blood glucose levels properly.

The link between AGEs and chronic diseases has been well established by scientific research over several decades. AGEs are formed by a non-enzymatic reaction between reducing sugars and amino acids or proteins, leading to irreversible cross-linking and modification of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and basement membrane (BM) proteins. AGEs can also bind to their receptors (RAGEs) on various cells, activating inflammatory pathways, oxidative stress, and tissue damage. AGEs are involved in the pathogenesis of CVDs by promoting atherosclerosis, arterial stiffness, endothelial dysfunction, hypertension, left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), heart failure (HF), and renal impairment. AGEs are also implicated in the development of T2DM by impairing insulin signaling, beta-cell function, glucose uptake by skeletal muscle cells.

The AGE Reader is a non-invasive medical device that measures skin autofluorescence (SAF), which reflects the accumulation of AGEs in the skin over time. SAF has been shown to correlate with tissue levels of AGEs in various organs such as heart valves, arteries, kidneys. The use of SAF as a biomarker for CVD risk prediction has been validated in several clinical studies involving thousands of patients worldwide. The results showed that SAF was an independent predictor of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular events such as myocardial infarction (MI), stroke or peripheral artery disease (PAD). Moreover, SAF was able to identify high-risk individuals who were missed by traditional risk factors such as Framingham Risk Score or SCORE.

The use of SAF for diabetes risk assessment has also been investigated in several studies involving different ethnic groups such as Caucasians or Asians. The results showed that SAF was associated with impaired glucose tolerance or T2DM independently from other risk factors such as age or BMI. Moreover; SAF was able to predict incident diabetes over 5-10 years follow-up period better than fasting plasma glucose levels.

Diagnoptics offers two versions of the AGE Reader: one for research purposes only called "AGE Reader mu" and one for clinical use called "AGE Reader SU". The AGE Reader mu is a portable device that can be used in the field or laboratory to measure SAF in various skin sites such as forearm, cheek, or forehead. The AGE Reader SU is a desktop device that can be used in clinics or hospitals to measure SAF in the palm of the hand. Both devices are easy to use, non-invasive, and provide immediate results within seconds.

The benefits of using the AGE Reader for CVD and diabetes risk assessment are numerous. First, it provides an objective and quantitative measurement of tissue damage caused by AGEs that cannot be detected by other methods such as blood tests or imaging techniques. Second, it allows early detection of high-risk individuals who may benefit from lifestyle modifications or pharmacological interventions to prevent or delay the onset of chronic diseases. Third, it reduces healthcare costs by avoiding unnecessary diagnostic tests or treatments for low-risk individuals.

In conclusion; Diagnoptics offers a unique and innovative solution for non-invasive and immediate assessment of cardiovascular risk and risk of diabetes with the AGE Reader. This medical device has been validated by scientific research worldwide as a reliable biomarker for early detection, prevention, and management of chronic diseases such as CVDs and T2DM. By using this technology; healthcare professionals can improve patient outcomes while reducing healthcare costs significantly over time.