SPECTRACELL
Comprehensive Nutrient Panel
Even if you maintain a healthy diet and supplement with a multivitamin, you could still be experiencing the effects of nutrient deficiencies which suppress the function of your immune system and contribute to degenerative health conditions.
Chaney Integrative Family Medicine provides patients access to leading micronutrient testing services through industry pioneer SpectraCell Laboratories that can help identify nutrient deficiencies and get you back on the road to optimal health.
The patented SpectraCell test measures the function of selected vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other essential micronutrients within your white blood cells, and can reveal a patient’s functional nutrient status over a much longer time period than conventional serum testing.
Conditions and disease processes linked to nutrient imbalances include:
- Alcoholism/Substance Abuse
- Arthritis
- Behavioral disorders
- Cancer
- Cardiovascular diseases
- Chronic fatigue
- Diabetes
- Immune disorders
- Macular degeneration
- Multiple sclerosis
- Osteoporosis
- Parkinson’s
- Stroke
LIPID PROFILE
Lipid profile indicates whether a person's cholesterol-carrying lipoproteins are predominantly healthy or atherogenic. The Lipoprotein Particle Profile is particularly useful in stratifying cardiometabolic risk in asymptomatic people. SpectraCell's report segments the Lipid Profile into a standard Lipid Panel & the gold standards Lipoprotein Particle Numbers.
LIPID PANEL
The basic Lipid Panel is a very general marker for cardiometabolic risk. This standard lipid panel is helpful when viewed in the context of other biomarkers, particularly lipoprotein particle numbers. Lowering LDL-cholesterol is currently the primary target of treatment. However, elevated triglycerides and low HDL-cholesterol are highly associated with metabolic syndrome, which negatively impacts a pre-diabetic risk score.
- Standard lipid panel - Total cholesterol, HDL, LDL - Useful when viewed in conjunction with more clinically accurate lipoprotein particle testing
- Triglycerides - Elevated triglycerides promote the formation of atherogenic small, dense LDL (indicates abnormal lipoprotein metabolism) and cause endothelial dysfunction; a strong inverse correlation exists between triglycerides and heart protective HDL
LIPOPROTEIN PARTICLE NUMBERS
Measuring cholesterol alone is insufficient for accurately assessing cardiometabolic risk. SpectraCell's Lipoprotein Particle (LPPTM) is an advanced technology which accurately measures both the density and number of lipoprotein particles. This information reveals potential cardiovascular problems that are often missed when only using a standard lipid panel to assess risk.
- Lipoprotein Particle Profile - accurately measures the number and size of all lipoprotein particles; helpful in determining the best treatment since the most effective treatment option varies depending on which lipoprotein is elevated
- VLDL, LDL and non-HDL Particles - accurate number of lipoprotein particles stratified by size and type
- Remnant Lipoprotein - highly atherogenic; causes platelet aggregation and impairs vascular relaxation
- Small Dense LDL - highly atherogenic; these are more dangerous because their small size allows them to more easily penetrate and damage the endothelial wall of blood vessels, thus contributing to atherosclerosis
- HDL2b - protective lipoproteins that indicate how well HDL is clearing excess cholesterol
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO KNOW LIPOPROTEIN PARTICLE NUMBERS?
Cardiovascular risk increases with a higher LDL particle count. With a higher non-HDL lipoprotein count the probability of particle penetration of the arterial wall rises regardless of the total amount of cholesterol contained in each particle. On average, the typical LDL particles contains 50 percent cholesterol.
More than 20 percent of the population has cholesterol-depleted LDL, a condition in which a patient's cholesterol may be "normal" but their lipoprotein particle number, and hence their actual risk, could be much higher than expected. This is especially common in persons whose triglycerides are high and HDL is low. In the population with a cholesterol-depleted LDL, there can be up to a 40 percent error in risk assessment.
MTHFR GENOTYPING
MTHFR is an abbreviation for a gene that codes for an enzyme called methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase. It is involved in the metabolism of folate and homocysteine.
Mutations in the MTHFR gene are associated with thromboembolic and cardiovascular disease, which can lead to blood clots, stroke, embolism, and/or heart attacks.
Two mutations of MTHFR are the most common. Approximately 30-40% of the population carries a mutation at position C677T, and 20% of the population carries a mutation at position C1298T. Individuals with these mutations are at increased risk for thromboembolic and cardiovascular disease. They are also linked with recurrent miscarriages and neural tube defects (NTD) in the children of the women carrying the mutations.
In addition, individuals with mutations in the MTHFR gene often have elevated levels of homocysteine in their blood. This is related to a deficiency of folic acid (folate or Vitamin B) and is connected to increased risk of cardiac events and infertility.
MTHFR is involved in processing folic acid. Small changes in this chemical process can be associated with the following conditions:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Chronic Pain
- Chronic Fatigue
- Nerve Pain
- Migraines
- Elevated Homocysteine Levels
- Fibromyalgia
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Alzheimer Disease
- Bipolar Disorder
- Schizophrenia
- Parkinson Disease
- Stroke
- Heart Disease
- Multiple Miscarriages
- Stillbirths and Other Birth Defects
- Down Syndrome
- Autism
TELOMERE TESTING
Telomeres are sections of genetic material at the end of each chromosome whose primary function is to prevent chromosomal “fraying” when a cell replicates. As a cell ages, its telomeres become shorter. Eventually, the telomeres become too short to allow cell replication, the cell stops dividing and will ultimately die - a normal biological process. SpectraCell’s Telomere Test can determine the length of a patient’s telomeres in relation to the patient’s age.