heart disease test? help

machola · Nov 1, 2009

I hope someone can help me. A few months ago someone was talking about a different lab test that predicts heart disease risk more accurately than cholesterol. I looked it up and there were a few good studies on it. But now I've forgotten what its called. I know this is vague but does anyone remember what I'm talking about? thanks

King-kong · Nov 1, 2009

Was it one of the following tests (Lp-PLA2, IMA Levels, or magnetic properties of blood molecule testing)

Copied off the web - 3 tests below
One answer may be to measure levels of Lp-PLA2, a molecule that helps LDL cholesterol do its bad thing. Earlier studies have shown that people who get heart disease despite relatively low LDL cholesterol levels tend to have relatively high Lp-PLA2 levels.
People with the highest Lp-PLA2 levels were 89% more likely to have heart attacks, angina, or bypass/angioplasty procedures than were people with the lowest Lp-PLA2 levels. Risk quickly rose with rising Lp-PLA2 levels. The 25% of patients with the second lowest Lp-PLA2 levels had a 66% higher risk of heart disease than did the 25% of patients with the lowest levels.
Nov. 13, 2002 -- You may not know it now, but one day soon your C-reactive protein level may be as familiar to you as your cholesterol numbers and blood pressure.

Another test has been recently released for use in patients who present to the emergency department with chest pain. Ischemia modified albumin (IMA) is indicated for use in patients who are felt by their doctors to possibly be experiencing warning signs of a heart attack (ischemia). This test measures changes that may occur to albumin when ischemia has occurred. The Food and Drug Adminstration has cleared this test for excluding ischemia in patients with negative troponins and normal ECGs. However, patients without evidence of ischemia can also have high levels of IMA. Thus, patients with elevated levels of IMA require further testing to determine whether a problem exists.

Lastly,
The test, which only needs a few drops of blood, measures the magnetic properties of molecules in blood using high frequency radio waves, which are then analysed using an advanced computer programme capable of detecting abnormal patterns of signals associated with heart disease.

At present, the most effective method of testing for coronary heart disease is through the use of angiography. While very effective at showing how much of the blood flow to the heart is obstructed, angiography is both costly to the NHS and highly invasive to the patient, and in a small number of cases can have serious adverse effects including stroke and kidney damage.

altamoreaf · Nov 1, 2009

Get a CT scan of your heart. It's not covered by most insurance plans, but it may save your life. It saved me, I was asymptomatic and it revealed two serious blockages. Got two stents and now I'm good to go.

Pekkerwood · Nov 2, 2009

altamoreaf said:
Get a CT scan of your heart. It's not covered by most insurance plans, but it may save your life. It saved me, I was asymptomatic and it revealed two serious blockages. Got two stents and now I'm good to go.

Had a lifting partner get a CT scan for grins two months ago and discovered a non-symptomatic 80% blockage.