VAP Cholesterol Test – Better Predictor of Heart Disease

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When you have a VAP cholesterol test done you receive a detailed look at your risk of heart disease. The VAP test is more comprehensive than other cholesterol tests such as the traditional lipid profile test you may have had in your doctor’s office.

Traditional cholesterol tests record the amount of HDL (good) cholesterol, LDL (bad) cholesterol, and triglycerides in your blood. And while these tests still provide valuable information regarding your risk of heart disease, the VAP cholesterol test provides more detailed information.

The VAP Test is a cholesterol profile that tests for any existing or emerging risk factor. One advantage of the VAP test is that your doctor will be provided with the direct measurements (not estimation) of your total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, VLDL, and several other cholesterol readings. Your doctor will see the full assessment of your coronary heart disease risk.

By providing your doctor with the additional lipid classes as well as the subclasses, the VAP cholesterol test is able to better evaluate your risk of future heart-related disorders.

Here is a look at the specific factors measured by the VAP cholesterol test and what they mean to your heart health:

Total VLDL. VLDL levels are a factor that traditional lipid profiles ignore. However, high levels of VLDL are linked to an elevated risk of heart-related conditions as well as diabetes

Cholesterol Totals. A sum total of LDL, VLDL, and HDL levels is provided.

Non-HDL Totals. HDL is the good cholesterol and by removing it from the equation and learning the sum of non-HDL cholesterol (i.e. LDL, VLDL) you can determine your risk of heart disease with more accuracy.

Total apoB100. This assessment helps determine what is causing your high cholesterol reading.

Lp(a) cholesterol . Your Lp(a) reading will be close to your LDL reading. If your level is elevated it may increase the risk of plaque build-up in the arteries.

IDL. A measurement of this lipoprotein may be revealed if diabetes runs in your family.

LDL-RC. This is a variety of LDL found in arteries in areas where plaque builds up.

LDL-C Totals. When you add Lp(a), LDL, and IDL you are provided with the sum total.

Size pattern of LDL. The VAP cholesterol test categorizes LDL by relative size. According to research, certain patterns may indicate a higher risk of heart disease.

HDL-2. This good cholesterol sub-class is reported to be particularly heart-protective.

HDL-3. One more sub-class of good cholesterol is not thought to be as protective against heart disease as HDL-2.

VLDL-3. There are some research studies that show higher levels of this subclass of VLDL may correlate to your body’s diabetes risk.

The cardio-diagnostic company, Atherotech Inc. is behind the introduction and marketing of the VAP cholesterol test. According to Atherotech, the test will be able to identify two times as many men and women at risk for heart disease, as compared to traditional cholesterol tests.

Traditional lipid profile tests revealed no abnormalities in nearly half of the men and women who experienced heart attacks. This may be because in traditional cholesterol tests, levels of cholesterol in the blood were estimated using a formula to calculate the results. In the VAP cholesterol test, levels are measured directly.

The VAP cholesterol test will help your doctor better determine your risk of developing heart disease. There are factors that you cannot control that contribute to your cholesterol level such as age, sex, gender and race. However there are many factors that you can control.

Learn about ways to lower your cholesterol naturally and decrease your risk of heart disease by downloading this free report: Cholesterol Lowering Secrets.

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References:

(1) Life Extension (2011). VAP test. Retrieved from http://www.lef.org/Vitamins-Supplements/ItemLC804500/VAP-Blood-Test.html