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What Does My Lab Test Report Indicate?
Question: Concerning labwwork: high CRP(8.9) lp-PLA2 (263), also elevated homocystine, uric acid. Lipid panel excellent, hemoglobin A1c 5.3, smoker, obese. Other CVD markers not elevated. Is there anything other than high CVD risk that could cause these results?
Brief Answer:
Major risk factors
Detailed Answer:
Hello, Mrs. XXXX! Welcome to HCM and thank you for your question. I am Dr. Meriton. I carefully read your query.
First, without proceeding to your laboratory panel results, I would like to point out some main things. The main and most important risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) are six, and I am going to adjust them according to your properties: age (-); gender (-); smoking (+); diabetes (-); hypertension (-); dislipidemia (obesity +).
In these circumstances, where you do not have any symptoms pointing to a coronary artery problem, my opinion would be that there is nothing to worry about. The figures you provided, indeed, can reflect a problem within a coronary atjerosclerotic plaque, but none of the components are specific, they rather are indicators of inflammation, chronic or acute. My opinion is that these parameters have nothing to do with cardiovascular disease, especially in a lady of your age. However, if these figures are worrisome to you, but my index of suspicion is very low, then, for exclusion, I would recommend you to do an EKG, to judge the electrical system of the heart, and an echocardiogram, to evaluate the size, function and motility of heart chambers and valves, to further evaluate if there is a problem with your heart or not. Depending on your cardiologist's judging, further tests may be recommended.
I hope this helps. If you have further questions, I would be happy to help. Wish you a good health.
Kind regards,
Dr. Meriton
Major risk factors
Detailed Answer:
Hello, Mrs. XXXX! Welcome to HCM and thank you for your question. I am Dr. Meriton. I carefully read your query.
First, without proceeding to your laboratory panel results, I would like to point out some main things. The main and most important risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) are six, and I am going to adjust them according to your properties: age (-); gender (-); smoking (+); diabetes (-); hypertension (-); dislipidemia (obesity +).
In these circumstances, where you do not have any symptoms pointing to a coronary artery problem, my opinion would be that there is nothing to worry about. The figures you provided, indeed, can reflect a problem within a coronary atjerosclerotic plaque, but none of the components are specific, they rather are indicators of inflammation, chronic or acute. My opinion is that these parameters have nothing to do with cardiovascular disease, especially in a lady of your age. However, if these figures are worrisome to you, but my index of suspicion is very low, then, for exclusion, I would recommend you to do an EKG, to judge the electrical system of the heart, and an echocardiogram, to evaluate the size, function and motility of heart chambers and valves, to further evaluate if there is a problem with your heart or not. Depending on your cardiologist's judging, further tests may be recommended.
I hope this helps. If you have further questions, I would be happy to help. Wish you a good health.
Kind regards,
Dr. Meriton
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
Thank you. I do have hypertension, it is treated with medication. I am also losing weight. I am doing a low carbohydrate diet, I began about a week before these lab draws. I am wondering if you have any thoughts on what might be driving these high inflammatory values, since they seem to be regarded as cardiac related?
Brief Answer:
RDW, also
Detailed Answer:
Hello again, and welcome back!
This parameters are indeed indicative of cardiovascular risk in the future, but the actually reflect the intra-atherosclerotic plaque activity and inflammation present there, if there is a plaque within the coronary arteries. The main cardiovascular risk factors are those that we went through together in my first answer. It should be understood that these are merely risk factors, not indicators of the presence or absence of cardiovascular disease. The more they are present, the greater the risk to develop cardiovascular disease. A good news that you are trying to quit smoking and losing weight. Also, I recommended EKG and echocardiogram for above mentioned reasons, since these are worrisome figures to you. Combining your features, minus chest pain (angina), minus problems depicted in those tests, my opinion is that there is nothing to worry about. Wish you a good health.
I hope I was helpful. If you do not further clarifications, close the discussion and rate the answer.
Best regards,
Dr. Meriton
RDW, also
Detailed Answer:
Hello again, and welcome back!
This parameters are indeed indicative of cardiovascular risk in the future, but the actually reflect the intra-atherosclerotic plaque activity and inflammation present there, if there is a plaque within the coronary arteries. The main cardiovascular risk factors are those that we went through together in my first answer. It should be understood that these are merely risk factors, not indicators of the presence or absence of cardiovascular disease. The more they are present, the greater the risk to develop cardiovascular disease. A good news that you are trying to quit smoking and losing weight. Also, I recommended EKG and echocardiogram for above mentioned reasons, since these are worrisome figures to you. Combining your features, minus chest pain (angina), minus problems depicted in those tests, my opinion is that there is nothing to worry about. Wish you a good health.
I hope I was helpful. If you do not further clarifications, close the discussion and rate the answer.
Best regards,
Dr. Meriton
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad
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