Heart Disease / Lipid Disorders

If you answer "yes" to any of the questions below, you will benefit from making an appointment with us.

1. Do you have high cholesterol?

2. Do you have diabetes?

3. Do you have high blood pressure?

4. Are you overweight?

5. Do you get chest pain or shortness of breath?

6. Do you smoke cigarettes?

7. Do you have a family history of high blood pressure, diabetes, or heart disease?

Controlling carbohydrate intake can significantly decrease triglycerides, aids in weight loss and helps decrease blood pressure. Balancing healthy fats, avoiding trans-fats along with consuming adequate fiber and exercise can decrease LDL (bad cholesterol) and increase HDL (good cholesterol). However, these are not the only factors involved in good heart care.

A comprehensive blood work-up helps in the early detection and prevention of heart disease and should include a breakdown of HDL and LDL into sub particles*, homocysteine, lipoprotein a, C-reactive protein, fasting blood glucose and fasting insulin levels. An electrocardiogram (EKG) and a non-invasive heart scan also helps to give a more complete picture of heart health.

* Individuals with increased amounts of small dense LDL sub particles and low levels of HDL 2b sub particles are at a higher risk of heart disease than individuals with large LDL sub particles and higher levels of HDL 2b sub particles.