Abstract/Summary

Cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes and cancer pose increasing global healthcare burdens. New biomarkers could enable earlier diagnosis of these diseases, leading to more effective treatment and lower associated healthcare burden. Elevated total sialic acid (TSA) concentration in plasma and serum has been positively correlated with cardiovascular conditions diabetes and the development of malignant tumours. This article reviews the use of TSA as a potential biomarker in these disease and makes a comparison with existing markers. Elevated TSA has been shown to be indicative of the pathogenesis of CVD, diabetes and malignant tumours. While not a specific marker for one disease there is promise in utilising TSA as a method for monitoring disease progression and effectiveness of treatment programs.