Heart health resources
The five tests
Lipid profile LDL, HDL, VLDL
The standard cholesterol panel.
A baseline every adult should have. For South Asians it can read normal while other markers reveal hidden risk, so it should not be the only test you rely on.
HbA1c Hemoglobin A1c
Average blood sugar over the past two to three months.
South Asians develop diabetes earlier and at lower body weight than other groups, so catching a rising blood sugar early matters a great deal.
Lp(a) Lipoprotein(a)
A largely inherited cholesterol particle standard panels miss.
Elevated in roughly a quarter to a third of South Asians. Because the level is mostly genetic, this is usually a once-in-a-lifetime test.
ApoB Apolipoprotein B
Counts the actual number of artery-clogging particles.
Two people with identical LDL can have very different ApoB, and very different risk. ApoB gives a truer picture of how many harmful particles are circulating.
hs-CRP High-sensitivity C-reactive protein
A marker of inflammation inside the arteries.
Arterial inflammation drives plaque rupture, and cholesterol numbers alone do not show it.
$80 for all 5 tests above at any of the 4 Primary Care Clinic of Texas locations.
$79 CAC Coronary artery calcium score (when appropriate) at Plano Heart Hospital.
References
- American Heart Association — Heart disease risk in South Asian people
- MASALA Study — Mediators of Atherosclerosis in South Asians Living in America
- CDC — Heart disease facts
Screening in Dallas–Fort Worth is offered by Primary Care Clinic of Texas.