10 May How to Detect Chronic Diseases Early
You don’t know what you don’t know. That may be a good thing in some cases, but when it comes to your health, it’s not so good. In fact, did you know that out of people who suffer a heart attack, about 50% have normal cholesterol levels? That’s because your average cholesterol tests don’t capture the full picture of what’s going on with your heart.
Knowing the whole picture of your health is important, especially in the US where about 50% of the adult population has at least one chronic disease (about 25% of the adult population has two or more chronic diseases). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the 10 leading causes of death account for 74% of all deaths in the US, and 7 of the 10 leading causes are chronic diseases.
Chronic Diseases in the US
I know we’ve thrown around a lot of statistics, but we’re not quite done yet. There are two chronic diseases that alone account for about 50% of all deaths in the US: cancer and heart disease.
While skin cancer is the most common type of cancer found in America, most skin cancers respond well to treatment. Lung cancer isn’t as common as skin cancer, but it’s the #1 cancer killer for both men and women. There’s one factor in particular that contributes to lung cancer more than anything else: smoking. Smoking is linked to over three-quarters of lung cancer cases, and it can contribute to other cancers in the body (like in the stomach, colon, pancreas, and liver).
Then you have cardiovascular disease, which is the most prevalent chronic disease in our country today. There are three main risk factors for heart disease—smoking, high blood pressure, and high LDL (or bad) cholesterol—and half of Americans have at least one of those risk factors. Being aware of the symptoms and early warning signs of a heart attack can save your life (or the life of a loved one). A survey by the CDC revealed that only about a quarter of Americans know how to recognize a heart attack and know to call 911 when it happens.
But what if you could know you were developing one of these chronic diseases before you started exhibiting symptoms? Well, Singulex lets you do just that.
Why These Lab Tests Are Better
Singulex utilizes something called single molecule counting (SMC) technology. This technology is up to 100x more sensitive than other standard laboratory tests. That’s a big deal because your average lab equipment can only identify medical conditions after they’ve already developed—SMC technology lets us find warning signs of chronic diseases (like heart disease) before you start feeling the symptoms.
For even more information on this incredible technology, click here. To get your Singulex blood test, call us at (817) 416-5698 today to schedule your appointment!
Sources:
https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/overview/