Cardio Res-Q is for adults who feel well, have at least one reason to wonder about their heart risk, and want a deeper look than a standard cholesterol panel gives. It is a risk evaluation. It is not emergency care, and it does not replace a cardiologist.
There are two entry points: the Comprehensive Assessment at $775 and the Enhanced Assessment at $999. Some people will get real value from one of them. Others do not need either, and this page says so plainly.
Key takeaways
- Cardio Res-Q is a risk evaluation for adults who feel well and have a reason to wonder about their heart risk.
- It is not emergency care, does not replace a cardiologist and is the wrong tool for symptoms.
- It is more useful the more risk factors apply, such as family history, diabetes, high blood pressure or menopause.
- You probably do not need it if you are young with no risk factors, already treated for known heart disease, or recently tested elsewhere.
- The tests refine a risk estimate and cannot promise that you will avoid a heart attack.
Who Cardio Res-Q is designed for
The program page lists six groups:
- Adults over 40.
- People with a family history of heart disease.
- People with metabolic syndrome, diabetes or high blood pressure.
- Men with erectile dysfunction, which can be an early sign of blood vessel problems.
- Women entering perimenopause or menopause.
- Health-conscious people who want advanced prevention.
What these groups share is a reason to think their risk may be higher than a routine checkup suggests, and no symptoms that need urgent attention.
Risk factors that make an assessment more useful
The more of these apply to you, the more likely the results are to change something. The clinic screens for:
- Metabolic and inflammatory risks: diabetes, excess weight, high cholesterol, insulin resistance, and chronic inflammatory or autoimmune conditions such as arthritis, psoriasis or gout.
- Lifestyle and hormonal risks: little physical activity, tobacco history, heavy alcohol use, high stress or poor sleep, low testosterone in men, and perimenopause or menopause in women.
- Vascular and cardiac risks: high blood pressure, family history of heart disease, kidney disease and erectile dysfunction.
Family history deserves a closer look. US cholesterol guidance counts it as a risk enhancer when a father or brother had heart disease before 55, or a mother or sister before 65.1 If that describes your family, read what a family history of early heart disease means. It is also the reason the program exists. Dr. Varano lost his father to a sudden heart attack at 54, in 1984.
The latest US guidance, published in 2026, advises measuring Lp(a), an inherited cholesterol particle, once in every adult.2 Both Cardio Res-Q assessments include it as a one-time baseline.
Who Cardio Res-Q is not for
The program page is direct about this. Cardio Res-Q is not for:
- Emergency cardiac care.
- Acute cardiac symptoms.
- Immediate interventional procedures, such as a stent.
If you have chest pain or pressure, shortness of breath, pain spreading to the arm, jaw or back, a cold sweat, or sudden lightheadedness, call 911. Do not book an assessment, and do not wait to see if it passes.
Symptoms that come and go, such as chest tightness when you climb stairs or new breathlessness with effort, also need a prompt medical evaluation by your doctor or a cardiologist. A preventive assessment is the wrong tool for symptoms.
When you probably do not need it
Being honest about this matters more than filling appointments.
You are in your 20s or 30s with no family history and no risk factors. Your short-term risk is low, and a routine checkup of blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar with your regular doctor covers the basics. A calcium scan also carries a small radiation dose, about 1 to 1.5 mSv, which is hard to justify when the chance of a useful finding is small.3
You already see a cardiologist for established heart disease and what you want is treatment. If you have had a heart attack, a stent or bypass surgery, your risk is already known to be high. Your cardiologist manages that. Cardio Res-Q evaluates risk. It does not treat established disease in place of your cardiologist.
You recently had the same tests elsewhere. If you have a recent ApoB, Lp(a) and calcium score, repeating them soon adds little. The clinic accepts calcium scores done elsewhere, but everyone still starts with a first-time assessment.
You want certainty. No assessment can guarantee you will not have a heart attack. The US Preventive Services Task Force concluded in 2018 that the evidence was insufficient to weigh the benefits and harms of adding a calcium score or hs-CRP to standard risk assessment in adults without symptoms.4 These tests refine an estimate. They do not replace it.
Choosing between the two assessments
If you fit the program, the next question is which assessment.
The $775 Comprehensive Assessment includes Dr. Varano's clinical evaluation, advanced labs (ApoB, Lp(a), hs-CRP, homocysteine, insulin, glucose and A1c), the Cleveland Heart cardiac panel, a lifestyle and risk evaluation, and a personalized heart protection plan.
The $999 Enhanced Assessment adds a CIMT ultrasound and a coronary artery calcium score. The calcium scan is done at an outside imaging facility and is a separate self-pay study, typically $100 to $200. Our comparison of the Comprehensive and Enhanced assessments goes through who benefits from the imaging.
If you already take a statin or blood pressure medication, you can still have an assessment. See already on a statin for what it can and cannot show.
Next step: how to book
Not sure where you fall? The Cardio Res-Q program page has a three-question screener, and you can book either assessment there. If you would rather talk it through first, contact our team. Both assessments are direct-pay, and ongoing care afterward is optional.
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
I am under 40. Can I still book?
The program is aimed at adults over 40, but a strong family history or a condition such as diabetes can be a reason to look earlier. If you are younger with no risk factors, a routine checkup with your regular doctor is usually enough. Ask our team if you are unsure.
I already have a cardiologist. Is Cardio Res-Q still useful?
It can be, if you want a risk evaluation rather than treatment. Many patients keep their cardiologist or primary care doctor and bring their results to them, and the clinic is happy to share results. If you have established heart disease and want it treated, stay with your cardiologist.
I have chest pain sometimes. Should I book an assessment?
No. Chest pain needs a medical evaluation, not a preventive assessment. If you have chest pain now, or symptoms of a heart attack, call 911. If the pain comes and goes, see your doctor or a cardiologist promptly.
Do I have to commit to ongoing care?
No. The assessment is complete and standalone. Ongoing care is optional: membership is $279 per month and the Cardio Res-Q Specialty Treatment Plan is $125 per month.
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.
