Patient Profile:  David Hape

During his honeymoon in Italy, 58-year-old David Hape ascended 4,000-foot Mt. Vesuvius with ease. At 183 pounds, and 5-foot 11-inches, Hape was healthy, watched his diet, exercised six days a week, and had no family history of heart disease. In addition, he underwent regular physicals, which included routine cholesterol tests, and was aware of no serious health problems. He did, however, have mildly elevated cholesterol, which he counterbalanced by taking a statin.

When he returned from his honeymoon, Hape visited his physician for an annual checkup. During the exam, Hape's doctor discovered a mild heart murmur believed to be caused by childhood Rheumatic fever and decided to retest his cholesterol as a precaution. Hape's physician, Dr. David Hendler, told Hape about a new expanded cholesterol test that identifies up to 90 percent of people at risk for heart disease. The VAP™ (Vertical Auto Profile) Cholesterol Test measures cholesterol subclasses that contribute to heart disease but are not measured by routine tests. Dr. Hendler explained that the VAP Test would provide a more-detailed picture of Hape's heart health.

According to Hape, he was not concerned about the repeat test and expected positive results. In fact, since he started taking the statin, his cholesterol had decreased from 200 to 165, well within "normal" range. "I had just traveled all over Italy and felt great," he said. "I was taking medication, watching my diet, and my cholesterol had dropped dramatically, so I really didn't think I had anything to worry about."

The results, however, were startling. His VAP Test revealed that Hape had extremely low levels of HDL2, or high-density lipoprotein2, a lipid subclass known as the "best" cholesterol. Low levels of HDL2 have been shown to increase risk for heart disease, even in patients with normal overall cholesterol levels. After reviewing the VAP Test results, Hape's physician immediately referred him to a cardiologist, who discovered that three of his arteries were 65 percent blocked. According to his cardiologist, if Hape suffered a heart attack, he would surely die. Only a short time after mountain climbing in Italy, Hape was admitted to the hospital and underwent triple bypass surgery. According to Hape, "I was in a room with about 24 people waiting to go into surgery, and all I was thinking was 'Would I be going through this if I had been tested with the VAP Test a year ago?' "

Following the surgery, Dr. Hendler developed a more-aggressive treatment plan, including a combination of several drugs tailored to his condition. In addition, he goes to cardiac rehabilitation three times a week. Hape said he believes that the VAP Test was extremely important in detecting his heart disease. "This expanded cholesterol test is an important tool for physicians," he said. "It allows them to identify problems earlier and treat them aggressively. I'm glad my physician had adopted this innovative cholesterol test. I'm very confident in the patient care he provides—he saved my life."

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