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Cardiovascular UnitThe Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Unit's research thrust areas focus on the epidemiology, intervention, and rehabilitational aspects of cardiovascular nutrition, the efficient diagnosis of cardiovascular risk, and the influence on CVD risk of dietary components, functional foods and changing lifestyles, particularly in the priority areas of research identified by the Ministry of Health Malaysia.
The CVD Unit, through its “parent” Division of Human Nutrition, has had a long history of palm oil research. From 1984 to 1992, classical nutrition criteria such as digestibility, absorbability and metabolisable energy were established for palm oil and its refined fractions, palm olein and palm stearin. During the same period, the Division conducted several studies to investigate separately, the effects of palm olein and tocotrienols from palm vitamin E concentrate on the cardiovascular risk profile using both laboratory animals and human volunteers.
From 1985 to 1997, under the leadership of one of the former heads of the CDNRC, much analysis and compilation of food data was carried out with collaboration from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), and the Malaysian Agriculture Research and Development Institute (MARDI). This smart partnership led to the publication of four editions of the Nutrient Composition of Malaysian Foods which has become a valuable source of reference for nutritionists, dietitians, food technologists and other professionals in the country.
Work on the Malaysian food composition database culminated in the production of “NutriCal”- a windows-based software programme which made nutrient calculations convenient and simple. This research product was finally commercialised in the late 1990s.
Currently, research activities of the Unit include evaluation of a low cost in-house serum lipoprotein(a) ELISA test kit for the rapid assessment of CVD risk, fatty acid profile and fibre content of common Malaysian meals/diets, and compilation of a sugar database for facilitating determination of daily sugar intake.
The CVD Unit provides the following diagnostic and food analytical services:
BLOOD SAMPLES
Type of test
Lab charges (RM)
How specimen should be collected
Important notes
Serum lipid profile package:
(TC, LDLC, HDLC & TG)
40
5 ml of fasting blood allowed to clot in plain container.
Avoid lysis of blood sample. Serum sample preferred.
Any single serum lipid test
(TC, TG or HDLC only)
20
3 ml of blood allowed to clot in plain container.
Avoid lysis of blood sample. Serum sample preferred.
Thiamin status:
erythrocyte transketolase and % TPP Effect
30
Whole blood collected in 2-ml heparinised container.
Blood must not clot. Do not freeze during transit. Must reach IMR lab before 2 pm and within 24 hr after blood collection.
Serum beta-carotene and vitamin A
40
About 3 ml of blood allowed to clot in plain bottle.
Serum sample preferred for out-station-samples.
Serum beta-carotene OR vitamin A
25
About 2 ml of blood allowed to clot in plain bottle.
Serum sample preferred for out-station-samples
Serum ascorbic acid
25
About 3 ml of blood allowed to clot in plain bottle
Serum sample preferred for out-station-samples.
Serum vitamin E
(alpha-tocopherol)
40
About 2 ml of blood allowed to clot in plain bottle.
FOOD ANALYSIS
Proximate analysis “package” for 5 components:
[Moisture, protein, fat, carbohydrate (by difference), and ash]
180
Provide at least 200 g of sample.
Protein
50
Provide at least 50 g of sample.
Total fat
50
Provide at least 50 g of sample.
Total dietary fibre
90
Provide at least 50 g of sample.
Ash
40
Provide at least 50 g of sample.
Moisture
30
Provide at least 50 g of sample.
Minerals:
Ca, Mg or P
50 each
Provide at least 30 g of sample for each test required.
Thiamin
50
Provide at least 50 g of sample
