The Lipoprotein-Associated Phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2)

For this post we’ll be talking about something near and dear to our hearts.  Literally.  Heart health screening and cardiovascular disease or CVD for short.  Cardiovascular disease is the number one leading cause of death in the United States claiming an estimated 700,000 lives annually.  Just like a cross section of society the leading cause of death for police officers is also heart disease.  The biggest difference is that police officers experience CVD and heart attacks more often and at younger ages when compared to the general population. 

It should come to no surprise that our 20 plus career exposure to all we experience coupled with poor lifestyle habits take a toll on our hearts.  I like to say that we give so much of our hearts to the service of others that there isn’t much left for us.  While getting regular screening, managing risk factor such as eating a healthy diet and getting adequate physical activity are way to be proactive, I would like to talk about one specific screening test that might just save your life. 

Everyone should go to the doctor annually at minimum for a standard checkup.  I know we all hear the stories about someone passing away and if they had just gone to the doctor, an issue would have been caught and perhaps prevented someone’s passing.  Think of it as maintenance.  Continually firing a gun without cleaning and maintain it will cause that weapon to eventually fail.  We know the importance of maintaining our firearms and other tools, so start incorporating your body into routine maintenance.  So actually going to the doctor for an annual checkup is the first key step. 

When it comes to screening tests there are three tests you can do for early detection.  The standard lipid panel checking HDL, LDL, and triglycerides is the most standard test that can be determined from a simple blood test.  Most of us know about these tests, but the importance of them is to monitor risk of developing CVD, and also to monitor the effectiveness of cholesterol treatments. 

The second essential test is the coronary calcium score, or CCS, a non-invasive scan or imaging test that measures and detects any calcium buildup that could be present in the arteries. The presence of calcium is linked to the buildup of plaque in the arteries leading to blockages. 

These two tests are the current standard of care when it comes to heart health screening.  There is a newer test out there that is a new key determining factor in screening and it is extremely helpful for first responders.  The Lipoprotein-Associated Phospholipase A2, or Lp-PLA 2 test, is a simple blood test that can be added to your lipid panel blood draw test.  PLA 2 is a test that checks for inflammation that is present in the blood stream.  That inflammation presents in the form of lipoproteins.  With our jobs causing stress and in many cases chronic stress, the body produces cortisol.  With high levels of cortisol, the lipoproteins in our blood are metabolized differently.  These can manifest in CVD with many times resulting in unknown or harder to detect blockages.  The PLA 2 test is a vital and relatively new test that just might save your life.  If you don’t believe me, you can believe Dr. John Sheinburg.  Dr. Sheinburg is a physician and police officer who is promoting the importance of the PLA 2 test.  I have linked a video to Dr. Sheinburg below.  This vital test will help save your life.  Again, it is relatively new, so you may have to educate yourself about the test so you can educate your doctor about what it is as this is not part of the standard of care for CVD screening.  Our role as first responders makes this test a crucial component to add to our regular screening methods. 

In summary, go to the doctor annually and get a checkup, get your standard lipid panel of tests, pay the extra money to get the coronary calcium score scan, and add the PLA 2 test to your battery of tests.  Your life depends on it! 

You can find more information from Dr. Sheinburg at: https://youtu.be/yL_XUcuc7K8?si=x3jEndoE4lgg3_Vt

For more information about the PLA 2 test visit: https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content?contenttypeid=167&contentid=lipoprotein_phospholipase_a2