I am continuing my “leave no one’s heart health behind” theme for Heart Month in February. As you know, this is one of the topics I am most passionate about. I LOVE talking about this and bringing you relevant, actionable information to give America’s leading cause of death a good punch in the gut!
Last week, local Cardiologist Josh Liberman revealed the FOUR BLOOD TESTS everyone over forty should ask for to ensure their tick-tockers are in tip-top shape. Josh presented this in addition to what lifestyle areas related to heart health are the most important to focus on.
The four tests are:
1️⃣ Apolipoprotein-b-test (APOB). This one is inexpensive and widely available. APOB gives you an idea of how much of the “bad” harmful types of cholesterol you have in your blood that cause plaque buildup in your blood vessels, which can lead to damage and heart disease. (This is a much stronger marker than LDL cholesterol levels) IDEAL is under 80 mg/dl
2️⃣ C-reactive protein CRP. This one is an inflammatory marker that, when high, could possibly indicate heart disease brewing in your arteries. IDEAL is 1.0 mg/dl or less
3️⃣ Hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C) test measures how well your body controls its blood sugar levels over time. Out-of-control blood sugar levels could indicate problems for your heart. (and a lot of other areas) IDEAL is 5.7 or under
4️⃣ Lipoprotein (a) or LP a. Individuals who score high on this test are at a much higher risk of having problems with coronary artery disease. This test only needs to be done once as your LP(a) levels stay the same, and currently, there is not a lot you can do if they are high. It is good to know if yours are high so you can take measures to reduce all your other modifiable risk factors. The ideal is less than 75 NM
So now that you know what you should be shooting for and measuring, here is a link to the good doctor’s website for five simple rules to avoid heart disease.
Age Strong 
Leave a comment