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Martha's Heart-felt WishPADdy's PostInside:Martha hugging her granddaughterDr. Athar Ansari and Marthaduring 6-week follow-upFor Friends with Peripheral Artery DiseasePaddy's Post 2021Feb 1, Vol IIBECAUSE EVERYONE DESERVES A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE.
Paddy's Post 2021page 2Early DiagnosticsFeb 1, Vol IIby: www.LifeLineScreening.comCarotid Artery DiseasePeripheral Artery DiseaseAbdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA)Atrial Fibrillation(877) 504-9454
Paddy's Post 2021page 3Feb 1, Vol IIAdvanced DiagnosticsStress TestHeart Scan | Coronary Calcium ScanTransosophageal Echocardiography (TEE)AngiogramEchocardiogramPhoto Courtesy: Bupa
Paddy's Post 2021page 4Feb 1, Vol IIAlmost two years ago my dad experienced chest pain. His Primary Care Physician (PCP) said there wasno reason to believe he was having a heart attack because his cholesterol was normal in the latestbasic lipid panel and aside from heredity, he didn’t have any other high-risk factors such as unhealthyeating, sedentary lifestyle, smoker, overweight, or high blood pressure. Even having been pre-diabeticsince 2002 was not enough to trigger concern. She was wrong. He had heart disease with multipleareas of narrowing above 80%.It's true. Yet, it's the key indicator PCP's use to determinewhether a patient is at-risk for heart and blood flow relatedissues, even with one or more high-risk factors. The basic lipidpanel measures the quantity of HDL (‘good’) cholesterol, LDL‘bad’ cholesterol, and triglycerides. National cholesterolguidelines suggest that the basic lipid panelLp(a) is a particle in the blood which carries cholesterol, fats and proteins. High levels of it increaseyour risk for a build-up of fatty deposits in the arteries (atherosclerosis). A genetic variation can beinherited that leads 1 in 5 people to have high levels. Lp(a) is one every cardiologist said should bestandard for all, even as a child. It's only necessary once as it does not change. Plaque in the arteries does not suddenly appear overnight! Itbuilds up over a lifetime. So, how could it be that my dad wason the verge of a heart attack and no one saw it coming? Turnsout his story was not unique. Heart attacks have a reputation as‘silent’ killer for a reason. And ‘normal cholesterol’ is one factor. The Cholesterol LieHow did this happen? Did you know about half of heart attack sufferers have‘normal cholesterol’ in a basic lipid panel indicated by adesirable range set by national cholesterol guidelines?used during routine exams should provide sufficientinformation to guide evaluation and treatment for most patients.Normal cholesterol + normal triglycerides = hearty healthy by national cholesterol guidelines.Ok, I’m exaggerating. But a Primary Care Physician is less likely to order advanced testing if a personhas cholesterol levels that fall within the desirable range as set by the national guidelines . So, untilthey revise that range, you may have to take your health into your own hands.After interviewing more than a dozen Cardiologists, I discovered one consistent answer to thisquestion I posed to all of them: How can heart attacks strike people who appear to be perfectly healthy?Answer: Lipoprotein (a), otherwise known as “LP little a.”Lp(a)Aside from Lp(a), The Way To My Heart's Chief Wellness Doctor, WellSpring Natural Medicine's Dr.Adriane Hines, suggests other telling biomarkers that are easy to order on your own from online labssuch as The Way To My Heart partner imaware.health, which sends a test kit straight to your home.The next few pages offer many of them. Take the list to your doctor to discuss what's right for you.
Paddy's Post 2021page 5Feb 1, Vol IIThe Apolipoprotein B's are proteins found in lipoprotein particles that are artery-clogging. Measures total amount of cholesterol in your blood (HDL & LDL).American Heart Association Recommends A Baseline Coronary Artery Disease Risk Screening Annually:Am I at-risk for heart attack, stroke, amputation?Order Advanced Bloodwork Here:https://www.thewaytomyheart.org/critical-vascular-bloodwork50% of heart attack sufferers have normal cholesterol in a basic lipid panel!Risk of heart disease is less about the quantity of LDL circulating in the blood, and more about the quality.Disclaimer: This list of tests is for educational & information purposes only. This content isnotintended to be a substitute for professionalmedical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seektheadviceof your physician who knows your medical history or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding amedicalcondition. If you think you are having a medicalemergency, always go to the nearest hospital or dial 911. Critical BloodworkMeasures total number of High Density Lipoproteins in your blood. These areconsidered the 'good' lipoproteins because they carry excess cholesterol in yourblood back to the liver to process so it can be flushed out via bile.Measures total number of Low Density Lipoproteins in your blood. These areconsidered bad because small dense LDL particles which, when they become oxidizedby transfats & free radicals, have a tendency to infiltrate damaged vessel walls.Measures the amount of a type of fat that stores extra energy from your diet. Ifyou are consuming too much and not exercising, these levels are high.How much glucose (sugar) is in the blood after an overnight fast.Say, "Hey Doc, we have a baseline. Let's dig deeper into my vascular health."Apolipoprotein (ApoB)LDL particles exist in different sizes. This test measures whether you have morelarge, fluffy LDLs, or more small dense molecules LDLs (sdLDL-c). SdLDL-c canincrease your risk of developing atherosclerosis since it is more susceptible tobeing oxidized by trans fats and free radicals, penetrating the artery walls, andstaying in the bloodstream longer.Is that enough?Powered by:by: Total CholesterolHDL (Good)LDL (Bad)TriglyceridesFasting GlucoseLDL-P Number, Size, & Concentration
Paddy's Post 2021page 6Feb 1, Vol IICheck InflammationAm I at-risk for heart attack, stroke, amputation?Order Advanced Bloodwork Here:Powered by:Critical Bloodworkby: Measures inflammation in your arteries specifically. It's telling as to whether or notyou have plaque building up on your artery walls. Lp-PLA2 is an enzyme producedby the body in response to inflammation in the arteries. A PLAC blood test canhelp identify plaque build-up that could lead to narrowing in arteries.This protein in your blood helps protect you from some of the heart-relatedcomplications of diabetes unless it's impaired. Someone with diabetes mellitus (DM)and the Haptoglobin (Hp) 2-2 genotype are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease.Vitamin E supplementation could help increase cardiovascular protection to Hp 2-2DM individuals, but may not be beneficial to individuals with other variations.This biomarker can fluctuate quite a bit depending on your environment, what youeat, and other factors. But it's worth monitoring so you can adapt to see if itimproves. It may also indicate that you have an underlying infection such as asinus infection or UTI which could be triggering an inflammatory response.hs-CRPAdvanced PLAC (Lp-PLA2)This biomarker let's you know if you have a genetic predisposition for vasculardiseases such as CVD/PAD. It's a particle in the blood which carries cholesterol, fatsand proteins. High levels of it increase your risk for a build-up of fatty deposits in thearteries (atherosclerosis). One in 5 people to have high levels.Lipoprotein (a)Check GeneticsHaptoglobinMicronutrientsDeficiencies in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants are a major contributor tocardiovascular disease and its symptoms. Also, the use of many drugs treating heartdisease often lead to various nutrient deficiencies.https://www.thewaytomyheart.org/critical-vascular-bloodworkCheck VitaminsVitamin D is one of many vitamins critical to cardiovascular health. It helps regulateblood pressure & helps regulate blood sugar levels in the pancreas. Low Vitamin Dlevels can increase heart disease, stroke, hypertension, and diabetes risk.Vitamin DDisclaimer: This list of tests is for educational & information purposes only. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seektheadviceof your physician who knows your medical history or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding amedicalcondition. If you think you are having a medicalemergency, always go to the nearest hospital or dial 911.
Paddy's Post 2021page 7Feb 1, Vol IIBefore taking a statin, it's important to detect abnormalities in cholesterolmetabolism which might impact the effectiveness of a statin in lowering cholesterol.Is it a cholesterol production or excretion issue that's logging high numbers for you?Our bodies recycle some LDL cholesterol. HDL's carry LDL's to the liver. The liverprocesses the excess cholesterol for elimination via bile. The bile is transported fromthe liver into the digestive tract. Typically about 50% of the excreted cholesterol isreabsorbed by the small bowel back into the bloodstream. But, if the liver sees agreater need, such as to patch artery damage, it may reabsorb more before excreted. Order Advanced Bloodwork Here:Powered by:Critical Bloodworkby: Check For What's Damaging Your ArteriesHomocysteineThe MTHFR gene produces an enzyme that helps regulate homocysteine levels. AnMTHFR mutation can interfere with the enzyme's ability to metabolize B vitamins.High levels of homocysteine due to an MTHFR mutation can lead to artery damage.Homocysteine is a type of amino acid used to make proteins. It can contribute toarterial damage and blood clots. High levels irritate blood vessels, triggering the body'sinflammatory response to patch vessels with fatty deposits and cholesterol.MTHFRhttps://www.thewaytomyheart.org/critical-vascular-bloodworkArtery damage triggers an inflammatory response to bandaid my vessels with fatty deposits and cholesterol.Blood sugar is one of many leading causes of atherosclerosis. Hemoglobin A1c indicates average level of blood sugar over the past 2 to 3 months.Elevated glucose levels cause damage to blood vessels. Artery damage triggers aninflammatory response to bandaid your vessels with fatty deposits and cholesterol.Insulin SensitivityHemoglobin A1c (HbA1C)Directly measures fasting insulin levels. It reveals whether your body is makingenough insulin and if it's sensitive to the glucose that's in the bloodstream.Are you taking a statin?Boston Heart Cholesterol Balance ® TestDisclaimer: This list of tests is for educational & information purposes only. This content isnotintended to be a substitute for professionalmedical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek theadviceof yourphysician who knows your medical history or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding amedicalcondition. If you think you are having a medical emergency, always go to thenearest hospital or dial 911. The Boston Heart Cholesterol Balance ® Test detects this using major productionand absorption markers. Ask your doctor if s/he can order each separately or find adoctor who can order this test from Boston Heart. The major production markers arelathosterol and desmosterol. The absorption markers are beta-sitosterol,campesterol and cholestanol. The levels of these markers are indicators of LDL-Clowering response to treatments such as statins.
Call: (415) 233-2730Email: kym@TheWayToMyHeart.org Say, "Hey Doctor, let's C.H.A.T."www.thewaytomyheart.org/get-support-nowJoin our Support Groups!Chat with friends who have PAD!Chat with vetted Vascular Specialists!Learn new diagnosis & treatment options.Learn about research opportunities.Get A Free Advocate!Get support preparing for appointments.Have an advocate with you during appointments.Get help understanding diagnosis & treatment options.Get real-time compliance support after appointments.www.facebook.com/VascularDiseaseSupport/groupsVisit us online:Or Contact Us Directly: SCAN QR CODE(Use Phone Camera) TOESCAROTIDSHEARTABDOMEN