The body’s cardiovascular system is an intricate network between the heart and blood vessels, necessary to circulate blood throughout the body. But did you know that the body’s cellular metabolism is also linked to the cardiovascular system? In fact, cardiovascular wellness is also a reflection of metabolic health and many metabolic diseases cause pathology within the cardiovascular system. Changes in metabolism occur over time for many reasons including age, hormones, activity and diet. Every individual has a specific body chemistry that directly affects his or her cardiovascular health and this can be analyzed through testing.

Testing a CardioMetabolic profile through a CardioMetabolic panel involves three main aspects including Glycemic Control, Lipid Profile, and Vascular Inflammation.

Cardiovascular and Pre-Diabetes Test

Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in the United States, but many individuals don’t know they are at risk because standard cholesterol tests don’t tell the whole story. CardioMetabolic testing offers a more thorough evaluation for Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease (ASCVD), risk of Type 2 Diabetes, and Inflammation.

What does CardioMetabolic Testing provide?

• Measurement size/density of lipoprotein particles
• Cardiovascular risk stratification (categorization)
• Screening/measurement of triglyceride and cholesterol levels
• CardioMetbolic risk assessment that measures risk for cardiovascular disease, stroke, and diabetes
• Type 2 Diabetes Risk Assessment

Cardiovascular disease is often caused by more than one problem. Comprehensive CardioMetabolic testing helps identify contributing risk factors to ASCVD.

Metabolic risk, cardiovascular risk, and vascular inflammation markers are all analyzed.

Metabolic Risk looks at insulin, glucose, hemoglobin A1c, C-peptide, adiponectin and metabolic syndrome.

Cardiovascular Risk examines the lipid panel including total cholesterol, LDL and HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and non-HD cholesterol calculation. Lipoprotein particle numbers are also measured including VLDL particles, total LDL particles, non-HDL particles (RLP, small dense LDL III and IV), total HDL particles, and large buoyant HDL 2b.

Vascular Inflammation Markers analyze ApoB 100, Lp(a), C-Reactive Protein-hs, and homocysteine.

Who should get tested for cardiovascular risk factors?

Individuals should take the CardioMetabolic Test or Pre-Diabetes Risk Panel test if any of the following apply:

• Family history of heart disease or diabetes
• Current diagnosis with heart disease or diabetes
• Currently taking medication to lower cholesterol
• Diagnosed with high blood pressure/metabolic syndrome
• Excess weight
• High LDL (bad cholesterol)
• Low HDL (good cholesterol)
• High triglyceride levels

If my cholesterol levels are normal, should I still take the CardioMetabolic test?

Standard cholesterol screening tests, while useful don’t always tell the whole story. Many individuals whose cholesterol levels fall into “normal” ranges may still be at risk for a heart attack. In fact, an estimated 50% of individuals who suffer a heart attack maintain normal cholesterol levels. This is because cholesterol travels through the body in small balls or particles called lipoproteins. It is actually these lipoproteins that clog the arteries, rather than the cholesterol itself.

How do I know if I’m at risk for diabetes?

Pre-diabetes is a medical state that precedes diabetes when the body cannot effectively metabolize food. This is especially true with carbohydrates and will result in impaired blood sugar control. If not treated through diet and other lifestyle changes or properly managed by a physician, diabetes may result. Testing can identify biomarkers that indicate metabolic abnormalities so changes may be made before actual diabetes occurs.

The Pre-Diabetes Risk Score helps evaluate risk for a possible diabetic condition and other related complications such as heart disease or stroke.
The pre-diabetes risk score is impacted by results from the hemoglobin A1c test, fasting blood sugar and metabolic syndrome traits.

Specific factors relate to each other and are useful in pre-diabetes analysis. These include:

Glucose, which provides a measurement of blood sugar at the time blood is drawn.

Insulin levels indicate how well the body metabolizes carbohydrates and correlates to the efficiency with which a person can metabolize. High fasting levels may indicate insulin resistance and pre-diabetes.

Hemoglobin A1C is a long-term marker of sugar control.

C-peptide testing measures internal insulin production and is used to help distinguish type 1 from type 2 disease.

Adiponectin is a hormone that helps control metabolism through enzymes and is an indicator of efficient production of cellular energy.

Metabolic syndrome traits indicate the likelihood of (metabolic syndrome) if three or more are present including (1) high triglycerides (2) high glucose (3) low HDL (4) high blood pressure (5) high waist circumference or (6) increased small dense LDL.

General risk factors for a pre-diabetic condition also include excess weight, high blood pressure, smoking, inflammation and a family history of diabetes.

THE CARDIOMETABOLIC RISK PANEL COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE, OR THE LIFE OF A LOVED ONE.

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