Genetic Tests “There are genetic tests that are not considered to be standard-of-care that are very helpful in managing patients,” Dr. Feyrer-Melk says. Prior to even seeing a patient, the doctor may order genetic tests to find answers to very pressing concerns: Is a patient going to respond to a statin drug? Are they susceptible to the heart attack protein? What is their lifetime risk of having a belly aneurism or diabetes? “You can’t change these genetic factors, but you can modify your lifestyle and behaviors and that is where the value comes in,” she says.

Oral Systemic Connection “We do testing to specifically address an area of research that is blossoming in cardiology: the oral systemic connection,” Dr. Feyrer-Melk says. “It relates infection in the mouth or different bacteria in the mouth with cardiovascular disease.” For example, if a patient has periodontal disease, they are at an almost four-fold increased risk of having a heart attack and are twice as likely to have a stroke. In this form of testing (which can include a brief salivary test, cheek-swab and/or tooth-scrape), Dr. Feyrer-Melk seeks out 11 particular pathogens that can increase cardiovascular risk and, if present, will arrange a course of treatment. In order to do so, the doctor works closely with a patient’s dentist; Dr. Feyrer-Melk has even trained five local dental offices in the oral systemic connection.

Even though the testing is important in determining crucial risk factors, Dr. Feyrer-Melk’s real work begins once the results are in. “The most important thing to me is not the unique types of tests we do, but how we connect the dots once we have those test results.”

TO LEARN MORE

Heart of Arizona Optimal Cardiac Care www.heartofarizona.com.
Dr. Anne-Marie Feyrer-Melk