The Advantages of free Beta
Scientific evidence demonstrates that free Beta hCG has consistently been shown to be significantly elevated in Down syndrome cases. A review of 21 retrospective studies involving 772 reported Down syndrome cases shows that free Beta hCG was on average 2.0 Multiples of the Median (MoM), or significantly higher, and thus an excellent Down syndrome marker. An alternative protocol replaces free Beta hCG with total Beta hCG. However, the data on total Beta hCG does not support its use as a first trimester marker. A review of 15 retrospective studies showed that total Beta hCG was, on average, only 1.29 MoM, or slightly elevated and therefore, not a reliable Down syndrome marker in the first trimester. Substituting total Beta hCG for free Beta may lead to potential Downs cases being undetected and/or results in higher false positive rates. (References) This, in turn, increases the risk associated with the performance of unnecessary diagnostic procedures.
- Superior to total Beta hCG
- Scientifically proven
- Earlier diagnosis
- Lower false positive rate
- Reduces unnecessary diagnostic procedures