PREVENTATIVE SCREENINGS & LABS

Lipid Panel Test Use:

The Lipid Panel aids in the evaluation of potential risk factors for atherosclerotic heart disease (ASHD), is used to evaluate hyperlipidemia as an index to coronary artery disease (CAD), to indicate the presence of dyslipoproteinemia, and to monitor lipoprotein-modifying drugs.

Risk factors to be considered when ordering a Lipid panel include:

• High Total Cholesterol
• Cigarette smoking
• Being overweight or obese
• Unhealthy diet
• Being physically inactive—not getting enough exercise
• Age (if you are a male 45 years or older or a female 50-55 years or older)
• Hypertension (blood pressure of 140/90 or higher or taking high blood pressure medications)
• Family history of premature heart disease (heart disease in a first degree male relative under age 55 or a first degree female relative under age 65)
• Pre-existing heart disease or already having had a heart attack
• Diabetes or prediabetes

Decreased lipids are found with some cases of malabsorption, malnutrition and advanced liver disease. In abetalipoproteinemia, cholesterol is less than 70 mg/dL.

Test Includes: Cholesterol, Total, Triglycerides, HDL Cholesterol and LDL Cholesterol (calculated).

Investigation of serum lipids is indicated in those with coronary and other arterial disease, especially when it is premature, and in those with family history of atherosclerosis or of hyperlipidemia. In this sense, the expression “premature” is mostly used to include those younger than 40 years of age.

hsCRP Test Use: 

You should consider getting the hsCRP test if you:

1. Are male or female of any age and smoke cigarettes, or have a first degree relative (parent or sibling) with heart disease, or have hypertension, or have diabetes, or have history of high cholesterol or triglycerides.

2. Don’t have the above risk factors, but have had a heart attack or a stroke.

YOU SHOULD NOT GET THE hsCRP TEST IF ANY OF THE FOLLOWING ARE APPLICABLE 

1. People who have had any recent illness, tissue injury, or infection. This can cause general inflammation throughout the body and will raise the amount of CRP, thus giving a falsely elevated estimate of risk.
2. People with chronic inflammation, such as those with arthritis, should not have hs-CRP levels measured. Their CRP levels will be very high due to the arthritis—often too high to be measured using the hs-CRP test.

Patient preparation: Fast for 12 hours

Also known as: Metabolic Panel, Comprehensive; CMP; Met Comp. + Lipid Panel

Test use: The CMP is routinely ordered as part of a blood work-up for a medical exam or yearly physical. While the individual tests are sensitive, they do not usually tell a health practitioner specifically what is wrong. Abnormal test results or groups of test results are usually followed up with other specific tests to confirm or rule out a suspected diagnosis. The Lipid Panel aids in the evaluation of potential risk factors for atherosclerotic heart disease (ASHD), is used to evaluate hyperlipidemia as an index to coronary artery disease (CAD), to indicate the presence of dyslipoproteinemia, and to monitor lipoprotein-modifying drugs.

Test description: Chemistry Tests includes: Albumin; Alkaline Phosphatase, Total; ALT (SGPT); AST (SGOT); Bilirubin, Total; Calcium; Carbon Dioxide; Chloride; Creatinine; Glucose; Potassium; Protein, Total; Sodium; Urea Nitrogen, Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) (calculated); and Globulin (calculated). The Lipid Panel Includes: Cholesterol, Total; Triglycerides; HDL Cholesterol; LDL Cholesterol (calculated).

This test recommended for: The General Chemistry panel is used to evaluate a person’s chemical status. Panel includes a glucose and tests that check for kidney, electrolyte and liver function.

The Lipid Panel aids in the evaluation of potential risk factors for atherosclerotic heart disease (ASHD), is used to evaluate hyperlipidemia as an index to coronary artery disease (CAD), to indicate the presence of dyslipoproteinemia, and to monitor lipoprotein-modifying drugs.

Risk factors to be considered when ordering a Lipid panel include:

• High Total Cholesterol
• Cigarette smoking
• Being overweight or obese
• Unhealthy diet
• Being physically inactive—not getting enough exercise
• Age (if you are a male 45 years or older or a female 50-55 years or older)
• Hypertension (blood pressure of 140/90 or higher or taking high blood pressure medications)
• Family history of premature heart disease (heart disease in a first degree male relative under age 55 or a first degree female relative under age 65)
• Pre-existing heart disease or already having had a heart attack
• Diabetes or prediabetes

Decreased lipids are found with some cases of malabsorption, malnutrition and advanced liver disease. In abetalipoproteinemia, cholesterol is less than 70 mg/dL.

Patient preparation: Patient should fast for 12 hours prior to testing.

Test Description: The CMP is routinely ordered as part of a blood work-up for a medical exam or yearly physical. While the individual tests are sensitive, they do not usually tell a health practitioner specifically what is wrong. Abnormal test results or groups of test results are usually followed up with other specific tests to confirm or rule out a suspected diagnosis.

The test includes: albumin; alkaline phosphatase, total; ALT (SGPT); AST (SGOT); bilirubin, total; calcium; carbon dioxide; chloride; creatinine; glucose; potassium; protein, total; sodium; urea nitrogen, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (calculated); and globulin (calculated). Panel includes electrolytes-sodium, potassium, chloride, and CO2.

Patient should fast for 12 hours prior to testing.

Test description: Risk factors to be considered when ordering a lipid panel include:

• High total cholesterol
• Cigarette smoking
• Being overweight or obese
• Unhealthy diet
• Being physically inactive—not getting enough exercise
• Age (if you are a male 45 years or older or a female 50-55 years or older)
• Hypertension (blood pressure of 140/90 or higher or taking high blood pressure medications)
• Family history of premature heart disease (heart disease in a first degree male relative under age 55 or a first degree female relative under age 65)
• Pre-existing heart disease or already having had a heart attack
• Diabetes or prediabetes

Decreased lipids are found with some cases of malabsorption, malnutrition, and advanced liver disease. In abetalipoproteinemia, cholesterol is less than 70 mg/dL.

Patients should fast for 12 hours before testing.

When To Get Tested: When you have joint pain or other symptoms that your healthcare practitioner suspects may be due to gout; when you have had or are going to have certain chemotherapy or radiation therapies for cancer; when you have recurrent kidney stones; when you have gout or are otherwise at risk for kidney stone formation.

Patient Preparation: None

When To Get Tested: Annually after a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes; annually 5 years after diagnosis of type 1 diabetes

Patient Preparation: None, random urine specimen