Diagnostic Tests You Should Be asking Your Doctor About

Tim | June 24, 2011

Getting a Checkup? Ask Your Doctor about These Diagnostic Tests

Are you and your heart as healthy as you think?

Every day we hear about supposedly healthy people who had just had a physical and deemed healthy dropping dead suddenly from massive heart attacks, what are we missing here?

There are new diagnostic tests out there that can give you a more accurate picture of your health when coupled with your regular physical exam but the thing is you have to specifically ask for these diagnostic tests because in most cases they might not be covered by insurance and your doctor won’t automatically include them in your workup.

These new diagnostic tests have shown promise in detecting heart disease and cancer very early in patients, when coupled with a clear family medical history you can literally add years to your life but it’s up to you to make sure your physician knows you want these diagnostic tests added to your routine physical.

3 Diagnostic Tests you need to Know About

High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein Test:

C-Reactive protein diagnostic tests have been around for a while but it’s only recently that doctors have considered it an important gauge for cardiovascular disease. C-reactive protein ( CRP ) is released by the liver when inflammation is present. Chronic inflammation is the leading cause of damage to interior arterial walls. This simple blood test looks for the presence of c-reactive proteins and because the test is sensitive enough to inflammation detect lower concentrations of these proteins it can literally detect the beginning signs of cardiovascular disease in an otherwise outwardly healthy person.

The American Heart Association has recommended that the c-reactive protein diagnostic test be added to the the list of general screening tests for heart disease. This test takes the traditional heart screening to the next level by accurately predicting those at risk for diabetes,stroke and heart disease. It’s been shown through testing that if you have a c-reactive protein test come back at the higher end of the normal range you could have a 1 – 4 times greater chance of having a heart attack compared to those whose test results are at the lower end of the normal range. Many experts are now calling for widespread screening using High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein Test for those over 50 based on the JUPITER study, which found that hs-CRP predicted heart disease even in people with no risk factors.

Drug companies like AstraZenica, who make the popular statin drug Crestor, are already jumping on the bandwagon by sponsoring studies of c-reactive protein tests because they see this a boon to the statin business which should be worrisome for everyone for many reasons.

The High Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein test is covered by most insurers including Medicare but the catch is that your doctor has to recommend the test based on a family history of heart disease or other qualifying factors. Basic inflammation conditions such as arthritis or autoimmune diseases don’t qualify you for the C-0Reactive Protein test.

At $40 – $70 it is well worth it to talk your doctor into giving you this test as it literally may save your life.

Early CDT-Lung Test for Lung Cancer:

Lung cancer is one disease that is rarely caught early when it’s possible to operate and remove tumors successfully. Lung cancer is a silent killer that takes the lives of over 160,000 Americans yearly and the diagnosis for the lung cancer survivors is grim at a 16% survival rate after 5 years.

The CDT-Lung diagnostic tests measure autoantibodies produced by the immune system in response to proteins released by lung cancer. A positive result shows that the immune system has had a reaction to the cancer proteins. Because these autoantibodies show up very early in the cancer progression this means that lung cancer can be caught much earlier in the beginning stages and usually well before symptoms appear in the patient. This test will not only save lives but actively prolong them if lung cancer is caught early.

Again, the CDT Lung test is a very simple blood test that can and should be added to all physical screening tests for those over 50. The test results are usually available within a week and astonishingly in certain tests the CDT Lung test was show to be over 90% accurate in detecting lung cancer.

While most insurers and Medicare part b do cover this simple blood test it’s important to note that not all insures do, and with a $475 price tag this can be an expensive diagnostic tool for many.

Again, if you have insurance push your doctor into including this test it surely can’t hurt you and it may just save your life.

Corus CAD

The Corus CAD diagnostic tests are a new blood test to assess coronary artery disease (CAD) that may be causing a blockage in your artery. The test measures key biological processes such as inflammation (the body’s response to injury) that contribute to atherosclerosis, the buildup of fatty plaque on the walls of the arteries.

When combined with an assessment of your other CAD risk factors, the Corus CAD test helps your doctor determine whether you have coronary artery disease. By identifying patients who have a high likelihood for having a significant blockage in the coronary arteries (arteries narrowed by 50% or more), the test enables your doctor to make better decisions about lifestyle changes and treatments to prevent coronary artery disease progression.

The test is performed through a simple blood sample taken from a vein in your arm. The blood sample can be conveniently collected in your healthcare provider’s office.

The Corus CAD test measures the activity of genes in response to the biological processes that lead to the formation of blocked arteries. The Corus CAD is a gene expression test and not a genetic test. Genetic tests look directly at the genes that make up your DNA. At the time of birth, you are born with DNA that stays the same throughout your life and does not change. A gene expression test, however, is different in that it measures the activity of genes in your body that may impact whether or not you have a certain disease today.

Although it is a simple blood test it comes with a heft price tag of $1195. Very few insurance companies cover this diagnostic test at present. The makers of this test, CadioDX have a patient advocacy process to help deal with insurance companies including filling out the necessary paperwork and appeals for patients andf they also have an in house financial assistance for those eligible.

While the test is a good test to have most will forgo it due to price tag alone. Hopefully in the near future prices will begin to come down to acceptable levels where the major insurance carries as well as Medicaid and Medicare begin to cover it’s use.

It can’t be stressed enough that we are in control of our physical well being and aside from better lifestyle choices we need to maintain regular health checks to keep a good tab on what our bodies are doing so we aren’t caught by surprise. Adding these diagnostic tests will give you a well rounded look into your physical health.