Advanced Heart Screening:
See Beyond the Standard Checkup
Get Started with a One-on-One Heart Health Consultation
Heart Disease Doesn’t Announce Itself
Heart disease often develops silently, sometimes for years, before symptoms ever show up. A routine physical or a basic cholesterol test can come back looking fine while plaque quietly builds in your arteries in the background. Advanced heart screening goes further, using specialized imaging and advanced blood markers to catch early signs of cardiovascular risk long before a crisis forces the issue.
If you have a family history of heart disease, elevated blood pressure, borderline cholesterol, or any other cardiovascular concern, it’s worth a closer look.
The Benefits of Advanced Heart Screening
- Earlier Detection: The ability to identify disease long before symptoms appear, even when your routine labs look normal.
- Real Motivation for Change: Seeing your own arteries on a scan tends to make lifestyle changes feel urgent instead of optional.
- Personalized Prevention: Your treatment plan is built around your own results, not a generic recommendation.
- Reduced Future Risk: Catching a problem early lowers your chances of a heart attack, stroke, or heart failure down the road.
- Real Peace of Mind: Rule out the risks quietly working against you, or catch them early enough to act.
What Our Heart Screening Looks For
Traditional cardiology tends to focus on diagnosing disease that’s already there. Advanced heart screening takes a proactive approach instead, checking for plaque buildup in your arteries, hidden inflammation, genetic or metabolic risk factors, reduced vascular flexibility, silent coronary artery disease, and your future risk of a heart attack or stroke.
What’s Included in Your Heart Screening
Bloodwork & Biomarker Testing
A standard cholesterol panel only tells part of the story. Your screening also measures ApoB, Lipoprotein(a), insulin and glucose markers, HbA1c, omega-3 levels, homocysteine, kidney and liver markers, and hormone and metabolic panels, which are the biomarkers a routine panel tends to miss.
Coronary CT Angiography (CCTA)
A CCTA scan uses CT imaging to visualize your coronary arteries directly and check for blockages or plaque buildup. An AI-powered platform analyzes images and builds a detailed 3D map of your arteries, identifying, categorizing, and measuring any plaque before you ever experience symptoms.
Components of an Advanced Heart Screening
Your advanced heard screening is designed to be as in-depth as possible in order to create a fully customized treatment plan based on your unique needs. Components may include:
Bloodwork & Biomarker Tests
These tests measure specialized biomarkers and can uncover risks that a normal cholesterol panel may miss. Advanced labs check:
- Standard cholesterol panel
- ApoB (apolipoprotein B)
- Lipoprotein(a) / Lp(a)
- Insulin and glucose markers
- HbA1c
- Omega-3 levels
- Homocysteine
- Kidney and liver markers
- Hormone and metabolic panels
Coronary CT Angiography (CCTA) Scan
A CCTA scan is an imaging test that uses a CT scan to visualize coronary arteries and assess for blockages or plaque buildup. This is one of the most common longevity-focused heart tests. Additionally, thriveMD patients have access to an AI-powered platform that analyzes CCTA images and generates a detailed 3D map of your coronary arteries, identifying, categorizing, and quantifying plaque before symptoms ever appear.
Meet Our Providers
thriveMD is led by physicians who specialize in regenerative and longevity medicine. Their broad, hands-on experience across multiple areas of medicine means they’re often first to bring new, evidence-based diagnostics into your care, using the most advanced tools available to catch what a standard checkup can miss.
Frequently Asked Questions
Take the first step toward feeling your best.
What’s the process for a heart screening?
It starts with an intake appointment that covers your family and health history, lifestyle, and nutrition. From there, you’ll undergo lab testing, bloodwork, imaging, and functional testing as needed, and your provider will review the findings and develop a personalized plan that may include nutrition, exercise, sleep, supplements, medication, or follow-up testing.
How do I prepare for my heart screening?
Let us know about any medications that could interfere with testing, and avoid erectile dysfunction medications for 72 hours before your exam. Skip caffeine and tobacco for 12 hours beforehand, since both raise your heart rate, and avoid food or drinks other than water for 4 hours before your test. Plan to arrive 30 to 60 minutes early for prep, and wear loose, comfortable clothing without any metal on your upper body. Afterward, we’ll meet with you to review your results and talk through next steps.
How do I know if I am a candidate for advanced heart screening?
Good candidates typically have a family history of heart disease, elevated blood pressure, borderline or high cholesterol, or other risk factors like diabetes or a sedentary lifestyle. It’s also worth considering whether your routine labs look fine, but something still feels off, since standard testing often misses the risk that’s already building. Your provider will review your history and help you decide if it’s the right next step.
Is the CCTA scan safe?
Yes. A CCTA is a well-established, minimally invasive imaging test that uses a carefully controlled, low dose of radiation, and it’s been used in cardiology for years to visualize the coronary arteries without surgery. Your provider will review your health history beforehand to confirm it’s appropriate for you.
What happens during my visit, and how long does it take?
Most visits combine your intake consultation, bloodwork, and imaging into a single appointment, and you should plan to spend a few hours from start to finish. The CCTA scan itself is quick, typically just a few minutes once you’re prepped, and you’ll be able to drive yourself home afterward since no sedation is involved.
How much does it cost, and is financing available?
Cost depends on which components of the screening your provider recommends. Financing is available. The clearest way to get real numbers is to schedule a consultation.
Schedule Your Advanced Heart Screening in Centennial, Cherry Creek, or Vail/Edwards
If you have known risk factors for heart disease, or you simply want a fuller picture of your cardiovascular health and how it’s aging, advanced heart screening may be right for you.