Our risk assessments for cardiovascular disease involve an evaluation of the patient’s medical history, an exam, and an assessment of clinical lab work. The lab work includes hormones and metabolic markers. Diagnostic tests include EKG, echocardiograms, holter/ event cardiac monitoring, and stress tests.
Many people think that a simple cholesterol panel is the only determinant for heart attack risk, but this is not true. Many people with normal cholesterol levels still have heart attacks. A more complete evaluation includes a lipid breakdown to assess the size of lipoprotein particles. Advanced Family Wellness, PS uses the Lipoprotein Particle Profile from SpectraCell to test the different forms of LDL, including remnant lipoprotein; homocysteine; Lp(a); C-reactive protein; buoyant HDL; triglycerides; and metabolic syndrome patterns. Fibrinogen is also a test we use to determine a patient’s risk for blood clots. In addition, for patients who have been on cholesterol-lowering statin drugs, testing for a CoQ10 deficiency can be useful.