#1 Advanced Cholesterol Testing
Heart disease is the #1 cause of death in men and women and determining heart disease risk is the first step in preventing heart attack. Remember when the only thing your doctor looked for was whether your total cholesterol was over 200? Then we decided that the most important number was the ratio of your bad to good cholesterol. Cholesterol testing has come a long way since. Would you believe it isn’t the amount of cholesterol that determines heart disease risk?
Lipoproteins are the vehicles that carry cholesterol around the body. Now we know it is the type of lipoprotein particles that carry the cholesterol through the body and not the cholesterol within them that is responsible for the plaque production that causes cardiovascular disease. These lipoprotein groups are the most advanced method of evaluating cardiac risk; however, the majority of patients still only have their cholesterol (Total, LDL, HDL, triglycerides) measured.
Furthermore, there are many other markers that can predict a higher risk of heart disease including homocysteine, cardiac CRP, Lipoprotein (a), Apo-E genotyping and HS-Omega 3 Index. I use Spectracell laboratory which offers the LPP test and includes the lipoprotein fractionation along with other risk markers. Medicare and most insurance companies will usually cover the test.
The LPP profile helps to determine which patients are at higher risk, especially in those patients that have LDL in the mildly elevated (130-160) range. To find a doctor familiar with the LPP test, go to SpectraCell.com or if you live in the Tampa Bay area (downtown St. Petersburg), call me at (727) 329-8859 to schedule a complimentary cardiac risk assessment and find out more about the LPP test and our Cardiac Wellness Program.
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