Measuring vascular health: You asked, experts answer
One of the most frequently asked questions in our webinars has been: “How do I measure vascular health over time?” We interviewed two practitioners with thriving vascular health programs to learn the metrics they use to track the trajectory of vascular health and engage patients in therapeutic interventions.
Tools for Every Clinician
In this brief video, renowned cardiologist Dr. Joel Kahn highlights vascular measurement tools that are reliable, affordable, safe, and available to every practitioner in the US:
Joel Kahn, MD, FACC, is well-known among both practitioners and the general public as an advocate of whole-food plant-based diets to achieve optimum cardiovascular health. His prevention-focused practice uses meticulous measurement protocols to detect atherosclerotic disease before it is symptomatic.
Dr. Kahn directs the Kahn Center for Cardiac Longevity and serves as Clinical Professor of Medicine/Cardiology at the Wayne State University School of Medicine.
Simplifying the Results
In this short video, Dr. Kristine Burke shares what she’s learned about using vascular health metrics to engage patients in their ongoing treatment. She suggests focusing on “total plaque burden” to give patients a simple but powerful way to understand their vascular health.
Kristine Burke, MD, is board certified in both family and sports medicine and is fully certified in functional medicine. She believes in a collaborative approach to achieving the most successful personal outcomes for her patients, guiding them to wellness and prevention while also managing their medical conditions.
Dr. Burke directs the True Health Center for Functional Medicine and is the Medical Director for Help Your Diabetes, Sacramento.
Key Takeaways
Early Detection is Key
Successful prevention of cardiovascular disease requires early detection:
- Most cases of atherosclerosis show no symptoms.
- Diagnostic tools can detect disease early to initiate prevention.
- Once disease is identified, labs can help identify the root cause.
How to Measure Vascular Health
Common vascular measurements include blood sugar, lipid particles, inflammatory markers, and the like.
Further, nutrition biomarkers can be very helpful, including:
- Vitamin D
- Omega 3s
- Thyroid function
- Iron
- And more
Two additional measurement tools for plaque that many clinicians find to be very effective include:
- Carotid intima-media thickness ultrasound (CIMT)
- Coronary artery calcium CT scan
How to Improve Patient Engagement
- Showing the patient’s total plaque burden is simpler than showing the increase or decrease of individual plaques.
- Patients are more engaged and motivated when they see a single number, visibly improved.
To learn more about new approaches to vascular health, visit the Practitioner Education Center.
IMPORTANT NOTICE:
The information on this webpage is for licensed healthcare practitioner education only, and is not to be disseminated to the general public.
