Nicolette: 0:01

Welcome to the Health Pulse, your go-to source for quick, actionable insights on health, wellness and diagnostics. Whether you're looking to optimize your well-being or stay informed about the latest in medical testing, we've got you covered. Join us as we break down key health topics in just minutes. Let's dive in.

Rachel: 0:29

Hey everyone, Welcome back. If you're tuned in, you're probably the kind of person who really wants to get a handle on their health right, Like really understand what's going on.

Mark: 0:33

Absolutely. Knowledge is power, as they say.

Rachel: 0:37

And today we're going deep on something that well, let's face it, it's vital for all of us heart health. We're going to unpack how blood tests can actually reveal way more about your risk of heart disease than you might think.

Mark: 0:48

Yeah, you know, it's fascinating how much we can learn from a little bit of blood Right. We're going to go way beyond just looking at those basic cholesterol numbers.

Rachel: 0:56

Exactly. We really want to pull out the most insightful information from the research we've been digging into. Specifically, we found this really great article all about using blood tests to understand your cardiovascular health, and what I love about this whole approach is that it puts you in the driver's seat. It's proactive.

Mark: 1:14

Oh for sure. It's like that classic Benjamin Franklin quote right An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Rachel: 1:21

Yeah, 100%, and this is all about prevention. We're going to explore the tests your doctor probably already orders, and then we'll get into some of the more advanced cutting edge tests that you might not even know about.

Mark: 1:32

Right Like peeling back the layers of the onion, you know, getting a really clear picture of what's going on.

Rachel: 1:36

Exactly so. We'll break down what each test measures and, crucially, why that information matters for keeping your heart healthy for years to come.

Mark: 1:45

Exactly For the long haul.

Rachel: 1:47

So let's kick things off with a fundamental question why is looking at our blood so important when it comes to preventing heart problems in the first place? I mean, what's the connection there?

Mark: 1:58

Well, you know, I think the thing to remember is that heart disease is often this silent creeper.

Nicolette: 2:03

Oh yeah.

Mark: 2:04

It develops slowly, you know, sometimes over years and years without any obvious symptoms.

Rachel: 2:09

Right, you feel totally fine.

Mark: 2:10

Exactly. You could feel perfectly healthy on the outside, but have things brewing under the surface, and that's where blood testing comes in. It's like shining a light on those potential problems before you even notice anything's wrong.

Rachel: 2:23

It's like an early warning system.

Mark: 2:24

Precisely.

Rachel: 2:25

And it's pretty scary when you look at the numbers right. The CDC data shows that almost half of all adults in the US have at least one major risk factor for heart disease.

Mark: 2:35

Yeah, it's pretty alarming.

Rachel: 2:36

Things like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and these are all things that blood work can often pick up on.

Mark: 2:43

And help you manage.

Rachel: 2:44

And help you manage exactly.

Mark: 2:45

Right, and it's not just about one single thing either. Blood tests give us this really multifaceted view of your cardiovascular risk. We can assess how your body handles fats and cholesterol, how well your blood sugar is regulated, if there are any signs of insulin resistance.

Rachel: 3:02

Right.

Mark: 3:02

The levels of inflammation and oxidative stress in your body and even get some clues about potential genetic predispositions to heart problems.

Rachel: 3:10

So it really is like looking under the hood, but in a really comprehensive way, right?

Mark: 3:14

Yeah, way beyond just looking at one or two numbers.

Rachel: 3:17

Now, the article we read mentioned these silent risk factors. Can you explain exactly what those are and why blood tests are so good at uncovering them?

Mark: 3:25

Yeah, absolutely so. Silent risk factors are these sneaky underlying conditions that don't cause any noticeable symptoms yet?

Rachel: 3:33

Okay.

Mark: 3:34

But they're still actively increasing your risk of disease.

Rachel: 3:37

So they're like work in the background.

Mark: 3:38

Exactly Behind the scenes. Yeah, and blood tests are really good at spotting these, because they can detect these subtle imbalances at a molecular level. Wow, and this is really why they're so essential for preventive medicine.

Rachel: 3:51

OK.

Mark: 3:52

You know, the goal of preventive medicine is to stop disease before it even starts, and also for functional medicine, which focuses on getting to the root cause of health problems health problems.

Rachel: 4:05

So we've got the why behind blood testing for prevention. Now let's talk about the actual tests that most people probably get at their regular doctor's appointments.

Mark: 4:09

Yeah.

Rachel: 4:10

What are those core blood tests that family practitioners typically order to check on heart health?

Mark: 4:16

Right. So these are like the foundational tests, you know, the ones that are widely available and usually covered by insurance. They really form that first line of defense when it comes to assessing your heart disease risk, and probably the most common one is the lipid panel. This measures your total cholesterol, your LDL cholesterol, which is often called the bad cholesterol, hdl cholesterol, the good cholesterol, and then also your triglycerides, and we know that elevated LDL and triglyceride levels, or low HDL levels, all those are indicators of a higher risk for heart disease.

Rachel: 4:47

Right the classic cholesterol test.

Mark: 4:50

Exactly the one we've all probably had at some point.

Rachel: 4:53

So what else is usually included in these standard checks?

Mark: 4:56

Well, another important set of markers are fasting glucose and hemoglobin A1c. These are all about understanding how well your body is managing blood sugar, and elevated levels can signal prediabetes or diabetes, which are major contributors to heart disease. But what's interesting here and this is something a lot of people don't realize is that even if your fasting glucose looks normal, you could still have an underlying issue called insulin resistance, and this could be a problem even if your numbers aren't in the diabetic range yet we hear that term insulin resistance a lot.

Rachel: 5:32

Can you break down why it's so important for heart health?

Mark: 5:35

sure? So insulin resistance basically means that your cells aren't responding as well as they should to insulin, which is a hormone that helps your body use glucose for energy.

Nicolette: 5:45

OK.

Mark: 5:45

When you're insulin resistant, it can lead to higher levels of both glucose and insulin circulating in your blood, and that, in turn, can cause a cascade of issues Increased inflammation, damage to your arteries and negative impacts on your cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

Rachel: 6:01

Wow. So even if your blood sugar isn't in the red zone for diabetes, there could still be this metabolic imbalance happening that's affecting your heart.

Mark: 6:08

Precisely. It's not just about where your blood sugar is at this very moment, but how efficiently your body is processing it over time.

Rachel: 6:15

Got it, so what other core blood tests are commonly ordered?

Mark: 6:20

Another big one is high sensitivity C-reactive protein, or HSCRP. This is a marker of inflammation throughout your body, and consistently high levels of HSCRP have been linked to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke, even in people with normal cholesterol levels. So it really highlights that it's not just about the fats in your blood. Inflammation plays a huge role in the development of heart disease too.

Rachel: 6:43

So it's not just what's circulating in our blood, but also the body's overall inflammatory state.

Mark: 6:48

Exactly.

Rachel: 6:48

I see the article also mentioned something called a basic metabolic panel or BMP. How does that relate to heart health?

Mark: 6:56

So the BMP isn't specifically focused on the heart, but it gives us some important clues about your kidney function, your electrolyte balance and your blood sugar levels.

Rachel: 7:05

Okay.

Mark: 7:06

And abnormalities in those areas can sometimes point to conditions that contribute to high blood pressure or put extra stress on your blood vessels, which indirectly affects your heart.

Rachel: 7:17

And what about thyroid function? Why is that sometimes checked in relation to heart health?

Mark: 7:22

Yeah, some doctors will include a thyroid-stimulating hormone or TSH test as part of a broader screening, because hypothyroidism or an underactive thyroid can be associated with higher cholesterol levels and increased cardiovascular risk.

Rachel: 7:36

So checking thyroid function can sometimes uncover a hidden factor contributing to heart problems.

Mark: 7:42

Right, so you know. These core tests are often ordered during your annual checkup or if you have known risk factors like being overweight or having a family history of heart disease.

Rachel: 7:52

Right. So it sounds like these standard panels give us a good initial snapshot of our heart health, but the article also pointed out that they do have some limitations. What are some things that these basic tests might miss? What are the blind spots, so to speak?

Mark: 8:07

You hit the nail on the head. One of the key limitations of the standard lipid panel is that it doesn't tell us about the quality or the number of LDL particles. It's not just about how much LDL cholesterol you have in total, but the actual characteristics of those individual particles.

Rachel: 8:22

So not all bad cholesterol is created equal.

Mark: 8:24

Exactly Smaller. Denser LDL particles are more likely to get stuck in your artery walls and contribute to plaque buildup. We call those more atherogenic.

Rachel: 8:33

Atherogenic.

Mark: 8:34

Yeah, I think athero meaning plaque and adjugentic meaning generating. But a basic lipid panel doesn't distinguish between these different types of LDL. So you could have a seemingly normal LDL level but still have a higher number of these more dangerous small dense particles, and that risk would go undetected.

Rachel: 8:53

Wow, that's a really important distinction. So what you're saying is the standard test might give you a false sense of security.

Mark: 9:01

It's possible, yeah, and it's also important to remember that cholesterol isn't the only player in the heart disease game Inflammation, which we touched on with HSCRP, oxidative stress, which is basically damage to your cells from unstable molecules, okay, and your genetics all play significant roles too, and while HSCRP gives us a glimpse into inflammation, it doesn't give us the whole picture. When it comes to these other crucial factors, Right.

Rachel: 9:25

So it's a much more complex puzzle than just looking at your cholesterol numbers.

Mark: 9:29

It really is.

Rachel: 9:30

We talked about blood sugar earlier. How can a normal glucose reading still be misleading when it comes to heart risk?

Mark: 9:36

Right. So even a normal fasting glucose or hemoglobin A1c doesn't completely rule out insulin resistance.

Rachel: 9:43

Okay.

Mark: 9:44

You can have underlying insulin resistance driving inflammation, problems with the lining of your blood vessels and negative changes in your cholesterol and triglycerides, even if your standard glucose numbers look fine on paper.

Nicolette: 9:56

Yeah.

Mark: 9:56

The standard tests just aren't always sensitive enough to catch these things in the early stages.

Rachel: 10:00

I see. So the standard tests are a decent starting point, but they might not give everyone a truly personalized understanding of their risk.

Mark: 10:10

Yeah, I think that's a good way to put it.

Rachel: 10:11

And that's where these more advanced and functional medicine blood tests come into play, right, exactly what kind of information can those tests provide?

Mark: 10:18

These tests can offer a much more nuanced and in-depth picture of your cardiovascular health Okay, Especially for people with a strong family history of heart disease, those showing signs of metabolic issues, or even those who have normal results on those standard tests but still have concerns or are experiencing symptoms. These advanced tests often look at things like the number and type of cholesterol-carrying particles, more specific markers of inflammation and oxidative stress, and even indicators of genetic predispositions.

Rachel: 10:49

So they're kind of like zooming in on the details.

Mark: 10:51

Exactly Getting a much higher resolution image.

Rachel: 10:54

Okay, let's talk about some of these advanced tests. The article mentioned APO, protein B or APOB. What does that tell us? That a standard lipid panel doesn't.

Mark: 11:05

APOB is a really fascinating marker because it actually tells us the number of those bad cholesterol carrying particles in your blood Okay, like your LDL and VLDL particles. Think of it this way Even if those delivery trucks your LDL particles aren't fully loaded meaning you have a normal LDL cholesterol level, if you have a whole fleet of those trucks, that means high ApoB. They can still cause a traffic jam in your arteries.

Rachel: 11:30

I like that analogy.

Mark: 11:31

Yeah, it helps to visualize.

Rachel: 11:32

So it's not just about the amount of cholesterol, but how many carriers of it are in your blood.

Mark: 11:37

Precisely, and research has shown that APO can actually be a better predictor of heart disease risk than LDL cholesterol alone.

Rachel: 11:46

Wow, so APOB is definitely something to pay attention to. What about lipoprotein or LPA? That one doesn't get talked about as much.

Mark: 11:53

LPA is particularly interesting because it's largely determined by your genes. Okay, elevated levels of LPA are strongly linked to a higher risk of heart attacks and strokes, and often at a younger age.

Nicolette: 12:04

Oh wow.

Mark: 12:05

And the important thing to know here is that LPA is not typically included in standard lipid panels and lifestyle changes don't really have a big impact on LPA levels either. So identifying high LPA is really important for understanding your inherited risk. If heart disease runs in your family, this is definitely a test worth asking your doctor about.

Rachel: 12:24

So if there's a strong family history of heart problems, LPA could be a really important piece of the puzzle. Absolutely Okay. What about oxidized LDL or oxLDL? What's that all about?

Mark: 12:34

Oxidized LDL measures the amount of LDL cholesterol that's been damaged by oxidation, and this oxidation process is actually a critical step in the development of plaque in your arteries.

Rachel: 12:44

So it's like a measure of the actual damage that's happening.

Mark: 12:47

Exactly. Think of it like rust forming on metal. Elevated levels of ox LDL are a strong sign that this damaging process is happening in your blood vessels, contributing to atherosclerosis.

Rachel: 12:59

Wow, okay, the article also mentioned homocysteine. How does that factor in?

Mark: 13:03

Homocysteine is an amino acid that's found in your blood.

Rachel: 13:05

Okay.

Mark: 13:06

And high levels of homocysteine have been linked to damage to the lining of your blood vessels, as well as an increased risk of blood clots.

Nicolette: 13:13

Oh wow.

Mark: 13:13

Now the good news is that elevated homocysteine can sometimes be due to deficiencies in B vitamins.

Rachel: 13:19

Okay.

Mark: 13:20

So it can potentially be modified through diet or supplementation. So identifying high levels can be really helpful because it might lead to some simple, actionable steps to lower your risk.

Rachel: 13:30

So it's a risk factor you can potentially do something about.

Mark: 13:32

Right, which is empowering.

Rachel: 13:34

Okay, what about NT-PROBNP? That one sounds a little different.

Mark: 13:38

Yeah, nt-probnp is a marker that helps assess how much stress your heart is under Okay, and it can even indicate early stages of heart failure.

Rachel: 13:58

Even slightly elevated levels can be informative, suggesting that your heart might be working harder than it should be even before you have any noticeable symptoms like shortness of breath or swelling. So it's a way to catch those subtle signs of strain early on, exactly. And then there's high sensitivity troponin T or HSTNT I think. I've heard of troponin in relation to heart attacks.

Mark: 14:08

Yeah, you're right. Traditional troponin tests are used to diagnose heart attacks. Okay, they become really elevated when there's significant damage to the heart muscle. But high sensitivity versions like HSTNT can detect much, much lower levels of troponin. This means they could potentially pick up on very subtle, low-grade injury to the heart muscle much earlier, long before a major cardiac event might occur.

Rachel: 14:32

So it's like a much more sensitive early warning system Exactly Incredible. What about the omega-3 index? What does that tell us?

Mark: 14:39

The omega-3 index measures the levels of EPA and DHA in your red blood cells. These are specific types of omega-3 fatty acids that you find in fatty fish and fish oil supplements.

Rachel: 14:50

Right.

Mark: 14:51

And studies like the REDUCE-IT trial, have shown that they could be really beneficial for heart health. They reduce inflammation, help to stabilize heart rhythms and a whole bunch of other good things.

Rachel: 15:01

Yeah, we hear a lot about the benefits of omega-3s.

Mark: 15:04

Right, and a low omega-3 index suggests you might not be getting enough of these protective fats, which is associated with a higher risk of heart problems. So this test gives you a direct measure of how much of these essential nutrients you actually have in your system.

Rachel: 15:18

So if you're not a big fish eater, this could be a helpful test to see if you're missing out on those benefits, For sure, Okay. Finally, the article mentioned two other markers myeloperoxidase, or MPO, and F2 isoprostanes. Those sound pretty specialized.

Mark: 15:35

These are definitely more advanced markers of oxidative stress. Myeloperoxidase is an enzyme that's released by white blood cells during inflammation.

Rachel: 15:42

OK.

Mark: 15:43

And elevated levels can specifically reflect inflammation happening within the walls of your arteries.

Rachel: 15:48

So that's really getting to the heart of the matter literally Exactly.

Mark: 15:52

And then F2 isoprostanes are produced when fats in your body are damaged by oxidation, so high levels of these indicate a higher degree of oxidative stress. Overall, they can give us some insight into the early stages of plaque formation and how stable or unstable that plaque might be.

Rachel: 16:08

Wow. Ok, that's a lot of information about these advanced tests. So who should be considering getting these more in-depth tests done? Who would benefit the most from this deeper dive into their cardiovascular health?

Mark: 16:22

That's a great question. I think it's incredibly valuable for prevention, early detection and creating truly personalized health strategies. It's not just for people who already have heart issues, but for anyone who wants to take a proactive approach to protecting their heart.

Rachel: 16:37

Makes sense.

Mark: 16:38

So, for instance, if you have a strong family history of heart disease, especially if relatives developed issues at a younger age, you might have inherited risk factors like high LPA that standard tests wouldn't catch.

Rachel: 16:50

Right. So if heart problems run in your family, it's worth being extra vigilant.

Mark: 16:53

Absolutely. Also individuals who have metabolic syndrome or show signs of insulin resistance. You know things like elevated blood pressure, excess belly fat, high triglycerides. They can also benefit greatly from more advanced testing. These conditions often involve more complex metabolic imbalances that require more detailed lab work to understand fully.

Rachel: 17:15

So if you're already dealing with some of those metabolic risk factors, it's worth digging a little deeper.

Mark: 17:20

Exactly, and even if you've consistently had normal cholesterol levels on standard tests, but you still have this nagging feeling that you might be at risk, maybe because of other symptoms or just a gut feeling. These more advanced markers like Aob or oxidized ldl could offer some valuable insights I see, so don't ignore those feelings exactly trust your intuition now.

Mark: 17:41

Another group that can benefit are individuals with autoimmune diseases or other chronic inflammatory conditions. Right, because that persistent inflammation throughout your body can silently contribute to damaging your blood vessels and increase your overall cardiovascular risk. Advanced testing can help to quantify that risk more precisely.

Rachel: 17:58

So it's not just about the heart and isolation, it's about looking at the whole system.

Mark: 18:02

Exactly and if you're experiencing any unexplained symptoms like fatigue, shortness of breath, chest discomfort, but your standard cardiac workup comes back normal, these more sensitive markers might uncover some early signs of heart strain or underlying oxidative stress.

Rachel: 18:19

So it's worth exploring further if you're not getting answers from those standard tests.

Mark: 18:23

Yes, absolutely. And lastly, if you're working with a healthcare provider who specializes in functional medicine or longevity, they often use these more in-depth biomarker tests to detect subtle changes much earlier and develop highly tailored prevention plans for you. The key message here is that advanced testing isn't just for people who are already showing obvious signs of heart trouble. It can be an incredibly powerful tool for prevention when used proactively to understand your unique risk profile.

Rachel: 18:52

It's like personalized medicine, really tailored to your individual needs.

Mark: 18:55

Precisely.

Rachel: 18:55

So let's say, someone's listening to this and they're thinking okay, this makes sense. I want to explore this further. How do they go about actually ordering these tests? Is it a complicated process?

Mark: 19:06

It's often easier than people think, which is great.

Rachel: 19:08

Okay, good.

Mark: 19:09

One of the first steps is to talk to your doctor, whether that's your primary care physician or cardiologist. A lot of them are able to order a wider range of tests than you might realize, especially if you have a clear family history of heart disease or other risk factors. It's definitely worth specifically asking about tests like APOB, lpa or HSCRP if you feel they might be relevant for you. Don't be afraid to advocate for yourself and ask for those specific tests.

Rachel: 19:36

Be your own health advocate.

Mark: 19:38

Exactly Now. Another great option is to consult with a healthcare provider who specializes in functional or preventive medicine. They often take a very proactive approach to heart health and are more likely to use comprehensive panels that look at inflammation, oxidative stress and even genetic predispositions.

Rachel: 19:56

So they're really looking at the big picture.

Mark: 19:58

Yes, and they use that information to develop individualized treatment and prevention plans.

Rachel: 20:03

The article also mentioned direct patient testing services. What are those?

Mark: 20:08

Yeah, these services are getting more and more popular. They basically allow you to order certain lab tests without needing a direct order from your doctor.

Nicolette: 20:15

Oh, wow.

Mark: 20:16

Services like QuickLab Mobile, for example, lets you order tests either through your provider or even bring your own test kit for convenient mobile sample collection. So you don't even have to go to a lab necessarily.

Rachel: 20:27

Wow, that's incredibly convenient.

Mark: 20:29

It is yeah.

Rachel: 20:30

So, as we wrap up this deep dive, what's the key takeaway you want our listeners to remember about blood tests and their role in heart health?

Mark: 20:39

The biggest thing is that blood tests are an incredibly powerful tool for understanding your individual risk for heart disease.

Rachel: 20:46

Okay.

Mark: 20:46

And they go way beyond those basic cholesterol numbers.

Rachel: 20:49

They give you a window into a much broader range of factors that contribute to your cardiovascular health, including inflammation, metabolic balance and even your genes your genes, and it sounds like there's real value in considering both the standard tests we get at our checkups as well as those more advanced options, depending on our individual needs and concerns.

Mark: 21:09

Absolutely.

Rachel: 21:10

And for those who want a more convenient way to get tested, those direct to patient services like QuickLab Mobile are a game changer For sure. So here's a final thought for you to consider, Based on what we've talked about today. What steps could you take to be more proactive about understanding your own cardiovascular risk? Maybe explore some of those advanced tests we discussed, especially if any of them really resonated with you, and have a conversation with your doctor about them. Thanks for joining us for this deep dive. We hope you found it insightful.

Mark: 21:39

Thanks for having me. It's been a pleasure.

Nicolette: 21:46

Thanks for tuning into. It's been a pleasure.