Complete and Advanced Cardiovascular Laboratory Testing
Mark C. Houston, MD, MS, MSc, FACP, FAHA, FASH, FACN, FAARM, ABAARM, DABC
A complete cardiovascular (CV) blood panel with both routine and advanced testing should be done to evaluate all of the top 25 modifiable risk factors and begin to address many of the complete list of 400 coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factors. Cardiovascular genomics and CV gene expression testing that may predict CHD risk should also be included in this evaluation (Tables 20.1, 20.2, 20.3).1,2,3,4,5 If these tests are done, then the stratification of CHD risk is more accurate and treatment is more personalized and has more precision. This approach will reduce CHD events better by recognizing and treating previously underevaluated CHD risk factors and thus closing the “CHD GAP.”