You leave a Cardio Res-Q assessment with three things: a full review of your laboratory and imaging findings, a detailed explanation of your cardiovascular risk profile, and a written, personalized heart protection plan. That is the same whether you book the Comprehensive Assessment ($775) or the Enhanced Assessment ($999). The Enhanced option simply gives the review more to work with, because it adds imaging.
What you do not leave with matters just as much. You do not get a diagnosis of symptoms, a promise about your future, or an obligation to sign up for anything. The results are yours, and you can take them to your own doctor.
Key takeaways
- You leave with a review of your lab and imaging findings, an explanation of your risk profile and a written personalized plan.
- Results are read together, not one number at a time.
- The plan is not a diagnosis of symptoms, a guarantee or a replacement for your own doctors.
- A calcium score of zero is reassuring but does not last forever.
- Continuing with the clinic is optional, and results can be shared with your own doctor.
The results review
Your provider walks you through every finding and what it means. Depending on the assessment you chose, that covers:
- Cholesterol particles: ApoB and Lp(a).
- Inflammation and vessel markers: hs-CRP and homocysteine.
- Metabolic function: insulin, glucose and A1c.
- The Cleveland Heart cardiac panel: a proprietary panel that reports Lp(a), ApoB, hs-CRP, oxidized LDL and small dense LDL, plus other proprietary markers. Your provider explains your results in the review.
- Imaging, for the Enhanced Assessment: the CIMT ultrasound and your coronary artery calcium (CAC) score.
The point of the review is that no number is read alone. A borderline ApoB means one thing next to a calcium score of zero and something else next to a strong family history. If any term is new to you, our glossary explains the common ones.
Dr. Varano reviews your results with you at your 1-hour consult. Ask our team in what format you receive your results and plan, and whether the first consult can be virtual. Follow-up visits can be by telehealth, in Pennsylvania only, when no CIMT or EndoPAT follow-up testing is recommended.
Your risk profile, explained
A risk profile is the overall picture: what you inherited, what your blood work shows now, what your daily habits add, and, if you had imaging, what your arteries look like.
For context, US guidance now estimates 10-year risk with the PREVENT equations. They sort 10-year risk into four bands: low (under 3%), borderline (3% to under 5%), intermediate (5% to under 10%) and high (10% or more).1 Our guide to the PREVENT risk calculator explains what goes into that figure. Dr. Varano does not use the PREVENT calculator, so the clinic does not give you a PREVENT score. Your risk profile is explained from your labs, imaging and history.
Some findings are fixed and some can change. Lp(a) is inherited, is measured once as a baseline, and is treated as a reason to work harder on everything else. Blood pressure, ApoB, blood sugar and weight can all move. A good review tells you which is which.
Your personalized heart protection plan
The plan turns your results into steps. According to the program, it covers these categories:
- Nutrition and metabolic strategies
- Lipid optimization
- Inflammation reduction
- Blood pressure support
- Insulin and weight regulation
- An exercise blueprint
- Supplement and peptide therapy recommendations
Which categories carry the most weight depends on your results. Someone with high ApoB and a positive calcium score will have a different plan from someone whose main finding is insulin resistance.
Any recommendation in the plan, including medication, supplements or peptides, is something to discuss, question and decide on with your provider. You are free to ask what the evidence is for each item, what it costs, and what happens if you skip it. We would rather you ask.
What the plan is not
- It is not a diagnosis of symptoms. The assessment is for people who feel well. Chest pain, shortness of breath, palpitations or fainting need a medical workup, not a screening visit. Cardio Res-Q is not emergency care.
- It is not a guarantee. Good results mean a lower estimated risk. They do not rule out a heart attack or stroke. A calcium score of zero is reassuring, but it is not permanent: studies of repeat scans suggest the reassurance lasts roughly three to seven years, depending on age, sex and risk.2
- It is not proof that extra testing changes outcomes. The US Preventive Services Task Force found the evidence insufficient to say whether adding a calcium score or hs-CRP to traditional risk assessment improves outcomes in adults without symptoms.3 These tests can sharpen a decision. They are not a substitute for acting on the basics.
- It is not a replacement for your cardiologist or primary care doctor. It adds information to that care.
Sharing results with your own doctor
Many patients keep seeing their cardiologist or primary care doctor and bring the assessment and plan into that relationship. We are happy to share results and collaborate with your existing providers. Ask our team how to have your results sent.
This matters most when a result points toward a prescription or a further test. If you already take a statin or blood pressure medication, do not change it based on a single result. Talk to the doctor who prescribed it. Our article on how Cardio Res-Q and a cardiologist visit differ explains how the two fit together.
After the plan: your options, and how to book
The assessment is complete on its own. From there you have three paths:
- Take the plan and follow it with your own doctor.
- Choose periodic reassessment, which lower-risk patients often do.
- Continue with ongoing care at the clinic. This is optional. It means the YoungerMeMD membership at $279 per month and, for ongoing cardiovascular management, the Cardio Res-Q Specialty Treatment Plan at $125 per month. Patients with active risk factors are typically advised to consider it.
To book, go to the Cardio Res-Q program page and select the Comprehensive ($775) or Enhanced ($999) assessment. Both are direct-pay. Patients are welcome to try an HSA or FSA card, but the clinic cannot confirm it will be accepted, and it does not provide insurance reimbursement forms. Fast for 10 to 12 hours before your labs.
Are You a Candidate for Cardio Res-Q?
Three quick questions about the risk factors we screen for. Your answers stay between you and the clinic.
Frequently asked questions
Will I get copies of my actual lab and imaging results?
You receive a full review of all laboratory and imaging findings. Ask our team how copies are provided and in what format, so you can keep them and pass them to your other doctors.
Does the plan include prescriptions?
The plan lists lipid optimization, blood pressure support and insulin and weight regulation among its categories, and what that means for you depends on your results. If medication is part of your plan, the clinic prescribes statins and non-statin medicines case by case. Tell your provider if another doctor already manages your prescriptions, so you agree on who prescribes and monitors each one.
Do I have to buy supplements or peptides?
No. The plan may include supplement and peptide therapy recommendations, but they are recommendations. You can ask what each one is for and decline any of them.
What if my results are all normal?
Then you leave with a baseline and a plan to hold it. Lower-risk patients may choose periodic reassessment and do not need ongoing care. Normal results mean a lower estimated risk, but they are not a guarantee.
What if something serious shows up?
Your provider will explain the finding and the next step, which may include seeing a cardiologist. Cardio Res-Q does not perform cardiac procedures or provide emergency care, and we share results with the doctors who do.
Related reading
This article is for general education and is not medical advice. Decisions about testing and medication should be made with your clinician. If you have chest pain or other symptoms of a heart attack, call 911.
