Some of the tests which may be done in your extended biochemistry and haematology will be as follows:

RISK FACTORS FOR HEART DISEASE:

Heart disease is one of the leading killers in our society. Prevention is the best approach to avoid it and preventative approaches need to begin early on in life. We all are very much aware of cholesterol as a risk factor for heart disease and many of us follow various preventive protocols to keep it under control. However, there are other risk factors for heart disease which are as important as cholesterol in playing a part in heart disease. Unfortunately most of them are not tested routinely.

If you have a positive family history of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, smoking, sudden death or premature deaths then these factors become even more important.

We will discuss a few of them here to illustrate how these markers are important:

HsCRP (HIGH SENSITIVITY C REACTIVE PROTEIN):

This is a protein present in very small quantity in our blood. (Less than 0.1 mg/dl) The level increases above 8 mg/dl during acute infections.

People with cancer and chronic inflammatory diseases may also have a higher than normal level. The high level is closely associated with increasing amounts of plaque formation due to a damaging effect on the blood vessel’s inner lining. Even a slightly higher level increases your risk of heart disease manyfold.

FIBRINOGEN:

Fibrinogen is another risk factor for heart disease. Studies show that fibrinogen is a strong predictor of coronary heart disease.

It is related to fatal and non-fatal cases, new and recurrent cases and to death from an unspecified cause in both men and women.

FERRITIN:

Ferritin is a storage form of iron in our body. Iron is an essential element for the human body. It has, however, been suggested that excessive iron stores may increase the risk of vascular disease especially in postmenopausal women. Higher levels of iron can be treated in various ways including specific chelation therapy.

Lp(a):

LDL isn't the only "bad boy" when it comes to bad cholesterols. According to a new study, a lipoprotein in the blood stream called Lp(a) is also a "bad cholesterol." It may be high even when rest of the lipid profile is within normal range.