Advanced Cardiovascular Screening Program
Undetected cardiovascular disease may be the greatest health risk facing people today. Heart disease remains the leading cause of death for both men and women in this country; killing more people than the next five leading causes of death combined. Although breast cancer may instill greater fear, more than 10 times more women die each year from heart disease.
Standard cholesterol tests are nearly useless in gauging an individual’s risk of cardiovascular disease. Approximately 60% of people who have a heart attack have normal cholesterol, and 80% of the people who have a cardiovascular event have the same cholesterol numbers as someone that is event-free. It is clear that information beyond the standard lipid panel is needed. More importantly, it has become widely accepted now that chronic silent inflammation plays a critical role in the genesis of cardiovascular disease. At Alternity Healthcare, we have developed a unique combination of risk assessment and direct disease process measurement for cardiovascular disease.
HeartSmartIMTplus™ is a non-invasive, state-of-the-art, cost-effective diagnostic tool for the earliest detection of cardiovascular disease. The value of carotid IMT has been recognized by the American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology and the American Society of Echocardiography for the early detection of heart disease in asymptomatic patients. A 2007 article in the journal Circulation confirmed that carotid IMT is a reliable and strong predictor of future stroke and myocardial infarction [heart attack]. This technology won “Most Life Changing Product” at the 2008 BIOCOM conference.
The VAP cholesterol test measures everything in a standard lipid panel plus cholesterol subclasses, particle sizes, and emerging risk factors, Lipoprotein(a) and Apolipoprotein B. The VAP expanded lipid profile includes indicators of chronic inflammation such as, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and homocysteine, and provides an even more accurate and sophisticated analysis of lipid parameters including cardiac biomarkers of heart failure(NT-proBNP), the PLAC test, and the Apo E genotype. The additional information provided by the VAP expanded lipid profile can improve the ability to predict the risk of patients developing cardiovascular disease from about 40 percent to over 90 percent
Combining the risk factor analysis of the VAP expanded blood panel with the HeartSmartIMTplus direct measurement of the carotid arterial wall thickness gives the most comprehensive assessment of an individual’s risk for a future cardiovascular event.
Program components include:
- VAP expanded lipid analysis
- HeartSmart IMTplus
- Aspirin Response Test
- Heart Healthy nutritional and exercise recommendations
Alternity Healthcare does not provide primary care or ongoing medical management of chronic diseases. The Alternity Healthcare Wellness Programs are designed to assist you in recognizing and implementing lifestyle modifications to reduce your future risk of degenerative diseases that may impact the quality of your life. All results of your evaluation at Alternity Healthcare can, with your permission, be shared with your primary care physician with whom you should discuss any additional testing or treatment.
Alternity Healthcare does not accept insurance or Medicare. Insurance companies typically do not cover the cost of maintaining optimal health. The costs of the program are usually reimbursable through the tax advantaged plans designed to offset healthcare costs, such as Health Savings Accounts (HAS), Medical Savings Accounts (MSA) Health Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) and Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRA)