Research Focus

Dr. Luvai's research is centred on improving diagnostics and treatment approaches for cardiometabolic disorders, with a particular emphasis on lipid metabolism and personalised medicine.

As the Lead Consultant for the Tertiary Lipid and Metabolic Service at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Dr. Luvai conducts research that directly translates to enhanced patient care and treatment outcomes.

His work with the Cardiovascular Biomarkers Laboratory focuses on expanding the clinical utility of specialised measurements including Lp(a), apolipoproteins, sterols, ultracentrifugation, and lipoprotein electrophoresis.

Research Laboratory

Key Research Areas

Lipid Disorders

Investigating novel approaches to diagnosis and management of complex lipid disorders, with particular focus on familial hypercholesterolaemia and dysbetalipoproteinaemia.

Cardiometabolic Risk Assessment

Developing enhanced risk stratification tools and biomarker profiles to identify individuals at elevated risk for cardiovascular events.

Personalised Medicine

Exploring how genetic testing, metabolic profiling, and specialised diagnostics can be combined to create truly individualised treatment approaches.

Laboratory Medicine

Focusing on reference intervals, performance of clinical decision limits, and the impact of biological variation on disease monitoring.

Publications

Lipid-lowering optimisation for secondary prevention vascular and diabetic foot patients in a pharmacist-led clinic

Hart M, Rees J, Newton JL, Stansby G, Mackay K, Luvai A

Journal of Clinical Lipidology, 2024

HMGCoAR autoantibodies: hidden in plain sight?

Mercer-Smith G, Jenkinson F, Banerjee P, Abbas M, Ferriman C, Neely RDG, Luvai A

Atherosclerosis Plus, Volume 57, Supplement, 2024 (Conference)

Vitamin B12 reference intervals on Beckman, Roche and Siemens analytical platforms

Jassam N, Bancroft T, Luvai A, Mbagaya W, Barth JH

Annals of Clinical Biochemistry, 2023

Should the Sampson LDL cholesterol equation replace the Friedewald equation in routine clinical practice? A comparison of three equations against a beta quantification method

Abbas M, Boot C, Luvai A

Atherosclerosis Plus, Volume 54, Supplement 1, 2023 (Conference)

Stratification Of LIver Disease (SOLID): protocol for a prospective observational cohort study

McPherson S, Jarvis H, McGonigle J, Bedlington J, Dean J, Hallsworth K, Hanon E, Liddle T, Luvai A, Mansour D, et al.

BMJ Open Gastroenterology, 2023

Alternative equations for the calculation of LDL cholesterol: Is it time to replace Friedewald?

Boot C, Luvai A

Annals of Clinical Biochemistry, 2022

Lipoprotein(a): Insights for the Practising Clinician

Telyuk P, Austin D, Luvai A, Zaman A

Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2022

CT coronary angiography significantly changes treatment targets versus coronary artery calcium scoring in high-risk dyslipidaemia patients

Graby J, Sellek J, Bayly G, Avades T, Capps N, Shipman K, Mbagaya W, Luvai A, Khavandi A, Loughborough W, Hudson B, Downie P, Rodrigues J

Conference Abstract, 2022

Improving the identification of patients with a genetic diagnosis of familial hypercholesterolaemia in primary care

Ingoe L, Potter A, Musson S, Neely D, Pilkington G, Allen AJ, Reay D, Luvai A, McAnulty C, Camm N, et al.

Atherosclerosis, 2021 (Conference)

The diagnostic yield for FH proband genetic testing is lower in postmenopausal women when fixed LDL-C decision thresholds are used

Luvai A, O'Leary R, Urwin S, Allen J, Reay D, Ingoe L, Potter A, Musson S, Pattman S, Hopper N, et al.

Atherosclerosis Plus, 2021 (Conference)

Albumin and calcium reference interval using healthy individuals and a data-mining approach

Jassam N, Luvai A, Narayanan D, Turnock D, Lee G, Earp K, Barth J

Annals of Clinical Biochemistry, 2020

The clinical and laboratory investigation of dysbetalipoproteinaemia

Boot CS, Luvai A, Neely RDG

Critical Reviews in Clinical Laboratory Sciences, 2020

High Polygenic SNP Scores Do Not Exclude Monogenic Familial Hypercholesterolaemia

Luvai A, Johnston L, Curtis A, Potter A, Musson S, Pattman S, Kamarrudin S, Weaver J, Arutchevelam V, Anderson M, et al.

Atherosclerosis, 2019 (Conference)

Potential use of PCSK9 inhibitors as a secondary preventative measure for cardiovascular disease following acute coronary syndrome: a UK real-world study

Elamin AFM, Grafton-Clarke C, Wen Chen K, et al.

Postgraduate Medical Journal, 2019

Mutations in LDLR, APOB, PCSK9 and APOE genes contribute to the genetic spectrum of familial hypercholesterolaemia in the north of England

Johnston L, Potter A, Carey P, Luvai A, McKenna P, Weaver J, Pattman S, Kamaruddin S, Arutchevelam V, Anderson M, et al.

Atherosclerosis, 2018 (Conference)

2018

Comparison of method-related reference intervals for thyroid hormones: studies from a prospective reference population and a literature review

Barth JH, Luvai A, Jassam N, Mbagaya W, Kilpatrick ES, Narayanan D, Spoors S

Annals of Clinical Biochemistry, 2017

2017

Reference intervals for thyroid hormones on Advia Centaur derived from three reference populations and a review of the literature

Barth JH, Spencer JD, Goodall SR, Luvai A

Annals of Clinical Biochemistry, 2016

2016

Biological variation of high sensitivity cardiac troponin-T in stable dialysis patients: implications for clinical practice

Mbagaya W, Luvai A

Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, 2016

Persistently raised aspartate aminotransferase (AST) due to macro-AST

Mbagaya W, Foo J, Luvai A, King C, Mappleback S, Gough A, Jassam N

Diagnosis, 2015

2015

Biological variation of cardiac troponin in stable haemodialysis patients

Mbagaya W, Luvai A, Lopez B

Annals of Clinical Biochemistry, 2015

2015

Hepatocellular carcinoma in variegate porphyria: a case report and literature review

Luvai A, Mbagaya W, Narayanan D, Degg T, Toogood G, Wyatt JH, Swinson D, Hall CJ, Barth JH

Annals of Clinical Biochemistry, 2015

2015

Delayed diagnosis of phenylketonuria – a case report of two siblings

Narayanan D, Barski R, Henderson MJ, Luvai A, Chandrajay D, Stainforth C, Bradley J, Rogozinski H, Sharma R

Annals of Clinical Biochemistry, 2014

2014

Stroke in a young man

Narayanan D, Luvai A, Barski R, Sharma R

BMJ, 2013

2013

Rosuvastatin: A review of the pharmacology and clinical effectiveness in cardiovascular disease

Luvai A, Mbagaya W, Hall A, Barth JH

Clinical Medicine Insights: Cardiology, 2012

2012

Patient Management: Secondary Hyperlipidaemia

Luvai A, Mbagaya W

Foundation Years Journal, 2011

2011

Care pathway for managing people treated with insulin pump therapy

Carling J, Luvai A, Hammond P

CSII Therapy, 2009

2009

Impact of a pharmacist-led clinic in optimising lipid therapy for secondary prevention in vascular and diabetic foot patients

Hart M, Rees J, Newton JL, Stansby G, Munac K, Luvai A

Atherosclerosis Plus, 2023 (Conference)

2023