What is a cardiac risk marker test?
Cardiovascular diseases can be extremely dangerous and even life-threatening. The wisest step to be taken is to detect the chances of such diseases at the beginning stage and seek medical attention. There lies the basic importance of a cardiac risk marker test.
A Cardiac risk marker test is performed for the purpose of assessing your risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. This particular test is also performed to fetch necessary information about the cardiovascular health of an individual.
Cardiac risk marker test is merely a bunch of 5 important test parameters that include
- Apo B / Apo A1 Ratio: if the test shows increased ratio of Apo B and Apo A1, then it indicates the chances of increased risk of cardiovascular problems.
- Apolipoprotein A1: Apolipoprotein A1 is a particular type of protein that plays a role in the lipid metabolism.
- Apolipoprotein B: Just like Apolipoprotein A1. Apolipoprotein is also involved in lipid metabolism.
- C reactive protein (hs-CRP): this particular type of protein is made by the liver. The CRP levels in the blood may increase if there are any inflammations in the body.
- Lipoprotein (LPA): lipoproteins are known as particles that carry the triglycerides and cholesterol to the cells of a human body.
Importance of a cardiac risk marker test
This test is extremely important for everyone, mostly for the ones who have a family history of heart diseases. If a deadly heart disease starts to grow silently in your body without generating a single symptom, then the most effective way to determine the presence of that disease is to go for a cardiac risk marker test. This test can most certainly help you stay away from the chances of deadly heart diseases because through this test, you can detect heart diseases at the beginning stage and seek medical attention accordingly. Fortunately, the cardiac risk marker test cost is comparably reasonable nowadays.
When to go for this test?
Usually, the medical experts recommend going for this test when it is suspected that a person is likely to face cardiovascular diseases. The doctor will be assessing your risk factors for cardiovascular diseases and may recommend this test accordingly. The test can be suggested to you mostly when the primary signs and symptoms of cardiovascular diseases start to get visible in your body. Take a glance at some of those symptoms that indicate the presence of cardiovascular diseases in your body.
Symptoms of cardiovascular diseases
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Sweating
- Dizziness
- Chest pain
- Irregularity in the pulse rate
- Pale or clammy skin
- Fainting
- Discomfort in the neck, arms, shoulder and jaws
- Fatigue
A doctor may also suggest you to go for this test if you are already involved in the risk factors that can increase your risk of facing cardiovascular diseases. Take a glance at some of those major risk factors.
Risk factors for cardiovascular diseases
- Smoking and drinking: If you are involved in unhealthy lifestyle habits like smoking and drinking, then you are already at a high risk of growing cardiovascular diseases. Both of these habits can cause damage to your heart and make you more likely to face heart diseases.
- Family history: Heart diseases can be hereditary. If you have a family history of coronary diseases, then you are also likely to grow cardiovascular diseases and you should go for a cardiac risk marker test.
- High cholesterol: The bad cholesterol in our body can be the reason for heart attacks and heart strokes. If you are suffering from obesity for so long, then it will be a wise decision to go for a cardiac risk marker test.
- Hypertension: High blood pressure can be extremely dangerous for your heart. The doctor may suggest you to go for a cardiac risk marker test if you are suffering from high blood pressure for so long.
Although this test can help you get your chances of heart diseases detected, there are certain precautions that you can take from your end to keep yourself away from cardiovascular diseases. A few of them are mentioned here.
Precautions to take to avoid cardiovascular problems
- Get involved in physical workout regularly.
- Keep your blood pressure under control.
- Keep an eye on your sugar and sodium intake and avoid excessive consumption.
- Avoid unhealthy lifestyle habits like smoking and drinking.
- Get at least 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep every day.
- If you are suffering from diabetes, get necessary treatments as soon as possible.
- Maintain a healthy body weight because obesity is one of the major risk factors of heart diseases.
Sample requirements for cardiac risk marker test
Blood sample of the patient is needed to perform this test. One healthcare specialist will be fetching the blood from the vein using a syringe and soon after the sample is collected, it will be sent to the laboratory for testing purposes. You can gain information about the cardiac risk marker test price online.
Test preparation
Early morning is the best hour for this particular test. You should be fasting 10-12 hours before appearing for this test. Apart from that, consumption of any kind of drugs must be restricted at least 24 hours before the test. You should also Inform the medical professionals if you are already on any kind of medication. When you finally appear for a cardiac risk marker test, follow all the necessary guidelines given by the lab authority.
What are the risks involved in a cardiac risk marker test?
Usually there are no particular risks associated with this test. Although the safety of the needle is ensure before using it to collect blood sample of the patient, a few silly complications may arrive after the blood sample collection process, such as
- Sore skin
- Bruising
- Bleeding
- Pain at the part where the needle has been inserted
- Lightheadedness after the blood collection
Result interpretation
Your test report will show if you have the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. If the test results show that the cardiac troponin level is more than 99th percentile of the reference range, then it symbolizes the presence of a heart muscle damage or a heart attack. However, it’s necessary to have a brief consultation with a medical expert or professional pathologist to know if the test report indicates any damage to your heart or your risk of developing any serious cardiovascular disease. Book a cardiac risk marker test online today and get tested.