The cardiologist says that these 3 blood tests could save you heart disease
They can help assess your risk of heart attack, stroke, Afib, etc.
For decades, heart disease has been the leading cause of death in the United States, currently affecting half of the population . And experts predict that in 2050, 61% of Americans will have cardiovascular disease, which includes a heart attack, stroke, heart failure, arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation and congenital heart disease, according to Cnn . Part of the reason why these figures are increasing is that more and more Americans are suffering from obesity, hypertension ( high blood pressure ), diabetes and a sedentary lifestyle - all risk factors for heart disease.
But Jeremy London, MD , a certified card cardiothoracic surgeon In Savannah, in Georgia, says that the demand for three specific blood tests can help assess the risk of your heart disease and stop it in its footsteps.
In relation: This disease kills 450% more Americans than 50 years ago, a new shocking report finds .
1 LDL-C
LDL-C means cholesterol of low density lipoproteins, and it is a measure of your "bad" cholesterol. The high LDL levels often cause an accumulation of plaque in the arteries, which can then lead to coronary disease, cerebrovascular disease, a peripheral artery disease and an aortic aneurysm, according to the Cleveland clinic .
They explain that high cholesterol can be caused by the following factors:
- Overweight / Obesity
- Consume too many foods rich in saturated fat and / or trans
- Smoking and vaping
- Diseases such as diabetes and chronic kidney diseases
- Genetic
- Certain drugs, including those of blood pressure
As London notes in a popular Tiktok video , Standard blood panels check your LDL cholesterol (that's why you are asked to fast in advance), so it is only more reason never to ignore your annual exams.
Make sure your panel also checks HDL levels. "HDL (high density lipoprotein) is" good cholesterol "which helps eliminate additional LDL cholesterol from your blood," said Cleveland Clinic.
If you have a high LDL cholesterol, be sure to talk to your doctor about your options. As Best life Recently reported: “Despite eligibility, most patients with high cholesterol do not take statins or similar hypocholesterolic drugs . According to a new study by researchers from Johns Hopkins University, the commission of this gap could prevent nearly 100,000 non-fatal heart attacks in the United States each year. »»
In relation: 85% of non -vaccinated women will probably get this virus - and a new research connects it to heart disease .
2 Apolipoprotein B (apob)
"Consider it as a view of 30,000 feet on the atherogenic or dangerous particles of cholesterol," explains London about an APOB test. "This is important because it is the absolute number of APOB particles, not the cholesterol content, which increases cardiovascular risk."
In other words, LDL cholesterol cannot travel through your blood circulation without being transported by lipoprotein like apob. It is also a good predictor of the risk of heart disease because Apob does not wear HDL cholesterol.
In fact, a review article in 2022 published in the Journal of the American Heart Association (Jaha) said: "In 2019, the European Cardiology Society / European Atherosclerosis Society said that apolipoprotein B (APOB) was a more precise marker of cardiovascular risk than cholesterol of low density lipoproteins (LDL-C) and lipoprotein cholester.
3 Lipoprotein (A)
The London final blood test recommends evaluating your risk of heart disease is lipoprotein (A) or LP (A).
"It is a genetically determined lipoprotein which, if it is high, considerably increases your risk of heart attack and stroke," he shares. "This protein is attached to cholesterol particles, and it increases the risk of coagulation."
What is worrying is that your other cholesterol levels could be good and your lifestyle in good health, and that you could always have high LP levels and not know, according to the American Heart Association (AHA).
"Unfortunately, unlike LDL-C and Apob, the modification of the lifestyle does not lower LP (A)", adds London, which is why this test is so important, especially if you have high LP (A) LP or heart disease.
In relation: The cardiologist shares exercise n ° 1 to prevent a heart attack .
4 Other types of tests can also help assess your cardiovascular risk factors.
In another recent video , London shared three non-invasive heart tests You should never jump if you have family history of cardiovascular disease or if you encounter heart problems. These are:
- Echocardiogram , an ultrasound that shows how blood crosses the valves of the heart and the heart, and uses sound waves to take pictures of your heart. According to the Aha , it can detect heart failure, causes of heart murmurs, arterial blockages, blood clots and valve problems.
- Stress test , an analysis of the functioning of your heart when your body works hard, determined by walking on a treadmill while wearing EKG pads connected to special machines. "The test can show if the blood flow is reduced in the arteries that provide the heart", the Aha Explains "it also helps your health care team knows the type and level of exercise that suits you."
- Calcium notation scanner , which examines the amount of calcium in your coronary arteries. "Calcium in the arteries of your heart can tell you if you have an accumulation of a fatty waxy substance (plate) which can be narrow or block them", note Cleveland clinic . "This means that you may have atherosclerosis (coronary disease), which could lead to a heart attack."
