Diagnostic Testing

Diagnostic testing is an important element at the Whitaker Wellness Institute. Your doctor will order appropriate labs and other medical tests to help obtain an accurate picture of your current health status.

If heart disease is a concern, for example, we will evaluate not only your cholesterol and triglyceride levels but also other risk factors for heart disease such as homocysteine, lipoprotein(a), C-reactive protein, and clotting factors. You may undergo additional noninvasive testing, such as a treadmill stress test to determine how well your heart functions during exercise and an echocardiogram, which monitors the anatomy of your heart and measures its pumping capacity.

Blood tests to measure levels of estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA, and thyroid hormones will help your doctor determine if you suffer from hormone imbalances that could increase your risk of heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer's disease, or other ailments. Bone density testing using state-of-the-art dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) will reveal the density and strength of your bones. To identify insulin resistance (a risk factor for type 2 diabetes), your doctor will review your fasting blood glucose, hemoglobin A1C, HDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels, blood pressure, and weight.

Your Whitaker Wellness physician will use all of the information gathered from your history and physical examination as well as these and other noninvasive tests to create your personalized treatment program.

• Diagnostic Testing at Whitaker Wellness

  Body composition analysis
  Calorimetry
  Carotid ultrasound
  Color doppler/doppler with comprehensive on-site laboratory
  Doppler echocardiography
  Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) bone scan
  Echocardiography
  Electrocardiography (EKG)
  Exercise stress treadmill test
  Holter monitor
  Leg pressures
  Nerve conduction
  Pulse oximetry
  Spirometry
  Ultrasound (aorta, abdomen, lower extremity, pelvis, breast)
  Venous study
  X-ray