Patent Document ID: 20030119194
Application ID: 10294262
Patent Status: 0

Claim One:
1. A method for assessing a patient's risk of having or developing coronary heart disease based on lipoprotein measurements, comprising: generating an NMR spectroscopic signal of a blood plasma or serum sample of a patient; measuring the values of a plurality of selected lipoprotein subclass constituents in the sample; analyzing the measured values of the lipoprotein subclass constituents according to predetermined test criteria to identify whether there is an increased and/or decreased risk of having and/or developing coronary heart disease associated with the measured lipoprotein subclass constituent values; outputting the measured lipoprotein subclass values onto a report; providing a plurality of risk analysis portions that depicts a spectrum of different risks for the measured lipoprotein subclass constituents based on the predetermined test criteria analysis, a respective one for each measured lipoprotein subclass value, wherein each risk analysis portion defines a plurality of risk segments that includes a respective perimeter line that encloses one or a predetermined range of numerical values, the risk segments in each risk analysis portion being associated with differing risks from lower, negative, or decreased risk to higher, positive, or increased risk; positioning the respective risk analysis portions in the report adjacent its measured corresponding lipoprotein subclass value; and drawing a perimeter line associated with a respective one of the risk segments in each risk analysis portion on the report so that it has an increased size, intensity and/or contrasting color for the risk segment associated with the measured lipoprotein subclass value relative to the non-associated risk segments for each risk analysis portion to visually enhance the identified risk and provide a contemporaneous risk assessment guide useful for interpretation of the risk associated with the measured values.