Aaron Hartman explains three lab tests primary care doctors rarely order but should: Omega-3 levels, high-sensitivity CRP, and vitamin D. Deficiencies in each link to cardiovascular and cognitive decline. He also covers B12, folate, and homocysteine as risk markers.
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What are the three tests that your doctor should be ordering on you, but they're not? That's what we're going to talk about today. We started a new series launching on the end of the week where we talk about a topic that people have asked me on social media, Instagram, in the office newsletter. So we're trying to answer people's questions here. And this week we're talking about what the three tests your doctor isn't ordering on you, but they should be. What are those tests? Why are they important? The first one is an Omega 3 level check called Omega check. So why is this important? First of all, up to a third of Americans have deficiency in omega 3 fatty acids. They're super important for anti inflammation, cardiovascular health, insulation of your nerves. Just taking fish oil supplement every day can actually lower your risk for sudden cardiac death up to 50%, which is outstanding. Crazy number. We use fish oils that treat high cholesterol particle numbers to treat elevated triglycerides which are part of metabolic syndrome. Mega 3s are super super critical and taking them if your Mega 3 levels are low, and this is a crazy statistic, if your mega 3 levels are low, you have the same risk for heart disease as a smoker with normal mega 3 levels. So one way to think about these is they're as beneficial for your health as smoking is bad. That's a crazy statistic. Simple test to do, easy to fix. The next thing is an hscrp, also known as a high sensitivity or cardiac crp, which is important for heart health. This being elevated is associated with an increased risk for heart disease as well as neurovascular disease that usually shows up, decline, dementia, things like that. Basic tests like 20, $25 to do can be done by pretty much all of your major labs. When people talk about inflammation, you know, inflammation being the cause of, you know, all diseases, inflamma, aging, all these kind of things. The HSCRP is one of the primary ways we can actually look at this. And it's something that also can be easily addressed as well. When it's elevated, it's usually associated with some kind of occult or hidden infection. Could be dental or oral periodontitis, gingivitis, infected root canals, cavitations could be related to gut issues. If you had sibo, bacterial overgrowth, some people with chronic infections, chronic Lyme, etc will have elevated HS CRP levels. It's a marker for inflammation in your small arteries. It can be treated with lowered by finding those infections, those issues, treating it, those nutritional support can be used for as well. But it's hugely important. It's one of the three major markers, particularly in women for heart disease. An interesting study came out last fall, actually sponsored by the nih looking at heart disease in women and showed three markers. Your hscrp, your lipoprotein little A and your LDL particle number. You could predict a female's 30 year risk for heart disease, not mentioning those other markers today. But HSCRP is one of the three markers that allows you to actually have a window into into a female's risk for heart disease. What is the last lab test that your doctor should be ordering? Isn't this one's a staple? It's a vitamin D level. Unfortunately, it's still not done by a lot of people. Vitamin D affects your body's ability to switch from fighting your innate immune system, which is the first part of your immune system to turn on, to making antibodies. It was one of the major risk factors for people actually dying from COVID If your vitamin D level was over 50, you're less than a 0.005 chance of dying from COVID Low vitamin D levels are associated with increased risk for heart disease, metabolic syndrome, inflammation, aging. As you get older, your vitamin D levels go down. It's super important for your body's ability, your immune system to regulate antibody production, regulate self and non self. It's also important for sugar control. All my diabetic patients, vitamin D levels are low, autoimmune patients low. And it's a really simple thing to check and it's easy to address. So these are the three major labs that everybody should get from the primary provider. Easy, easy to address. Now are there other tests you could look at that might give you a bonus section? Right. Well, what's some other tests that are super easy to do that have a huge benefit? I tend to like to get B12 and folic acid levels on patients as well. Why is that? I use those as surrogate markers for other B vitamin deficiencies. According to the US RDA, 40 to 60% of Americans are deficient in any 1B vitamin. Now it's expensive to check all those levels. You know, you can't do. You have to see a functional provider, et cetera, et cetera. For years and years I used folic acid and a B12 which can easily cover by insurance for a whole host of diagnoses as surrogate markers. If your B12 is low or low normal, and your folic acid is low, you probably have B1, B2, B3, B6. You probably have other B9 pantothenic acid, biotin. You probably have other deficiencies, so I use them as a surrogate marker. Again, a super easy thing to check. Homocysteine is the last bonus lab I want to talk about. It's a common lab. It's part of Dale Brunson's labs for looking at dementia. It's part of Dr. Mark Houston's labs for looking at risk for cardiovascular disease. It's a marker for methylation, which is your body's ability to turn on or off DNA. When homocysteine levels are really low, you have an increased risk associated with an increased risk for cancer. When your homocysteine levels are elevated, you have an increased risk for strokes and heart attacks. I remember this is probably 15 years ago. One of my patients had had several strokes and this was when I was still doing a lot of primary care. And she was a smoker. She drank, you know, she had three strokes on medication. Nothing was helping. Her homocysteine level was 30. And just by getting that less than 15, she stopped having strokes. It's a super important thing, easy to address, easy to fix. So hopefully this information was helpful for you. If you have other topics you'd like to address in these short little, you know, five to ten minute mini podcasts, please drop that on social media. If this information is helpful, please share with your friends. This is how we get good information out there. If you have a question you'd like answered, drop it to us in social media. We'll put in the list and see what comes of it. So anyway, everybody take care, be well, we'll talk to you soon.
