I‘ve Already had My Cholesterol Checked, Why Should I Have the Cardio-Metabolic Test Done?
According to the NCEP guidelines, 50% of people who have a heart attack have normal cholesterol levels.
Standard cholesterol testing only gives you part of the picture leaving many people with “normal” cholesterol numbers unaware that they are still at risk for a heart attack. The National Cholesterol Education Program introduced new risk factors that are responsible for many individuals at risk for cardiovascular disease.
Cholesterol is carried throughout the body in little balls called lipoproteins. It is the lipoproteins, not the cholesterol in them, that leads to clogging of the arteries.
Why Standard Blood Panels Aren’t Enough
Standard cholesterol panels only tell you part of the story in terms of your cardio-metabolic risk toward the development of such conditions including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other inflammatory conditions. A basic lipid panel is a very general marker for cardio-metabolic risk, but is much more effective when in the context of other biomarkers, particularly lipoprotein particle numbers. Lipoprotein particle testing allows a practitioner to see whether a person’s cholesterol levels are predominantly healthy or atherogenic. Essentially, it is a much more comprehensive and thorough approach to analyzing cholesterol numbers.
Standard Lipid Panel: Total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, Triglycerides
SpectraCell Lipoprotein Particle Panel: Total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, Triglycerides, Lipoprotein Particle Profile (includes: VLDL, LDL III, LDL IV, Remnant Lipoprotein, Lp(a), HDL2b, ApoB100, C-Reactive Protein, Homocysteine
CardioMetabolic-Panel (Click to View)