DrFeder.com - Atherosclerosis: Diagnosis (Part 4)

Atherosclerosis: Diagnosis (Part 4):

by Hollie Greenwood, MS, NC

Prevention and early diagnosis of atherosclerosis is absolutely critical. If someone has been experiencing any of the above symptomatology, or there is a known
predisposition for cardiovascular disease running through family lines, it would be prudent for a person to seek medical attention early — enabling them to
implement a naturally effective and safe therapy. For those needing a baseline for determining their current state of cardiovascular health then obtaining a heart
panel laboratory test would be a wise choice. The Berkley Heart Panel is one such lab that offers a comprehensive cardiovascular panel, which tests for the following
inflammatory markers: LDL, IIIa+b, LDL lVB, Triglycerides, Apo B, Lp(a), Homocysteine, Fibrinogen, hs-CRP, Lp-PLA2, Low HDL and HDL2b (40).

Although the VAP Lipid Profile from Atherotech, Inc. has become well-known in the medical field, it is not as comprehensive as the Berkley panel and does not test for as many markers.

The Oxidative Stress Test is another diagnostic tool that can be used. This test shows the body’s oxidative stress status, antioxidant reserves and how well the liver is detoxifying.

Other assessments used for diagnosing cardiovascular
issues are:

Electron beam CAT scan: beams of electrons are used to generate x-rays of the heart. It can capture images of the heart between beats and also detect calcium deposits in the arteries.

Angiogram: considered the gold standard in evaluating heart disease. A catheter is inserted into an artery in the groin or arm and guided up to the heart. A special dye
is then injected through the catheter into each of the coronary arteries providing a contrasting color that shows the severity and location of blockages via x-ray imaging.

Echocardiogram: a noninvasive ultrasound records specific geographical areas of the beating heart, revealing blood flow patterns and measuring arterial wall thickness. It also shows which valves might be too restrictive or leaky and the overall functional capacity of the heart.

EKG: Assesses the electrical activity of the heart at rest enabling one to get precise information about cardiac rhythm, heart rate, coronary blood flow and pumpaction.

Additional suggested assessments

Oddly enough, the presence of a diagonal earlobe crease is a less evasive, but more exact indicator of future myocardial infarctions than an angiogram.
Because the earlobe contains numerous veins, a decrease in blood flow over a period of time is thought to result in a collapse of the vascular bed, leading to the diagonal crease (41).

Hollie Greenwood is a certified nutrition consultant, certified personal chef and owner of Real Cooking — a sustainably-operated business based with offices in Santa Monica, California and Missoula, Montana. Hollie became interested in how and why food influences health at a young age. With this passion, she created a business to help individuals and families with the tools needed to transition from eating processed foods to whole foods. Created in 2004, Real Cooking has always been a unique business, in that it offers holistic nutritional consulting, personal chef services, kitchen clean-outs, guided grocery shopping and farmer’s market tours, cooking instruction and custom meal plans all under one roof.

Hollie obtained a Master’s of Science degree in Holistic Nutrition with high honors from Hawthorn University and her personal chef certification from the Culinary Classroom in Los Angeles, CA. She is currently a member of the National Association of Nutrition Professionals, the Community Food and Agriculture Coalition, the Sustainable Business Council, the Montana Organic Association and is co-chapter leader for the Weston A. Price Foundation in Missoula, MT. www.realcooking.net

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