Ulta Lab Tests

Women’s Vascular Inflammation & Microvascular Disease Panel

A focused women’s vascular inflammation panel evaluating hs-CRP, LP-PLA2, MPO antibodies, Galectin-3, NT-proBNP, glucose, and insulin. Designed to assess inflammatory signaling, endothelial dysfunction, microvascular risk, metabolic patterns, and cardiac stress beyond traditional cholesterol testing for a more complete view of vascular health.

Blood, Serum
Phlebotomist
Women’s Vascular Inflammation & Endothelial Health Panel, Women’s Microvascular & Inflammatory Heart Risk Panel, Women’s Advanced Vascular Inflammation & Cardiac Stress Panel

The following is a list of what is included in the item above. Click the test(s) below to view what biomarkers are measured along with an explanation of what the biomarker is measuring.

GALECTIN 3

Glucose

A blood glucose test measures the amount of a sugar called glucose in a sample of your blood. Glucose is a major source of energy for most cells of the body, including those in the brain. The hormones insulin and glucagon help control blood glucose levels.

Also known as: C-Reactive Protein, Cardio CRP, Cardio hs-CRP, CRP, High Sensitivity CRP, High-sensitivity C-reactive Protein, High-sensitivity CRP, Highly Sensitive CRP, hsCRP, Ultra-sensitive CRP

Hs Crp

A high-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP) test may be used by itself, in combination with other cardiac risk markers, or in combination with a lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) test that evaluates vascular inflammation. The hs-CRP test accurately detects low concentrations of C-reactive protein to help predict a healthy person's risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). High-sensitivity CRP is promoted by some as a test for determining a person's risk level for CVD, heart attacks, and strokes. The current thinking is that hs-CRP can play a role in the evaluation process before a person develops one of these health problems.

Also known as: Insulin (fasting)

Insulin

Insulin is a hormone that is produced and stored in the beta cells of the pancreas. It is vital for the transportation and storage of glucose at the cellular level, helps regulate blood glucose levels, and has a role in lipid metabolism. When blood glucose levels rise after a meal, insulin is released to allow glucose to move into tissue cells, especially muscle and adipose (fat) cells, where is it is used for energy production. Insulin then prompts the liver to either store the remaining excess blood glucose as glycogen for short-term energy storage and/or to use it to produce fatty acids. The fatty acids are eventually used by adipose tissue to synthesize triglycerides to form the basis of a longer term, more concentrated form of energy storage. Without insulin, glucose cannot reach most of the body's cells. Without glucose, the cells starve and blood glucose levels rise to unhealthy levels. This can cause disturbances in normal metabolic processes that result in various disorders, including kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, and vision and neurological problems. Thus, diabetes, a disorder associated with decreased insulin effects, is eventually a life-threatening condition.

LP PLA2 ACTIVITY

Also known as: Anti-Myeloperoxidase, Churg-Strauss Syndrome, Crescentic Glomeruloephritis, MPO, Myeloperoxidase Antibody MPO

Myeloperoxidase Antibody

Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) are a group of autoantibodies produced when a person's immune system mistakenly targets and attacks its own neutrophil proteins. Two of the most commonly targeted proteins are myeloperoxidase (MPO) and proteinase 3 (PR3). This results in the production of antibodies to MPO and/or PR3. The ANCA blood test detects the presence or absence of these autoantibodies. Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies may be present in a variety of autoimmune disorders that cause inflammation and damage to blood vessels throughout the body (systemic vasculitis). Vasculitis can cause tissue and organ damage due to the narrowing and obstruction of blood vessels and the subsequent loss of blood supply. It can also produce areas of weakness in blood vessel walls, known as aneurysms, which have the potential to rupture.

Also known as: BNP, N-terminal pro b-type natriuretic peptide, proBNP Nterminal

Probnp, N Terminal

N-terminal pro b-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) used to detect and evaluate heart failure. BNP is actually produced primarily by the left ventricle of the heart (the heart's main pumping chamber). It is associated with blood volume and pressure and with the work that the heart must do in pumping blood throughout the body.When the left ventricle of the heart is stretched, the concentrations of NT-proBNP produced can increase markedly. This situation indicates that the heart is working harder and having more trouble meeting the body's demands. This may occur with heart failure as well as with other diseases that affect the heart and circulatory system. It does not mean that the heart has stopped working; it just means that it is not pumping blood as effectively as it should be. NT-proBNP concentrations will reflect this diminished capacity.
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The Women’s Vascular Inflammation & Microvascular Disease Panel panel contains 7 tests with 7 biomarkers .

Brief Description

Focused Evaluation of Vascular Inflammation, Endothelial Health, and Microvascular Risk

The Women’s Vascular Inflammation & Microvascular Disease Panel is a targeted laboratory assessment designed to evaluate inflammatory, metabolic, and cardiac biomarkers associated with vascular dysfunction and microvascular disease in women. While traditional cardiovascular screening often emphasizes cholesterol levels, vascular inflammation and endothelial injury play a central role in the development of atherosclerosis and coronary microvascular dysfunction—particularly in women.

Microvascular disease, sometimes referred to as small vessel disease, affects the tiny blood vessels that supply the heart and other organs. In women, symptoms of cardiovascular disease may occur even when large coronary arteries appear normal on imaging. Inflammatory signaling, oxidative stress, metabolic dysregulation, and myocardial strain can contribute to this process. This panel focuses specifically on biomarkers that reflect these pathways.

The panel includes Galectin-3, High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hs-CRP), LP-PLA2 Activity, Myeloperoxidase (MPO) antibodies, N-Terminal proBNP (NT-proBNP), fasting Glucose, and Insulin. Together, these tests provide insight into vascular inflammation, plaque-related activity, endothelial dysfunction, cardiac stress, and insulin resistance—key contributors to cardiometabolic and microvascular health.

By evaluating inflammatory and metabolic drivers alongside cardiac biomarkers, this panel offers a clinically relevant, systems-based approach to assessing vascular health in women. It is designed to support a deeper understanding of the biological processes that influence microvascular circulation and cardiovascular risk beyond standard lipid testing.

When and Why Someone Would Order This Panel

Evaluation of Vascular Inflammation in Women

Women may consider the Women’s Vascular Inflammation & Microvascular Disease Panel when seeking a focused assessment of inflammatory and endothelial pathways that influence cardiovascular health. Traditional lipid panels measure cholesterol levels but may not fully capture the inflammatory and oxidative processes that contribute to vascular injury and plaque development.

This panel may be appropriate for women who:

  • Have cardiovascular risk factors but normal or borderline cholesterol levels

  • Experience unexplained chest discomfort or exertional symptoms with normal large-vessel imaging

  • Have a family history of cardiovascular disease

  • Are monitoring inflammatory or metabolic risk patterns

  • Have insulin resistance or metabolic syndrome risk factors

Microvascular and Endothelial Dysfunction Considerations

Coronary microvascular dysfunction is increasingly recognized as a contributor to cardiovascular symptoms in women. Inflammation, oxidative stress, and endothelial dysfunction may impair small-vessel circulation even in the absence of significant large-vessel blockage. Biomarkers such as hs-CRP, MPO antibodies, LP-PLA2 activity, and Galectin-3 help evaluate pathways involved in vascular inflammation and remodeling.

Metabolic and Insulin Resistance Assessment

Insulin resistance and elevated fasting glucose levels are closely linked to endothelial dysfunction and microvascular impairment. Measuring fasting Glucose and Insulin together can help identify early metabolic patterns associated with cardiometabolic risk.

Cardiac Stress Monitoring

NT-proBNP is a cardiac biomarker associated with myocardial wall stress. In the context of vascular inflammation and microvascular disease evaluation, it provides additional information about cardiac strain.

Overall, this panel may be ordered as part of preventive cardiovascular screening, advanced vascular inflammation assessment, or evaluation of cardiometabolic risk patterns in women.

What Does the Panel Measure?

Inflammatory and Vascular Biomarkers

  • High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hs-CRP): A sensitive marker of systemic inflammation associated with cardiovascular risk.

  • LP-PLA2 Activity: An enzyme linked to vascular inflammation and plaque-related processes.

  • Myeloperoxidase Antibody (MPO): Associated with oxidative stress and inflammatory vascular activity.

  • Galectin-3: A biomarker associated with fibrosis, inflammation, and vascular remodeling.

These markers help evaluate inflammatory signaling and endothelial health that may influence microvascular function.

Metabolic Markers

  • Glucose (Fasting): Measures blood sugar levels and supports evaluation of glycemic regulation.

  • Insulin (Fasting): Assesses insulin production and may provide insight into insulin resistance when interpreted alongside glucose.

Elevated glucose or insulin levels may indicate metabolic dysregulation that can contribute to endothelial dysfunction and vascular inflammation.

Cardiac Biomarker

  • N-Terminal proBNP (NT-proBNP): A peptide released in response to myocardial wall stress. Elevated levels may reflect cardiac strain or altered cardiac function.

Together, these biomarkers provide a focused yet multidimensional evaluation of inflammatory, metabolic, and cardiac contributors to vascular health in women.

How Patients and Healthcare Providers Use the Results

Identifying Inflammatory Risk Patterns

Elevated hs-CRP, LP-PLA2 activity, MPO antibodies, or Galectin-3 levels may indicate increased inflammatory or oxidative stress activity within the vascular system. Healthcare providers may use this information to refine cardiovascular risk assessment beyond traditional cholesterol measures.

Evaluating Microvascular and Endothelial Health

Patterns of elevated inflammatory markers combined with metabolic dysregulation may suggest pathways associated with endothelial dysfunction or microvascular impairment. While laboratory testing does not diagnose microvascular disease on its own, these biomarkers can support clinical evaluation when interpreted alongside symptoms and other diagnostic findings.

Assessing Insulin Resistance and Metabolic Contribution

Elevated fasting insulin levels—especially when glucose levels remain within reference range—may indicate early insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is strongly associated with endothelial dysfunction, inflammation, and cardiometabolic risk. Identifying these patterns allows for earlier preventive discussions.

Monitoring Cardiac Stress

Elevated NT-proBNP levels may suggest increased myocardial wall stress. In combination with inflammatory and metabolic markers, this biomarker provides additional insight into overall cardiovascular status.

Healthcare providers may use the integrated results of this panel to support personalized monitoring strategies, guide further diagnostic evaluation, or track changes in inflammatory and metabolic patterns over time.

A Targeted Approach to Vascular and Microvascular Health in Women

The Women’s Vascular Inflammation & Microvascular Disease Panel is designed to provide focused insight into inflammatory, metabolic, and cardiac pathways that influence vascular health in women. By evaluating biomarkers associated with endothelial function, oxidative stress, insulin resistance, and myocardial strain, this panel moves beyond traditional lipid screening to address important drivers of cardiovascular risk.

Vascular inflammation and microvascular dysfunction are increasingly recognized as critical components of heart health in women. This panel offers a clinically relevant set of biomarkers that support a more nuanced understanding of these processes.

Through objective laboratory evaluation and integrated biomarker analysis, women and their healthcare providers can engage in informed discussions about vascular health, risk patterns, and long-term monitoring strategies. This comprehensive yet targeted panel supports clarity and evidence-based decision-making grounded in measurable data.

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