The 3 Levels of Heart Health Testing -> Damage – Inflammation

The 3 Levels of Heart Health Testing -> Damage – Inflammation – Nutrition

1. Heart Stress & Damage Markers

These tell you whether the heart muscle itself has been under strain or injury - even subtle, ongoing stress that’s below the level of a heart attack.

High-sensitivity Troponin (hs-Troponin I or T)
BNP or NT-proBNP (Brain Natriuretic Peptide)

2. Other Advanced Cardiovascular Markers

These round out the picture and identify why inflammation and plaque may be developing.

hs-CRP (C-Reactive Protein)- Measures overall inflammation.
Lp-PLA2- Targets artery-specific inflammation.
IL-6- Cytokine linked to chronic inflammatory signaling.
Homocysteine - Reflects methylation and endothelial (vessel lining) health.
F2-Isoprostanes or Oxidized LDL- Indicate oxidative stress damage.
ApoB and Lp(a)- Measure the number and “stickiness” of artery-clogging particles.
Microalbumin/Creatinine Ratio- Detects early vascular leakage.

3. Nutritional & Metabolic Markers

These explain the terrain - the internal environment that allows inflammation, insulin resistance, and oxidative stress to take hold.

Metabolic Regulation

Fasting Insulin + OGTT with insulin- Early insulin resistance detection.
HOMA-IR - Calculated insulin sensitivity score.
Uric Acid - Often elevated with metabolic dysfunction and fructose overload.

Key Vitamins & Minerals

Magnesium (RBC magnesium ideally)- Crucial for heart rhythm, insulin sensitivity, and stress recovery.
Vitamin D (25-OH D) - Regulates immune and vascular function.
B12, Folate, B6- Needed for methylation and controlling homocysteine.
Ferritin & Iron Panel - Both deficiency and overload stress the heart.
Zinc & Copper Ratio - Balance affects inflammation and oxidative protection.
Selenium - Needed for antioxidant enzymes like glutathione peroxidase.

Antioxidant & Cellular Health

Glutathione (GSH/GSSG ratio)- Master antioxidant defense.
CoQ10- Essential for energy in heart muscle and protection against statin side effects.
Omega-3 Index- Measures anti-inflammatory fatty acid balance.

Troponin is valuable if interpreted functionally - a small, persistent rise means chronic strain, not necessarily a heart attack.

FitnHealthy Forever Tip - Adding inflammation, oxidative stress, and nutrient markers gives a complete picture of why plaque forms and how to reverse it.

That's the Good news, the bad news is that the current medical system in North America doesn't "allow" you to just ask your Doctor for these tests.

They may flat out refuse, they may allow you to pay out of pocket for some test or you may have to travel out of Country or to a specialty lab to get them done "out of pocket", not covered by your Health Plan.

Together, these labs show not just what’s wrong — but what your body needs to heal.

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