If you’ve had the NHS Health Check, including blood pressure, cholesterol, and likely a chat about BMI, you’ve probably walked out with a 10-year risk score and a reassuring thumbs-up. It’s a useful starting point and a great baseline for most people.
But heart health is more nuanced than a single risk score. Modern cardiology now looks at a wider set of markers that give a more complete picture of how your heart is actually doing. And most of them aren’t on the standard NHS panel. So, here are five worth knowing about!
1. Lipoprotein(a)
This is actually the strongest inherited risk factor for heart disease. Lipoprotein (a), Lp(a), is roughly six times more likely to cause arterial plaque than ordinary LDL, and around 1 in 5 people have elevated levels, often without knowing it.
If a parent had a heart attack at a young age despite normal cholesterol, this is often the reason. The American College of Cardiology now recommends testing Lp(a) at least once in your lifetime.
2. Apolipoprotein B
Standard LDL measures the amount of cholesterol in your blood. Meanwhile, Apolipoprotein B (ApoB) measures the number of harmful particles (the ones that actually get lodged in your artery walls). Surprisingly, these two figures can actually vary, meaning your LDL levels might look normal, but you can have high ApoB.
3. High-Sensitivity CRP
Heart disease isn’t just about your arteries. Chronic, low-grade inflammation destabilises plaque and is what often triggers heart attacks.
High-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP) measures inflammation. In fact, elevated levels predict cardiac events even when cholesterol looks perfectly normal. The good news is that sleep, diet, movement, and stress reduction all bring this marker down, so if you’re hitting the foundations and don’t have a chronic disease, this marker shouldn’t be elevated. Either way, it may be worth testing to ensure nothing is missed!
4. Fasting Insulin
Insulin resistance can precede type 2 diabetes by around 10-15 years, with arterial damage beginning during this earlier phase. By the time HbA1c or fasting glucose trends upward, your metabolism has been in trouble for potentially a decade.
Fasting insulin is the leading indicator of insulin resistance that may go undetected on other tests. Conventional lab ranges are wide (typically up to 25 mU/L), but functional medicine practitioners often consider levels under 6 mU/L to indicate optimal insulin sensitivity.
5. Homocysteine
Homocysteine, an amino acid, is linked to artery damage and stroke risk at elevated levels. It’s also one of the most fixable markers on the list. Interestingly, high readings often come from a B-vitamin deficiency (B12, folate, B6), and a methylated B-complex can bring levels down within months. It’s rarely included in routine testing, but it may be worthwhile if you have concerns about your cardiovascular health (or a family history of it).
At the end of the day, heart health isn’t isolated; it relies on various systems and functions working well to be optimal. Getting a full picture ensures you keep your heart in the best shape possible at any age.
At Posture & Wellness, we can help you move better! If pain is getting in your way or your posture isn’t what it once was, reach out to our team or book your FREE discovery. BOOK NOW.