Clinic appointment
Advanced Heart Health
Everything in the Heart & Sugar Plus panel, plus thyroid function, lipoprotein(a), apolipoprotein A1 and B, coenzyme Q10 and troponin T.
- Doctor-reviewed results
- Laboratory analysis
- 10+ working days from lab receipt
- Fasting preferred
What’s included
11 tests included
This count refers to bundled laboratory tests. Their individual measurements are listed below.
All items are shown below, grouped by area. You can collapse a group as you read.
Cholesterol
Triglycerides
A type of blood fat measured in a standard lipid profile, which does not usually need a fasting sample. A high level is one form of lipid imbalance and is a risk factor for heart and circulatory disease in its own right.
Total cholesterol
The total amount of cholesterol carried in your blood. The result can be split into HDL (good) cholesterol and non-HDL cholesterol, and doctors use it with things like age and blood pressure to estimate the risk of heart and circulation problems.
HDL cholesterol
HDL cholesterol is part of a standard cholesterol (lipid) profile. It works against the build-up of fatty plaque in artery walls, so higher levels are linked with a lower risk of heart and circulation disease. A low HDL level is one form of unhealthy blood fat balance (dyslipidaemia).
LDL cholesterol
LDL cholesterol is usually calculated from the other results in a standard cholesterol profile. It plays a major part in fatty plaque building up in artery walls, so a raised level increases the risk of conditions such as heart attack and stroke. It has long been the main target of cholesterol-lowering treatment.
Non-HDL cholesterol
All the cholesterol types that raise heart risk added together in one number. NICE uses it to set cholesterol treatment goals.
Lipoprotein(a)
A largely inherited cholesterol particle that adds to heart and artery risk independently of your other cholesterol numbers. Because it is set mostly by your genes, it is usually checked once rather than repeatedly.
Apolipoprotein A1
The main protein in HDL, the protective cholesterol particles.
Apolipoprotein B
A direct count of the cholesterol-carrying particles that can lodge in artery walls, because each one carries a single ApoB tag. It can show risk even when a standard cholesterol result looks unremarkable.
Inflammation & clotting
hs-CRP
A raised level of this biomarker, where it has been measured, is listed in guidelines cited by NICE as one of several factors to weigh up when deciding about preventive treatment, such as a statin, for adults at borderline heart and artery disease risk.
Diabetes
HbA1c
Reflects blood glucose control over roughly the previous 8 to 12 weeks, without the need to fast. It is used to diagnose type 2 diabetes, but can be misleading in pregnancy, soon after symptoms start, and in people with abnormal haemoglobin, such as sickle cell trait, or altered red blood cell turnover.
Liver
ALT
Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) is one of the standard liver blood tests. A raised level mainly points to injury to liver cells, which can be caused by viral hepatitis, fatty liver disease, alcohol, autoimmune hepatitis or some medicines. Its pattern alongside the other liver tests helps show the likely type of liver problem.
AST
Aspartate transaminase, a liver test read together with ALT. A pattern where AST and ALT are the main raised liver tests points to liver cell damage, for example from viral hepatitis, fatty liver disease, alcohol or medicines. The balance between AST and ALT gives clues to the cause.
Bilirubin
A breakdown product of haem from red blood cells, which the liver processes so it can be passed out in bile. A raised level can come from extra red blood cell breakdown, liver disease or a blocked bile duct, and can lead to jaundice.
Total protein
Measures the total amount of protein in the blood. A low level can point to a liver or kidney problem, or to protein not being digested or absorbed well; a high level can reflect dehydration or a cancer such as multiple myeloma. Further tests show which proteins are out of range.
Alkaline phosphatase
Alkaline phosphatase, one of the standard liver function tests. A raised level, especially with a raised GGT, suggests a problem with bile flow (cholestasis), such as a blocked bile duct. Bone disease and low vitamin D can also raise it.
Albumin
The main protein your liver makes. It is a useful marker of the liver's longer-term output.
Globulin
Serum globulins, a group of blood proteins. Levels can rise in long-term liver inflammation (chronic hepatitis) and in cirrhosis.
Gamma GT
A liver enzyme that is more sensitive than ALT or AST to alcohol, some medicines and fatty change in the liver.
Kidney & salt balance
Sodium
One of the body's electrolytes, the salts and minerals in the blood that help carry electrical signals. It is checked in an electrolyte test to look for an imbalance, for example in people taking diuretics or ACE inhibitors for high blood pressure.
Potassium
A mineral held mostly inside the body's cells. Small shifts in its level affect how muscles contract, including the heart, and it is vital for the heart's electrical signals and for fluid balance. The kidneys are the main route by which the body gets rid of potassium.
Chloride
One of the electrolytes, the salts and minerals in the blood (along with sodium, potassium and bicarbonate) that help conduct electrical impulses in the body. It is measured in an electrolyte panel, which can show whether salts, or acid and base, are out of balance.
Bicarbonate
Part of the system that keeps your blood from becoming too acidic or too alkaline. Read alongside the other salts rather than on its own.
Urea
Urea is checked together with sodium, potassium and creatinine to assess how well the kidneys are working and the body's fluid balance.
Creatinine
A waste product measured in the blood as the main test for kidney disease. Combined with age and sex, it is used to work out eGFR, an estimate of how much the kidneys can filter each minute. A lower eGFR can point to chronic kidney disease.
Hormones
TSH
Thyroid-stimulating hormone, released by the pituitary gland to prompt the thyroid to make T4 and T3. Thyroid hormone levels feed back to control it, so a TSH above the normal range points to an underactive thyroid, especially when free T4 is low.
Other markers
Coenzyme Q10
A substance your cells use to release energy. It is sometimes measured in people taking statins or high-dose supplements.
Heart muscle
Troponin T (high sensitivity)
A protein released into the blood when heart muscle is injured, measured with a high-sensitivity method. It must be interpreted by a clinician alongside symptoms; it is never a substitute for emergency care. If you have chest pain, call 999.
Overview
The essential cardiac panel plus thyroid function, lipoprotein(a), apolipoprotein A1 and B, coenzyme Q10 and high-sensitivity troponin T. People choose it when they want more than standard cholesterol and inflammation markers, often because heart disease has appeared early in the family or because a doctor has raised ApoB or lipoprotein(a).
A fuller cardiac risk workup for people who want more than standard cholesterol and inflammation markers, including two less commonly tested but well-evidenced risk markers, lipoprotein(a) and apolipoprotein B.
Who this is for and who it isn’t
Who it’s for
- Adults aged 18 and over
- Anyone with a family history of early heart attack or stroke
- People with borderline cholesterol who want lipoprotein(a) and apoB measured
Who it isn’t for
- This panel includes high-sensitivity troponin, a marker of heart muscle injury, which is why you are asked to acknowledge the emergency guidance before ordering. It is a risk panel for people who feel well. If you have chest pain, sudden breathlessness, or pain spreading to your arm or jaw, call 999 now.
- Do not wait for a blood test.
- Anyone with a new, severe or worsening symptom: contact your GP or call NHS 111. A test you buy today is not a substitute for being examined.
Common reasons people choose this test
- A family history of heart attack or stroke before 60
- Wanting ApoB and lipoprotein(a) alongside a general panel
- An ongoing conversation with your GP about cardiovascular risk
- Wanting lipoprotein(a) and apoB checked alongside a general panel
These are reasons people choose to test, not signs that something is wrong. A result is one part of a picture your doctor puts together with your history and an examination.
What your result looks like
Every result is shown with the unit and the reference range exactly as the laboratory reported it, with the doctor’s note underneath.
- Triglycerides▲ High
- Result
- 2.4 mmol/L
- Range
- <1.7 (fasting)
- Total cholesterolIn range
- Result
- 4.6 mmol/L
- Range
- <5.0
- HDL cholesterolIn range
- Result
- 1.5 mmol/L
- Range
- >1.2 / >1.0
| Marker | Result | Units | Range | Flag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Triglycerides | 2.4 | mmol/L | <1.7 (fasting) | ▲ High |
| Total cholesterol | 4.6 | mmol/L | <5.0 | In range |
| HDL cholesterol | 1.5 | mmol/L | >1.2 / >1.0 | In range |
Doctor’s note (example)
Triglycerides are raised, most often from not being fully fasted, alcohol, or sugar. A fasted repeat in a few weeks usually gives a truer figure.
…and 24 more markers. Ranges shown as women / men. Values above are examples. Your report shows your own results with the laboratory’s units and reference range for your age and sex, reviewed, signed and released by a GMC-registered doctor.
How it works
- You book your appointmentA trained clinician takes your sample at one of our London clinics. Nothing to do at home.
- The clinician takes your sampleA single clinic blood draw by a trained clinician
- The laboratory analyses itYour sample is processed for the measurements included in this test. Lab processing typically takes 10+ working days from receipt of your sample.
- A doctor reviews and releases itA GMC-registered doctor reads every result and signs the report before it reaches you.
- Sample
- Clinic blood draw
- Preparation
- Fasting preferred
- Who it's for
- Any sex · ages 18+
How to prepare
A fasted sample is preferred for this test, which usually means nothing but water overnight. It is not essential, and the reviewing doctor takes it into account if you have eaten. If you can, book a morning slot and come before breakfast.
What we can and can’t tell you
The reference range beside each result is the laboratory’s own. A result in range is not a clean bill of health and a result outside it is not a diagnosis. Most ranges cover about 95% of healthy people, so about 1 in 20 healthy people fall just outside any one range. No test result replaces an examination or your own doctor’s judgement, and none of these panels is a cancer screening programme.
Read the full note
The reference range printed beside each of your results is the laboratory's own, and it is the range that applies to your result. We do not apply a second range of our own, and we do not tell you that a result the laboratory reported as normal is nonetheless too low or too high. If you see a claim elsewhere that your result ought to sit inside a narrower band than the one the laboratory printed, treat it with caution and ask your doctor.
Some assays cannot give an exact figure above or below a certain point, and those results are reported the way the laboratory sends them, for example as a value greater than a stated number. A result in range is not a clean bill of health, and a result outside a range is not a diagnosis: most reference ranges are set to cover about 95% of healthy people, so some healthy people fall just outside them. No blood test replaces an examination, a scan or your own doctor's judgement, and none of these panels is a screening programme for cancer.
If you have a symptom that is new, severe, or getting worse, contact your GP or NHS 111 rather than waiting for a test result. In an emergency call 999.
Frequently asked questions
Why does this test ask me to confirm I am not having symptoms?
Because it includes troponin. Troponin is used in hospital to assess someone with chest pain, and a private blood test posted or booked for a later date is the wrong route for anyone with symptoms now. That is why we ask you to confirm this before it can go in your basket, so nobody uses it that way.
What is coenzyme Q10 doing in a cardiac panel?
It is sometimes measured in people taking statins, and it is included here as supporting information for a doctor. It is not a required part of cardiovascular risk assessment in the UK.
How long do results take?
The laboratory typically takes 10+ working days from receiving your sample. This does not include kit delivery, sample collection or return postage. A doctor reviews your results before they are released.
Can I choose a home kit or a clinic?
This test is a clinic blood draw, as it needs a venous sample for accuracy. We arrange a convenient appointment for you.
Is a doctor involved?
Yes. Every result is reviewed by a GMC-registered doctor who signs it off and explains what it means and what to do next.
Is it confidential?
Your results are available through your secure patient portal. Our privacy policy explains how your information is handled and when it may be shared to provide your care.
Do I need to fast?
A fasted sample is preferred for this test, which usually means nothing but water overnight. It is not essential, and the reviewing doctor takes it into account if you have eaten. If you can, book a morning slot and come before breakfast.
What happens to my sample and results?
Your sample is analysed at a UKAS-accredited laboratory (ISO 15189). A GMC-registered doctor then reads every result and signs the report before it is released to your secure portal. The report shows each result with its unit and the laboratory's own reference range, and the doctor's note on what the set means read together. If a result sits outside its range, the report explains what usually happens next, which is most often a conversation with your own GP. If your troponin result is raised, the reviewing doctor is alerted and we contact you by phone the same working day to advise on urgent assessment, which may mean A&E or an urgent GP appointment. If you develop chest pain, sudden breathlessness or fainting at any point, call 999 or go to A&E rather than waiting for your result.
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