London Medical Cardiology

Cholesterol and lipid testing

London Medical’s Cardiology Clinic provides the most up-to-date investigative cardiac procedures for patients with heart problems – and some of the UK’s most renowned cardiologists hold clinics here for all aspects of heart disease.

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Comprehensive cholesterol and lipid testing to help you safeguard your future health

High cholesterol levels can increase your risk of developing heart disease or having a stroke. However, standard tests of total cholesterol levels can be misleading. As many as half of people with apparently normal cholesterol levels may still be at significantly higher than average risk of getting cardiovascular disease.

London Medical offers comprehensive cholesterol analysis and advanced lipid profiling. The expert physicians can interpret your individual results in relation to your other risk factors and your general health and wellbeing. This detailed analysis and assessment prevents unnecessary medication, ensures optimum treatment and helps keep your heart healthy.

What is cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a fatty substance that is made by the liver and is present in the food we eat. Cholesterol is essential for the body’s normal function, but too much of some types of cholesterol can be bad for your health. Excess cholesterol can build up on the walls of arteries, making them narrow and increasing the risk of heart disease.

‘Good’ and ‘Bad’ Cholesterol

There are two main types of cholesterol: High Density Lipoprotein or HDL and Low Density Lipoprotein or LDL. LDL is known as the ‘bad’ cholesterol because having raised levels makes you more likely to develop heart disease or have a stroke. However, cholesterol isn’t all bad, raised levels of HDL can help protect against cardiovascular disease.

Scientific research has helped drive greater understanding of cholesterol measurement and the link to heart disease. Traditional testing can fail to detect coronary artery disease in the early stages. London Medical offers comprehensive lipid profiling, so that disease can be picked up early and treated effectively.

Cholesterol analysis at London Medical

Cardiovascular disease is one of the UK’s biggest killers. Traditional testing can miss people who are at risk of developing heart disease. London Medical provides cutting-edge cholesterol and lipid testing to help assess your personal risk for future cardiac disease, so that treatment can be targeted to prevent heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular events.

Traditional lipid testing

London Medical offers measurement of total cholesterol, LDL, non-HDL cholesterol and protective HDL cholesterol as well as analysis of blood triglyceride levels.

LDL particle testing

LDL particle testing is exclusively available at London Medical. LDL particle analysis is considered to be one of the most powerful tools for predicting heart attack risk.

Simple measurements of LDL cholesterol measurements can be dangerously misleading. The number of LDL particles is much more closely linked to your chance of having a heart attack than the overall amount of LDL. That’s because smaller LDL particles can more easily penetrate through the arterial walls forming atherosclerotic plaques and causing disease.

One in five people of the population have a condition known as cholesterol-depleted LDL. The total cholesterol and LDL levels may be normal but the LDL lipoprotein particle number is raised, giving an increased risk of developing heart disease or having a stroke.

Conventional blood tests don’t measure lipoprotein particle numbers, however nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy equipment can provide a precise measurement of LDL particles, so that high levels can be successfully treated and your cardiac risk reduced.

Advanced lipid marker testing

London Medical routinely tests for advanced lipid markers to produce a more comprehensive lipid profile. Tests include analysis of:

HDL2b - a large type of HDL, which can shrink coronary plaques and protect against heart disease.

Lp-PLA2 - an enzyme which indicates disease activity in the walls of the arteries.

Omega-3 & Omega-6 Fatty Acids

Inflammatory markers

Inflammatory markers can indicate the presence of disease and tissue damage in the arteries. London Medical tests for a number of markers including:

Myeloperoxidase: A protein produced by white blood cells that signals inflammation and can damage the cardiovascular system.

High-sensitivity CRP

F2-IsoPs: Chemicals that can cause blood vessels to constrict and promote blood clotting. They are elevated at the earliest stages of plaque development in arteries and are made worse by smoking.

Expert analysis and treatment

The test is just the first step, the expert physicians at London Medical can help you understand the results, explain your personal cardiac risk and work with you to make changes to prevent heart attack, stroke, and premature death.

Frequently Asked Questions

What diet can help my cholesterol?

Research suggests that a Mediterranean-style diet may help protect your heart and keep you healthy. It’s low in meat and dairy but rich in fresh fruit and vegetables, wholegrain cereals, beans and pulses, nuts and some healthy fats like olive oil, oily fish and avocado. Make an appointment with the specialist dieticians at London Medical for advice, support and a personalised nutrition plan.

However, although cholesterol is present in foods, a change in your diet can only reduce your cholesterol by around 5%. If tests show that your LDL cholesterol is raised, you are likely to need medication, even if you eat a healthy diet and a live an active life.

Who should have cholesterol and lipid testing?

Cholesterol testing can help anyone who is interested in safeguarding their future health. It can identify problems, so that you can make lifestyle changes and start medication. Heart UK recommends that every adult is tested, no matter what their age or how healthy they feel. Testing is particularly important for:

People with existing heart or vascular disease, including anyone who has had a stent, heart attack, angina, stroke or TIA
People with diabetes
People with high blood pressure
Men with erectile dysfunction
Anyone with a family history of heart disease or stroke
People who get pain in the legs on exertion
Smoker
People who are obese, particularly with an increased waistline

I’m on a statin, is there any need for a test?

Do I need to fast for the test?

Some traditional testing can be performed at any time, without fasting. However, for a full lipid profile, you should fast for 12 hours beforehand. This means you should take no food or drink (apart from clear water) for 12 hours before the test. If you have concerns or are worried about your diabetes control the expert staff at London Medical will be happy to offer support and guidance.

Our Consultants

Dr Ralph Abraham

As a founder of London Medical, Dr Ralph Abraham specialises in diabetes, weight management, endocrinology and cholesterol

Dr Catherine Lunken

Specialist in seeing patients with all types of diabetes using up to date technology. Dr Lunken also sees patients with inherited lipid disorders and those with statin intolerances.

Professor Kausik Ray

One of the most pre-eminent preventative cardiologists in the world.

Our Cardiology specialties

We offer care across a broad range of cardiology specialties. We have some of the top specialists in every aspect of cardiac care. Our entire team is dedicated to working together to consider the results of your investigations, your health and your lifestyle before tailoring a treatment plan to your individual needs.

Chest pain, angina and coronary artery disease (CAD)

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a type of cardiovascular condition in which the vessels that supply blood to the heart become constricted by fatty deposits. The buildup of these fatty deposits is called atherosclerosis. CAD is commonly referred to as coronary heart disease, which is the most common form of heart disease

Symptoms

Chest pain (upon exercise)

Conditions

Angina

Tests

Echocardiogram (inc. trans-thoracic and stress echo)

Cardiac MRI

Coronary angiography

Resting ECG

Treatments

Percutaneous coronary intervention

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Heart failure (HF)

Heart failure is a long-term condition in which the heart is unable to pump blood throughout the body as it should. Your body depends on the heart to supply oxygen-rich and nutrient-rich blood to the body’s cells.

Symptoms

Breathlessness (when walking up hill/stairs/upon exercise)

Conditions

Heart failure

Oedema

LV fibrosis

Tests

Echocardiogram (inc. trans-thoracic and stress echo)

Resting ECG

Treatments

Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD)

Cardiac Resyncronicization Therapy (CRT)

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Valvular Heart Disease (VHD)

Your heart has four heart valves that control the flow of blood in one direction. If you have valvular heart disease, it means one or more of these valves are not working as they should. This can cause problems with your blood flow, putting extra strain on your heart to work harder.

Symptoms

Breathlessness (when walking up hill/stairs/upon exercise)

Conditions

Aortic/Heart valve disease/stenosis (inc. Mitral valve regurgitation)

Tests

Echocardiogram (inc. trans-thoracic and stress echo)

Resting ECG

Holter ECG

Exercise test

Treatments

TAVI

SAVR

Mitraclip

Valve replacement/reconstruction

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Cardiac Arrhythmias (CA)

Your heartbeat is controlled by electrical impulses. It’s normal for us to experience changes in our heartbeat at different times of the day depending on our activities. But if you have an arrhythmia, it means that the electrical activity that controls your heartbeat is affected.

Symptoms

Palpitations

Dizziness

Syncope

Conditions

Atrial fibriliation

Heart/AV Block

Tachycardia (inc. Ventricular Tachycardia (VT runs) and Superventricular tachycardia)

Bradycardia

Tests

Resting ECG

Holter ECG

Echocardiogram (inc. trans-thoracic and stress echo)

Treatments

Beta blockers

Cardioversion

Pacemaker

Anticoagulants

Cardiac ablation

ICD implantation

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Arterial Hypertension

Blood pressure is the pressure of your blood pushing against your arteries. Your blood pressure naturally goes up and down throughout the day. Hypertension is the medical term for when your blood pressure numbers are consistently too high.

Symptoms

High blood pressure

Unusual Hypertension

Renal artery stenosis

Endocrine hypertension

Ordinary hypertension

Tests

Echocardiogram (inc. trans-thoracic and stress echo)

24h Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring

Coronary angiography

Treatments

Diet:

Low salt DASH diet

Drugs:

Calcium channel blockers

ACE-inhibitors

Beta blockers

Renal nerve ablation for severe resistant hypertension

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High Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a fatty substance in our blood that is produced naturally in our liver. It is essential for your body’s normal functioning – it is used by our cells to make some hormones and vitamin D. Cholesterol can also be found in the foods we eat. Over time, if your blood cholesterol levels are too elevated, it can pose a serious risk to your health.

Symptoms

None

Conditions

Monogenic Familial hyperlipidaemia

Polygenic hyperlipidaemia

Dyslipidaemia (low HDL, high LDL, raised triglyceride)

Familial combined hyperlipidaemia

Rare lipid disorders

Tests

Advanced lipoproteins (NMR lipoproteins, oxidised LDL cholesterol, lipoprotein (a))

Quantitative carotid ultrasound with volumetric plaque analysis

Coronary calcium score or CT coronary angiography

Echocardiogram (inc. trans-thoracic and stress echo)

Cholesterol and lipid testing

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Our Locations

London

London Medical is located in the Harley Street medical area. Together with top experts across a range of multi-disciplinary fields, we offer the finest facilities for your care, all under one roof.

London Medical, 49 Marylebone High Street, London W1U 5HJ

Contact

Tel
+44 (0)800 0483 330

Email
info@londonmedical.co.uk

Opening hours

Clinic
Monday to Friday 8.30am to 8pm

Pharmacy
Monday to Friday 8.30am to 8pm

Switchboard
Monday to Friday 8.30am to 8pm

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