What markers are found in blood that indicate cardiovascular risk? Elizabeth Tracey reports

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Cholesterol found in your blood is just the beginning of the story when it comes to markers found there that are indicative of cardiovascular risk. A relative newcomer is apolipoprotein a, which is genetically determined, says Roger Blumenthal, a cardiologist at Johns Hopkins and chair of a committee that just updated cholesterol guidelines for the American College of Cardiology. And there are others.

Blumenthal: Apolipoprotein B is important and another one that we talked about was high sensitivity C reactive protein that's also a sign of increased risk of cardiometabolic disease often with some increased weight in the midsection, and these are people who probably benefit even more from lowering their cholesterol and blood pressure. For the most part it's a standard lipid panel and a good history but there are some other blood tests and selective use of imaging that can help us a lot.                   :26

Blumenthal emphasizes that prevention is key, so getting your blood tested early in life, ideally in late childhood, and keeping a regular eye on the numbers helps you implement changes to avoid developing cardiovascular disease. At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.