Total cholesterol and its sub groups HDL, LDL and Triglycerides (TG) are used in evaluating heart disease risk.
These tests are useful in the assessment of healthy individuals as well as in patients who have heart disease or have other risk factors such as smoking, high blood pressure or diabetes. They are also used to monitor treatment with lipid lowering drugs.
The test for high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) is also used as part of a lipid profile to screen for unhealthy levels of lipids and to determine an individual's risk of developing heart disease. HDL-C is considered to be beneficial, the so-called "good" cholesterol, because it removes excess cholesterol from tissues and carries it to the liver for disposal. As part of a lipid profile, HDL-C may also be used to monitor the effectiveness of treatment for unhealthy lipid levels.
LDL-C is usually calculated from the results of the other components of the lipid profile, including total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol (HDL-C), and triglycerides. In most cases, the formula provides a good estimate of the LDL-C, but it becomes less accurate with increased triglyceride levels (i.e., above 400 mg/dL). Of all the forms of cholesterol in the blood, the LDL-C is considered the most important form in determining risk of heart disease. It is considered to be undesirable and is often call "bad" cholesterol because it deposits excess cholesterol in blood vessel walls and contributes to hardening of the arteries and heart disease.
Total cholesterol and its sub groups HDL, LDL and Triglycerides (TG) are used in evaluating heart disease risk.
These tests are useful in the assessment of healthy individuals as well as in patients who have heart disease or have other risk factors such as smoking, high blood pressure or diabetes. They are also used to monitor treatment with lipid lowering drugs.
Blood glucose levels are also known as blood sugar. Test is required if there are symptoms suggesting hyperglycaemia (high blood glucose) or hypoglycaemia, or if you are diabetic. Also requested during pregnancy.
To aid diagnosis and monitor a person’s diabetes and to help treatment decisions.
Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT), and Bilirubin. These tests together as a group are referred as 'liver function tests'. They detect liver damage or/and inherited liver disorders.
Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT), and Bilirubin. These tests together as a group are referred as 'liver function tests'. They detect liver damage or/and inherited liver disorders.
When red blood cells are broken down the pigment giving them their characteristic red colour, haemoglobin, (whose role is to carry oxygen to the tissues) is converted to unconjugated bilirubin. Only small amounts of bilirubin are normally present in the blood. In the liver, each unconjugated bilirubin molecule has a sugar molecule attached to it to form water soluble conjugated bilirubin. This is secreted into bile and carried to the intestine where bacteria break it down, eventually producing the brown pigment that colours normal stools. This metabolic process taking place in the liver is the reason that bilirubin can be used as a marker for liver disease such as cirrhosis.
Insulin is a hormone that is produced and stored in the beta cells of the pancreas. Insulin is required to regulate blood glucose levels and plays a role in controlling the levels of carbohydrates and fats stored in the body.
Uric acid is produced by the breakdown of nitrogen-containing compounds found in the body in substances such as nucleic acids (DNA, RNA). They enter the circulation from digestion of certain foods, drinks (alcoholic beverages like beer and wine) or from normal breakdown and turnover of cells in the body. Most uric acid is removed by the kidneys and disposed of in the urine.
Excess uric acid can cause the condition called gout – an inflammation that occurs in joints when crystals derived from uric acid form in the joint fluid. Excess uric acid can also lead to kidney disease, as a result of deposition in the kidneys or kidney stone formation, as a result of increased urinary excretion.
High-sensitivity CRP is thought by some experts to be a useful test for determining risk of CVD, heart attacks, and strokes and that hs-CRP can play a role in the evaluation process before a person develops one of these health problems. Some say that the best way to predict risk is to combine a good marker for inflammation, like hs-CRP, with the lipid profile. The hs-CRP test accurately measures low levels of C-reactive protein to identify low but persistent levels of inflammation and thus helps predict a person's risk of developing CVD.
TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone, thyrotropin) blood test which screens for and diagnoses thyroid disorders; monitors treatment of hypothyroidism/hyperthyroidism.
T3 and T4 are hormones produced by the thyroid gland. The thyroid gland is found in the neck, in front of the windpipe. T3 makes up less than 10% of what we call thyroid hormone, while T4 makes up the rest. T3, however, is about four times as strong as T4, and is thought to cause most, if not all, the effects of thyroid hormones.
Thyroid hormones help regulate the body’s metabolism (how the body functions) and are also related to fertility.
Triiodothyronine is one of two major hormones produced by the thyroid gland (the other is called thyroxine T4). Within the blood, most thyroid hormones are attached to a protein, but it is the hormones that are free from these proteins that are able to affect body functions. This is why we measure the 'free' thyroxine in your blood sample.
Thyroxine is one of two major hormones produced by the thyroid gland (the other is called triiodothyronine T3). Within the blood, most thyroid hormones are attached to a protein, but it is the hormones that are free from these proteins that are able to affect body functions. This is why we measure the 'free' thyroxine in your blood sample.
This test detects the presence of autoantibodies against a protein found in thyroid cells. A high value usually indicates autoimmune damage to the thyroid due to disorders such as Hashimoto thyroiditis and Graves disease.
Microalbumin levels in urine are used to assess kidney function.
This test uses a mathematical formula to calculate a number based on glucose and insulin blood tests. Insulin resistance is diagnosed based on where the calculated value lies in the appropriate index.
ECG test records the electrical activity of the heart over a period of time using electrodes placed on the skin. These electrodes detect the tiny electrical changes on the skin that arise from the heart muscle's electrophysiologic pattern of depolarizing during each heartbeat. It is a very commonly performed cardiology test. ECGs are used to diagnose suspected myocardial infarction (heart attack), suspected pulmonary embolism, a third heart sound, fourth heart sound, a cardiac murmur or other findings to suggest structural heart disease and many more other conditions of the heart.
Blood pressure is the pressure exerted by circulating blood upon the walls of blood vessels. When used without further specification, "blood pressure" usually refers to the arterial pressure in the systemic circulation. Blood pressure is usually expressed in terms of the systolic (maximum) pressure over diastolic (minimum) pressure. Blood pressure that is low due to a disease state is called hypotension, and pressure that is consistently high is hypertension. Both have many causes which can range from mild to severe. Long term hypertension is a risk factor for many diseases, including heart disease, stroke and kidney failure. Long term hypertension is more common than long term hypotension in Western countries. Long term hypertension often goes undetected because of infrequent monitoring and the absence of symptoms.