Heart and Circulation - Homocysteine Test
We recommend that you visit your GP for a thorough assessment of your cardiovascular system. The tests outlined below can be done free of charge (except for the Homocysteine test, which is not offered by NHS) by your GP. The Cholesterol test is ideal for gaining an insight into your basic cardiovascular health. Below is the information that can help to enable you to gain a deeper understanding of what you should expect from your GP through the NHS.
As heart and circulation (cardiovascular) disorders are very much linked with blood sugar and insulin imbalances we recommend that you also read the information for blood sugar to see if this is also relevant to you.
It is advisable to make an appointment with your G.P to have your heart health checked out on a regular basis.
You should ask your GP to assess the following markers:
- Homocysteine Test (not currently offered by the NHS)
- Full cholesterol screen including:
- Total Cholesterol
- LDL Cholesterol
- HDL Cholesterol
- Triglycerides
- VLDL Cholesterol
Homosysteine test
The total homocysteine level in plasma is widely implicated in a variety of clinical conditions and is an independent risk factor for premature cardiovascular disease, heart attack, stoke or peripheral vascular disease (fatty deposits in peripheral arteries).
Total cholesterol
Total cholesterol is the sum of all the individual sub-types (i.e. HDL, LDL, Triglycerides and VLDL) of cholesterol. Elevated total cholesterol is associated with atheroma (arterial plaque) and a general increased risk of cardiovascular problems.
Knowing your cholesterol level is not on its own enough to tell you what your personal risk of heart disease is. You also need to know about lipoproteins. These are specific molecules that carry or transport cholesterol around the body.
LDL Cholesterol
Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is often known as bad cholesterol. It carries cholesterol from the liver to the cells and if supply exceeds demand, can cause harmful build-up on the artery walls reducing the amount of blood flow through the arteries. This will put extra pressure on your heart when it tries to pump your blood around your body and can result in heart attacks or similar. LDL levels are inversely related to HDL in terms of their ratios and often as LDL levels increase, HDL levels decrease. This result has been associated with an increased risk of insulin resistance, artheroclerosis, fatty liver and diabetes.
VLDL Cholesterol
Very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) is the main triglyceride carrying lipid fraction transporter. Its also functions as the bodies internal transport mechanism for other lipids e.g. phospholipids and cholesterol. Elevated levels are correlated with accelerated rate of artherosclerosis and seen to be raised in a number of diseases and metabolic states.
HDL Cholesterol
High-density lipoprotein (HDL) or good cholesterol. HDL cholesterol is comprised of mainly protein and its role is to take cholesterol away from the peripheral tissues and transport it to the liver for processing and metabolising. Low levels of HDL are seen in hyperlipidoemia ( a condition of elevated cholesterol in the blood), oxidative stress, heavy metal toxicity, fatty liver and insulin resistance.
Triglycerides
Triglycerides are synthesised from the products of digestion of dietary fat. It is the form in which fat is stored in the body. Serum Triglycerides levels are greatly influenced by dietary fat consumption and high levels are a good predictor of insulin sensitivity and may indicate insulin resistance.
You need to ensure you ask for all of these markers. Conducting a thorough assessment of the cardiovascular system is essential for gaining a complete understanding of how it is functioning and if there are any areas that need addressing. It is important to remember that imbalances in cardiac markers can invariably be rectified with nutritional support.
Other markers your doctor may choose to test include: C-reactive protein and Lipoprotein A.
C- Reactive Protein (CRP)
A general marker of inflammation or infection in the vascular network. Elevated levels have been shown in individuals with mild or sub clinical CVD (cardio vascular disease). The high sensitivity assay used for testing this marker can detect increases signalling the earlier stages of the disease. Shorterm elevations of CRP can occur with fever, inflammation and viral/bacterial infections, so these are important factors to note at the time of sample collection.
Lipoprotein (a) (Lp(a))
Lipoprotein (a) is a plasma lipoprotein that closely resembles LDL cholesterol, but differs slightly by having an additional adhesive protein portion called Apolipoprotein (a), which is structurally similar to clotting factors. Lp (a) is strongly associated with the development of atherosclerosis similarly to LDL and is a strong indicator for cerebrovascular disease, especially in conjunction with elevated LDL cholesterol
There are many symptoms that arise from imbalances in cardiovascular markers some of which include:
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