Additional Lab Markers to Track Cardiovascular Disease
Today's article focuses on the value of tracking and monitoring the basic complete blood count (CBC) as it relates to increased cardiovascular events.
It is recommended to consider taking a deeper look at the components of the CBC blood levels, especially white blood cells (WBC), hemoglobin, platelets, mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and red cell distribution width (RDW).
Most physicians do not commonly relate abnormally high levels of the above CBC markers and increased cardiovascular disease but the peer reviewed literature proves otherwise.
Here are the CBC components I recommend you review on your most recent or past lab work.
WBC above 9 thousand increases risk of heart attack by 4x
If hemoglobin is high so is blood pressure
RDW above 14.5 increases cardiovascular risk
MCV above 95 = 25% higher CVD risk
Platelet count above 400 = 50% higher risk of CVD
Action Steps to Take To Improve Cardiovascular Risk
Rule out B-12 and folate deficiency
Curb systemic inflammation
Drink plenty of filtered or spring water
Rule out infection
Comments
Although this is a small component of looking at other cardiovascular markers, I suggest seeking the expertise of a doctor trained in functional medicine who can perform a more comprehensive review of your cardiovascular health and outline an effective diagnostic and treatment plan.
References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6224537/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11590089/
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/03/050323134019.htm
https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.119.045102
https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1161/01.CIR.84.2.613
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcvm.2019.00109/full
https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.112.193565
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4261384/
Written by Ronal Grisanti, DC and printed with permission.
www.functionalmedicineuniversity.com