Jeffrey (Jeff) W. Meeusen, Ph.D., with Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic's campus in Rochester, Minnesota, discusses studies of plasma ceramides — predictors of adverse cardiovascular events resulting from unstable atherosclerotic plaque — in three different patient populations.

Research indicates that people with elevated plasma ceramide levels are at higher risk of major adverse cardiovascular events even after adjustments are made for age, sex, smoking status and serum biomarkers.