Who Should Undergo Cardiovascular Testing?

Adults over age 35 and those with a history of cardiovascular diseases in their family should undergo cardiovascular testing in order to determine risk factors and make necessary steps toward improving their cardiovascular health.

If you or a member of your family has developed early cardiovascular problems (before ages 55-65), such as high cholesterol, high blood pressue, heart attack or stroke, or if an immediate family member has a serious hereditary high cholesterol, you should undergo cardiovascular testing.

Also, if you have a strong family medical history of heart attack or stroke before age 60 then you should under go adanced cardiovascular testing!

How Does the Assessment Work?

Cardiovascular tests typically include a verbal questionnaire to determine your family’s health history and various lifestyle factors that may contribute to cardiovascular problems. These factors include smoking, poor diet, sedentary lifestyles, diabetes, heavy drinking, and obesity.

The medical professional will perform a blood test for blood volume of cholesterol, fractionated lipids (the particles of your lipids), and glucose levels as well as blood pressure measurements. From there, your risk factors will be determined by calculating this data alongside your age, sex, ethnicity (certain ethnic backgrounds have higher risk of stroke and heart attack), and family history.

About the Assessment Score

Each patient is issued a Framingham Risk score based on a percentage, which estimates the individual’s risk of developing cardiovascular disease. This percentage is based on probability of developing coronary artery disease over a period of ten years.

The results are classified in three categories:

– High risk – scores of 20% or more are considered at high risk of developing cardiovascular diseases in the next decade.

– Moderate risk – scores between 10-20% suggest a 1-10 or 2-10 chance of developing a cardiovascular disease within the next ten years. Those at moderate risk of cardiovascular disease should be re-assessed on an annual basis.

– Low risk – scores below 10% are considered at low risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. These patients should be tested once every five years.

Your cardiovascular risk is also determined not only on your Framingham Risk Score, but you ApoE gene status, your LDL total and fractionated lipids, inflammation levels, blood sugar balance and insulin resistance, nutritional status, and other test results. 

If You Are at Moderate or High Risk

Treatment options are available for those at moderate to high risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. While medication is available to treat symptoms of cardiovascular diseases, most medical professionals will recommend lifestyle changes in addition to medical treatments.

In a conventional medical clinic, statin medicines to lower cholesterol and blood pressure medication are typically prescribed, as is smoking cessation, dietary changes, weight reduction, regular physical activity, and reduction in alcohol consumption. These methods are employed along with other treatments at Apollo Health Clinic.

Furthermore, you may be referred to specialists for treatment, with nutritionists and dietitians, smoking cessation clinics, and supervised exercise regiments are some common solutions.

About the Boston Heart Diagnostics Test

Boston Heart Diagnostics Lab Testing was developed by the leading PhD researchers, medical doctors, and cardiologists in the United States. Together they developed this Advanced Cardiovascular Disease testing, because the lipid panel is old technology created in the 1970s, and frankly people were still dying early preventable deaths with normal cholesterol levels. Simply put, the Boston Heart health diagnostics testing tests:

• Genetics (Statin Induced Myopathy (SLOCO1B1) Genotype Test – how people will respond to statin medications; methylation status via MTHFR genetic mutation
• Genetic ApoB Status to rule out genetic inheritance and predisposition to early heart attacks, strokes, response to nutritional therapy and even Alzeheimer’s Disease via the ApoE genotype test
• LPA inheritance of CVD)
• Fatty Acid Balance Test (find out how much saturated fat, omega 3 and 6 Fatty acids you have and what you need)
• Pre-diabetes Assessment Test and Diabetes Panel: reveals if you have Diabetes, Prediabetes or Insulin Resistance
• HDL Map Test
• Cholesterol Balance Test
• Inflammation Panel
• Fractionated Lipids
• Hormone Panel: for Adrenal and Sex Hormones status

This group of test panels will give you and Dr. Madeira a clear diagnostic and follow-up status of your complete health.

You and Dr. Madeira will work together towards improving your cardiometabolic health for improved overall heart & brain health, blood sugar, energy, and prevention of cardiovascular events in the future.

This test is offered to patients in the Essentials Program, and only ordered when medically necessary. The test is billed to your insurance and a mobile phlebotomist comes to your home to draw your blood while you are still fasting before you eat breakfast.