One of the most common lab tests that you’ll acquire  at your physicians  office is the regular cholesterol test, commonly called a lipid panel.  This test is typically ordered to assess your cholesterol and manage your cardiovascular health.

However, there is a more advanced blood test available to you that  you and your providers with a much clearer idea of your cholesterol as well as your risk levels.  The test is called a VAP Test.

The VAP Test, or Vertical Auto Profile, is the most advanced cholesterol test available to the consumer.  It must be pretty good as it was named one of the “Five Tests Worth Paying For” by the Wall Street Journal and “Ten Ways to Live Longer” by Forbes.com.

So, how does it differ from the lipid panel your doctor has always ordered for you in the past?   What difference can it make?

First, and foremost, the VAP cholesterol test is able to determine a greater number of lipid dysfunctions.  Lipid dysfunctions are the number one risk factor for heart disease.  It is also the only cholesterol test that is able to assess the markers for metabolic syndrome, the precursor of diabetes.  This is critically important information as cardiac disease and type II diabetes are manageable  conditions, when diagnosed early.

Also, whereas the regular cholesterol panel reports only four components of cholesterol , the VAP cholesterol test reports 15 separate components.  This is extremely valuable when determining your actual risk factors.

This test is the first lipid panel to comply with updated standards pushing for more accurate, direct low-density lipoprotein (LDL) assessment unaffected by triglycerides. It is also the only commercially available advanced lipid profile that routinely reports all three lipoprotein parameters considered necessary by the American Diabetes Association and American College of Cardiology expert consensus guidelines.

The VAP test provides an advanced option to the regular cholesterol testing  that has been previously used.  When talking with your provider about your cholesterol, it may be important to ask about this test to determine if its right for you.