Patient Profile:  Lanse Hyde

Lanse Hyde, 57, did all the right things in respect to his health. As a partner in a large investor relations firm in Nashville, Hyde worked hard to balance a demanding work schedule and exercise routine. An avid runner, he exercised daily, watched his diet, and underwent regular physicals, which included a traditional cholesterol test. His total cholesterol typically was 217–220, considered “borderline.” Based on his high level of “good” cholesterol (HDL, or high-density lipoprotein), no family history of heart disease, and his active lifestyle, Hyde’s doctor assured him that he had nothing to worry about.

Then, this past April, Hyde’s newest client, Birmingham, Ala.-based Atherotech, Inc., gave him a chance to take the new VAP™ (Vertical Auto Profile) Cholesterol Test, a next-generation cholesterol test that identifies up to 90 percent of people at risk for heart disease. The test also improves identification of hereditary risk factors not identified with routine cholesterol tests. The test requires only five drops of blood, which may be obtained via a fingerstick, and is reimbursed by most insurance companies.

Believing strongly that the results would be normal, Hyde took the test. The results, however, were surprising. The VAP Test found an elevated Lp(a), a subclass of low-density lipoprotein (LDL or “bad” cholesterol) known as the “widow maker” that has been proven to be an independent risk factor for heart disease and linked to an increased risk of stroke. Hyde took his test results to a cardiologist, and further testing confirmed the presence of heart disease.

Today, Hyde is taking medication to lower his cholesterol, and he has already seen a 25 percent decrease in his total cholesterol and LDL. Hyde, a marathon runner who has completed more than 30 marathons, hasn’t stopped exercising. Recently, with the blessings of his doctor, he ran The Music City Marathon in Nashville. I will probably have to take cholesterol-lowering drugs for the rest of my life, but I’m not going to stop exercising—I’m not going to be burdened by this,” he said.

Hyde believes that the VAP Test was critical in the discovery of his heart disease. “I would have gone around thinking everything was fine when it was quite the contrary. They don’t call it the widow-maker for nothing.”

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