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Advanced Cholesterol Testing
I was originally planning on starting to talk about medicines used to lower Triglycerides but due to the untimely death of Tim Russert, I wanted to discuss Advanced Cholesterol Testing. Last week I had the great pleasure of being interviewed on a nationally syndicated radio show. I was asked what I believed could be done to bring more awareness to physicians and the public about the epidemic of Cardiovascular morbidity and mortality? The entire podcast is available on my website and the feedback that I have received from my patients was that I took a difficult topic and made it so easy to understand for the average person. I hope that after listening and reading this posting you will see the need to perform this special type of cholesterol testing.
Over three years ago, I opened The Center for Cholesterol Management as the only free standing lipid clinic in the Los Angeles area dedicated to Advanced Lipoprotein Particle Testing. As a board certified Cardiothoracic surgeon, I feel I have a unique perspective about coronary artery disease in that I am able to clinically correlate angiographic findings with actual operative findings which in so many incidences are discordant. Coronary artery disease is a largely misunderstood entity.
Hyperlipidemia is the most modifiable risk factor leading to Atherosclerosis, yet traditional lipid testing may miss up to 50% of people who have abnormal lipids. Prevention includes identifying people at risk and providing the best treatment individualized to their specific problem.
It is with this background that I will discuss Advanced Lipid Testing and its role in identifying all patients at lipid related risk and as a tool for management of abnormal lipid levels. I often ask myself how come health care providers do not understand this type of testing? I honestly believe that if all people are identified as being at risk, and then if treated appropriately, we would significantly change the face of Cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.
As physicians, we are taught in medical school that it is all about Total Cholesterol, HDL-C, LDL-C, and Triglycerides, yet few really understand the limitations of traditional lipid testing. I hear everyday physicians say that if it is so important why isn't everyone doing it? I believe the answer is that one does not want to change from old patterns of thinking, and according to other physicians, it is too much trouble to learn and understand. Recently, the ADA/ACC released a Joint Concession Statement on Lipoprotein Management in patients with Cardiometabolic Risk(CMR). The full text is available on my website. I believe it is mandatory reading and states that patients with CMR in the moderately high, high, and very high risk groups, it is now the standard of of care to quantify lipoproteins by performing ApoB or LDL-P on all patients to ascertain risk and as a goal of therapy.
As we all know that since sterols are insoluble in the blood, they need to be driven around the body in Lipoproteins. These include HDL-P, VLDL-P, and LDL-P among others. HDL particles are also known as ApoA and all the particles that cause atherosclerosis are known as ApoB. Although NCEP( National Cholesterol Education Panel) recommends calculating the non-HDL cholesterol, this value only can alert the physician that there may too many lipoprotein particles despite having a normal LDL-C. Approximately 90-95% pf the circulating ApoB particles are LDL-P which have a half-life of around 3 days. As varying amounts of Triglycerides and Cholesterol are driven around the body, in what I tell my patients are "cars", the ApoB particles enter the arterial wall if there are too many of the "cars" circulating in the bloodstream.
By simple diffusion, all the bad particles flow from inside the artery and move into its wall and are "eaten" by macrophages which become foam cells and are the hallmark of Atherosclerosis. In eight published studies of over 11,000 subjects using LDL-P and other Lipoprotein concentrations remained the most significant and independent predictor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality over any other lipid parameter including the usual ratio that all physicians and patients talk about. . In a nutshell, it is the number of LDL particles that matter most... it is the number of cars that cause a traffic jam, not the people in the cars. For example, what if a person with moderate risk has met NCEP guidelines and has a LDL-C of 110mg/dl.
How do I know that there are not 100 cars with one person driving or two big buses with 55 people? The answer is that I do not unless I measure LDL-P directly by using NMR or as a second option measuring ApoB with Gel Electrophoresis. Traditional testing measures the passengers and lipoprotein testing measures the cars, and it is the number of cars(LDL-P) measured by NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) that are the most numerous ApoB particles in the body and matter most in the development of Atherosclerosis.
Although a comprehensive review of each of the methodologies to perform Lipoprotein Testing is beyond the scope of this post, I feel that measuring LDL particles directly using NMR is the best way to ascertain someone's true risk and then use that number as a guide to management. As I said in my posting about Alex Trebek, the CDC states that 50% of people who have heart attacks have "normal" cholesterol. I hope you now understand why this can happens, having a normal LDL-C but high LDL-P, and be proactive and ask that your physician performs Advanced Cholesterol Testing.
Related Topics:
Technorati Tags: cholesterol, testing, lipids, LDL, HDL, LDL-C, LDL-P
Over three years ago, I opened The Center for Cholesterol Management as the only free standing lipid clinic in the Los Angeles area dedicated to Advanced Lipoprotein Particle Testing. As a board certified Cardiothoracic surgeon, I feel I have a unique perspective about coronary artery disease in that I am able to clinically correlate angiographic findings with actual operative findings which in so many incidences are discordant. Coronary artery disease is a largely misunderstood entity.
Hyperlipidemia is the most modifiable risk factor leading to Atherosclerosis, yet traditional lipid testing may miss up to 50% of people who have abnormal lipids. Prevention includes identifying people at risk and providing the best treatment individualized to their specific problem.
It is with this background that I will discuss Advanced Lipid Testing and its role in identifying all patients at lipid related risk and as a tool for management of abnormal lipid levels. I often ask myself how come health care providers do not understand this type of testing? I honestly believe that if all people are identified as being at risk, and then if treated appropriately, we would significantly change the face of Cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.
As physicians, we are taught in medical school that it is all about Total Cholesterol, HDL-C, LDL-C, and Triglycerides, yet few really understand the limitations of traditional lipid testing. I hear everyday physicians say that if it is so important why isn't everyone doing it? I believe the answer is that one does not want to change from old patterns of thinking, and according to other physicians, it is too much trouble to learn and understand. Recently, the ADA/ACC released a Joint Concession Statement on Lipoprotein Management in patients with Cardiometabolic Risk(CMR). The full text is available on my website. I believe it is mandatory reading and states that patients with CMR in the moderately high, high, and very high risk groups, it is now the standard of of care to quantify lipoproteins by performing ApoB or LDL-P on all patients to ascertain risk and as a goal of therapy.
As we all know that since sterols are insoluble in the blood, they need to be driven around the body in Lipoproteins. These include HDL-P, VLDL-P, and LDL-P among others. HDL particles are also known as ApoA and all the particles that cause atherosclerosis are known as ApoB. Although NCEP( National Cholesterol Education Panel) recommends calculating the non-HDL cholesterol, this value only can alert the physician that there may too many lipoprotein particles despite having a normal LDL-C. Approximately 90-95% pf the circulating ApoB particles are LDL-P which have a half-life of around 3 days. As varying amounts of Triglycerides and Cholesterol are driven around the body, in what I tell my patients are "cars", the ApoB particles enter the arterial wall if there are too many of the "cars" circulating in the bloodstream.
By simple diffusion, all the bad particles flow from inside the artery and move into its wall and are "eaten" by macrophages which become foam cells and are the hallmark of Atherosclerosis. In eight published studies of over 11,000 subjects using LDL-P and other Lipoprotein concentrations remained the most significant and independent predictor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality over any other lipid parameter including the usual ratio that all physicians and patients talk about. . In a nutshell, it is the number of LDL particles that matter most... it is the number of cars that cause a traffic jam, not the people in the cars. For example, what if a person with moderate risk has met NCEP guidelines and has a LDL-C of 110mg/dl.
How do I know that there are not 100 cars with one person driving or two big buses with 55 people? The answer is that I do not unless I measure LDL-P directly by using NMR or as a second option measuring ApoB with Gel Electrophoresis. Traditional testing measures the passengers and lipoprotein testing measures the cars, and it is the number of cars(LDL-P) measured by NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) that are the most numerous ApoB particles in the body and matter most in the development of Atherosclerosis.
Although a comprehensive review of each of the methodologies to perform Lipoprotein Testing is beyond the scope of this post, I feel that measuring LDL particles directly using NMR is the best way to ascertain someone's true risk and then use that number as a guide to management. As I said in my posting about Alex Trebek, the CDC states that 50% of people who have heart attacks have "normal" cholesterol. I hope you now understand why this can happens, having a normal LDL-C but high LDL-P, and be proactive and ask that your physician performs Advanced Cholesterol Testing.
Related Topics:
Technorati Tags: cholesterol, testing, lipids, LDL, HDL, LDL-C, LDL-P
10 Comments:
I listened to your interview and read this article and thought it was great. It is so nice to know that there is a doctor that actually does care. I wish I lived in Los Angeles cause I wish you could take care of me
I really enjoyed reading this. We are lucky to have you--thank you---R in Michigan
Thank you for the very informative article. We are very fortunate to have many of the world's greatest doctors in this country, especially to have doctor's like you who truly care about educating the public with knowledge that could improve thier health. I only wish that the bean counters administering our health care system would have half the compassion and common sense when making decisions to restrict access to test and procedures that could save lifes based on increasing thier own profits.
I just listened to your podcast. I am an advanced practice nurse and member of NLA (sitting for my mid-level lipidology boards soon) and work exclusively with lipid/metabolic patients at an endocrinology practice. We currently use Berkeley for advanced lipoprotein testing but are familiar with NMR as well.
Towards the end of your podcast you discussed calcium scoring and it sounded like you feel it is not that useful, particularly because it is picking up on calcified or old plaque. What do you think of CIMT testing for screening? We use this and find that often when patients see they have a thickened intima-media space as evidence of very early disease state they are more inclined to try drug therapy/make lifestyle changes. Ideally, we like to do both CIMT and advanced lipoprotein testing on patients.
I am not sure if you ever respond to blog comments/questions, but I would love to know your thoughts on this.
Dont have a severe problem with cholesterol (taking 10 mg pill/daily) but my Triglycerides do not go down and have been contemplating taking medicine to control them. Since you mentioned in your article that you were intending to write on the subject, I will wait to see what you have to say in this respect.
Half way across the world.
July 07,2008
Thank you for your kind words Joe. In regard to calcium scoring, you are exactly right. It provides me with no information and exposes people to unnecessary radiation. I also think many physicians have bought them and need to use it. CIMT is a good surrogate for generalized Cardiovascular disease but the problem is that insurance and Medicare do not pay for "screening". I use it in patients that have borderline NMRs as a way to assess how aggressive I will be with treatment.
My doctor tells me that 3000mg of Vitamin C a day will help flush the bomine from a persons system which is a builder to cholesterol,
Why does not 1000mgs making it enough for a body help?
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has anyone exper. hair thinning while taking simvastatin 10mg?
my son had gotten ill after eating peter pan peanut butter.he was treated at the emergency department and i spent 9 straight days nursing him back to a normal state.the doctors dignosed him with gastroenteritis.when i electronically submitted the paper-work from the emergency department to the laywers office they told me it was insufficient evidance and the doceor would not write the correct statements under the diagnosis section so i could have my claim honored.i proceded to the records department and filled out the amendment paper-work to have the report corrected and the doctor after reading what i had written told me he would not write this and amend the report in order for there insurance company to pay up.
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