Dr. Ahmet Özyiğit was born in 1981 in the Famagusta district of Cyprus. Ozgen and Dr. He is the youngest of Savaş Özyiğit's three children.

After completing his high school education at Türk Maarif College in 1998, he completed his undergraduate and graduate studies in economics in the American state of Kansas. Özyiğit, who later completed his doctorate education in the same field of science, published many articles in this field.

Özyiğit, who later became interested in medical science, studied medicine at the University of Nicosia Faculty of Medicine. In addition to this education, he received his master's degree in Clinical Embryology from the University of Leeds and postgraduate education in Endocrinology from the University of South Wales.

With an eclectic academic background, Dr. Özyiğit continues his clinical studies, especially on weight loss, metabolism and healthy aging. An active member of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine, Dr. Özyiğit applies anti-aging, weight loss and brain function improving treatments to his patients.

Cardiovascular Risk Analysis

What are Cardiovascular Diseases?

Cardiovascular diseases are a group of diseases that affect the heart and vascular system and are one of the most common causes of death worldwide (WHO, 2023). This group includes coronary artery disease, heart attack, stroke, hypertension, valvular heart disease, and heart failure. The underlying mechanism is often atherosclerosis. During this process, plaques composed of fatty and inflammatory cells accumulate on the inner surface of the arteries, leading to narrowing and blockages over time (Libby, 2021).

Risk factors include high LDL cholesterol, hypertension, smoking, diabetes, obesity, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, and chronic stress (Arnett et al., 2019). While some factors are modifiable (diet, exercise, smoking), others, such as genetic predisposition and age, cannot be changed.

Prevalence of Cardiovascular Diseases in Cyprus

Kıbrıs, geleneksel Akdeniz diyetinin kalp dostu etkileriyle tanınsa da, modern yaşam biçiminin getirdiği değişimler bu avantajı azaltmaktadır. Araştırmalar, Kıbrıs’ta 18 yaş ve üzeri nüfusta kardiyovasküler hastalık prevalansının yaklaşık %24,8 olduğunu, erkeklerde bu oranın daha da yüksek olduğunu bildirmektedir (Kyprianidou et al., 2022). Hipertansiyon prevalansı %25-30 civarındadır ve koroner arter hastalığı ülke genelinde ölümlerin başlıca nedenlerinden biridir (ESC, 2023). Bu veriler, Kıbrıs’ta düzenli kardiyovasküler risk taramasının önemini vurgulamaktadır. Erken tanı ve önleyici müdahalelerle kalp krizi ve inme riski belirgin şekilde azaltılabilir (WHO, 2023).

Advanced Indicators of Cardiovascular Risk

The classic lipid panel (LDL, HDL, triglyceride) is important in assessing cardiovascular risk, but it can sometimes be insufficient. More advanced indicators are necessary, especially in patients who may develop atherosclerosis despite a normal LDL cholesterol level.

Apolipoprotein B (ApoB)

Apolipoprotein B is the main protein found on the surface of atherogenic lipoprotein particles (LDL, VLDL, and IDL). Because each particle contains one ApoB, the ApoB level in the blood reflects the total number of "bad cholesterol-carrying" particles (Sniderman et al., 2019). In this respect, it is a more accurate indicator of risk than LDL cholesterol. High ApoB levels indicate a higher number of cholesterol-carrying particles to the arterial wall, increasing the risk of atherosclerosis. Current guidelines recommend an ApoB level below 80 mg/dL in high-risk patients (Grundy et al., 2019).

Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)]

Lp(a) is a lipoprotein similar to LDL but carries an additional protein called apolipoprotein(a). Its level is largely genetically determined and remains constant throughout life (Tsimikas, 2017). High Lp(a) levels independently increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, and aortic stenosis (Bhatia et al., 2022).

Currently, drugs that lower Lp(a) are limited, but PCSK9 inhibitors and newly developed antisense therapies have been shown to significantly reduce levels (Viney et al., 2020). Lp(a) measurement should be performed especially in individuals who have had a heart attack at a young age or who have a family history of early coronary disease.

High Sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP)

C-reactive protein is a protein produced by the liver that reflects inflammation in the body. The hs-CRP test detects even very low levels of inflammation and is used as an indicator of intravascular inflammation (Ridker, 2016). Studies have shown that individuals with high hs-CRP levels have a higher risk of heart attack, even when LDL cholesterol is normal (Ridker et al., 2008). Therefore, hs-CRP helps inform treatment decisions, especially in moderate-risk individuals.

Cardiovascular diseases are one of the most significant health problems in Cyprus and globally. Early risk assessment plays a critical role in preventing these diseases. Advanced biomarkers such as ApoB, Lp(a), and hs-CRP provide a clearer picture of individual risk profiles and help develop targeted treatment strategies.

These tests are performed in a laboratory setting using a blood sample taken from the arm, just like standard blood tests. Elite Hospital is the only hospital in the TRNC that performs these tests.

Source

  • Arnett, D.K. et al. (2019). 2019 ACC/AHA Guideline on the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 74(10): e177–e232.
  • Bhatia, HS et al. (2022). Lipoprotein(a) and cardiovascular disease: recent insights. Circulation Research, 131(9): 751–764.
  • ESC (2023). Cyprus Country of the Month Report. European Society of Cardiology. Available at: https://www.escardio.org/static-file/Escardio/Subspecialty/EAPC/Country%20of%20the%20month/Documents/cyprus-country-of-the-month-full-report.pdf (Accessed: 20 September 2025).
  • Grundy, S.M. et al. (2019). 2018 AHA/ACC Guideline on the Management of Blood Cholesterol. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 73(24): e285–e350.
  • Kyprianidou, M. et al. (2022). Prevalence of chronic diseases in Cyprus: a cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health, 22: 783.
  • Libby, P. (2021). The changing landscape of atherosclerosis. Nature, 592: 524–533.
  • Ridker, P. M. (2016). Inflammation, CRP, and risk of cardiovascular disease. Circulation Research, 118: 145–156.
  • Ridker, P. M. et al. (2008). Rosuvastatin to prevent vascular events in men and women with elevated C-reactive protein. New England Journal of Medicine, 359: 2195–2207.
  • Sniderman, A.D. et al. (2019). Apolipoprotein B and cardiovascular disease: a narrative review. JAMA Cardiology, 4(12): 1287–1295.
  • Tsimikas, S. (2017). A test in context: lipoprotein(a). Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 69(6): 692–711.
  • Viney, NJ et al. (2020). Antisense oligonucleotides targeting apo(a) in people with raised lipoprotein(a): two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-ranging trials. The Lancet, 396(10255): 675–685.
  • WHO (2023). Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) fact sheet. World Health Organisation. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cardiovascular-diseases-(cvds) (Accessed: 20 September 2025).

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