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Preventive Health & Longevity

Proactive assessment of cardiovascular, metabolic, hormonal, nutritional, inflammatory, bone, cognitive, liver, kidney, and age-related health to help patients understand risk earlier and preserve long-term function. 

Cardiovascular Imaging Beyond Blood Testing

​Blood pressure, cholesterol, ApoB, lipoprotein(a), blood sugar, kidney function, and other laboratory markers provide important information, but they do not always show whether plaque or structural heart disease is already present. When the result is likely to clarify risk or change prevention decisions, the physician may recommend cardiovascular testing through an outside imaging or specialty center and then review the report with the patient.

Imaging and Functional Tests That May Be Considered

Coronary artery calcium CT: A low-dose, noncontrast heart CT that measures calcified plaque in the coronary arteries. It may help refine future cardiovascular risk and guide prevention decisions when the need for treatment is uncertain.

Coronary CT angiography: A contrast-enhanced CT that shows the coronary artery lumen and plaque. It may be appropriate for selected patients when a more detailed anatomic evaluation is needed; it is not a routine screening test for every asymptomatic patient.

Carotid ultrasound or carotid plaque imaging: An ultrasound study of the neck arteries that may be considered when history, symptoms, a bruit reported by another clinician, prior vascular disease, or selected risk factors justify evaluation. It should not be presented as universal screening.

Abdominal aortic aneurysm ultrasound: A focused ultrasound used for patients who meet age, smoking history, family-history, or other risk criteria.

Ankle-brachial index: A noninvasive comparison of blood pressure at the ankle and arm that may help identify peripheral artery disease in patients with leg symptoms or selected risk factors.

Echocardiogram: An ultrasound of the heart that evaluates pumping function, chamber size, valves, and selected structural concerns. It is generally ordered when symptoms, prior findings, family history, or another clinical indication support evaluation.

Exercise stress testing or stress imaging: May be used when symptoms, exercise intolerance, abnormal prior testing, or a specific clinical question warrants evaluation of the heart under exertion.

Cardiac MRI or other specialty imaging: Reserved for selected diagnostic questions involving heart muscle, structure, inflammation, scarring, or inherited disease.

How Andelana MD Uses These Tests

Andelana MD does not perform these scans in the office. The physician reviews the patient's history, family history, symptoms, prior records, laboratory results, and goals; recommends the most useful outside study when appropriate; and reviews the report as part of a prevention plan. Patients with chest pain, new shortness of breath, fainting, stroke-like symptoms, or another urgent concern require prompt conventional or emergency evaluation rather than a longevity screening consultation.

Additional Cancer Risk and Early-Detection Options

​Routine screening performed or coordinated through primary care, gynecology, gastroenterology, dermatology, urology, and other specialists remains essential. Mammography, cervical screening, colonoscopy or accepted stool-based screening, low-dose lung CT for eligible patients, PSA discussion, and skin evaluation should not be replaced by newer or broader tests.

​For patients seeking a more extensive self-pay review, Andelana MD may discuss additional imaging or specialty blood testing. These options are supplemental. They do not detect every cancer, do not guarantee early detection, and may identify incidental findings that require additional imaging, procedures, cost, or specialist evaluation.

Whole-Body MRI

A whole-body MRI creates images of many areas of the body without ionizing radiation. It may identify certain masses, structural abnormalities, or unexpected findings, but it can also miss small or biologically early cancers and may produce nonspecific findings that require follow-up. It has not been proven to replace established cancer screening or to reduce cancer mortality in average-risk patients. Patients may choose this elective option after reviewing its limitations, contraindications, self-pay cost, and the need for follow-up of abnormal findings.

Comprehensive or Multi-Organ Ultrasound

Some self-pay centers offer broad ultrasound packages. There is no single standardized "total-body ultrasound" that can reliably evaluate every organ or exclude cancer. Depending on the patient's history and the center's protocol, a physician may discuss targeted ultrasound of the abdomen, liver, gallbladder, kidneys, abdominal aorta, pelvis, thyroid, breast, or other selected areas. Ultrasound quality and usefulness vary by organ, body habitus, operator, and clinical question. It should be ordered as a targeted or clearly defined multi-organ study rather than represented as a complete cancer screen.

Multi-Cancer Early-Detection Blood Testing

Multi-cancer early-detection testing looks for cancer-associated signals in blood and may estimate the likely tissue of origin. One currently available example is the Galleri test. It is intended as an additional screening option for selected adults at increased cancer risk, such as many adults age 50 and older. It does not detect all cancers, a negative result does not rule out cancer, and a positive result requires established diagnostic imaging and sometimes biopsy. Galleri is a laboratory-developed test and has not been cleared or approved by the FDA.

Blood-Based Colorectal Cancer Screening

The Shield blood test is FDA-approved as a colorectal cancer screening option for average-risk adults who are eligible for screening. It detects many colorectal cancers but is substantially less sensitive for precancerous polyps than colonoscopy. A positive result requires colonoscopy, and the blood test does not allow removal of precancerous polyps during screening.

Hereditary Cancer Risk Panels

A blood or saliva genetic panel may evaluate inherited variants associated with breast, ovarian, colorectal, pancreatic, prostate, and other hereditary cancer syndromes. This is a risk-assessment test - not a test for the presence of cancer. Testing is most useful when guided by personal history, family history, ancestry, or a genetic counselor.

Tumor Markers

Markers such as CA-125, CEA, CA 19-9, AFP, or others are not reliable universal screening tests for healthy, average-risk patients. They may be ordered selectively when a specific medical history, prior cancer, imaging finding, symptom, or specialist recommendation provides a clinical reason.

How the Consultation Works

  1. The physician reviews personal and family cancer history, previous screening, genetic risk, symptoms, medications, and prior imaging.

  2. Established screening that is due is identified first.

  3. Supplemental options are discussed according to risk, limitations, cost, and the patient's preferences.

  4. Testing is completed through an appropriate outside laboratory or imaging center.

  5. The physician reviews the report and coordinates referral or diagnostic follow-up when necessary.

Important Clarification

Andelana MD does not replace emergency care and cannot guarantee that every possible disease or condition will be identified. Testing is selected according to clinical appropriateness rather than through a one-size-fits-all panel.

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