Advanced Blood Test Able To Detect Important New Heart Risk: trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO)

BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich., Dr. Joel Kahn, a Clinical Professor of Medicine and named "America's Holistic Heart Doc" by Reader's Digest© Magazine, is now offering an advanced blood test to detect elevated levels of trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO). This test can help identify significant heart health risks for patients with elevated levels of TMAO, who are nearly two-and-a-half times more likely to have a cardiac event than those with lower levels.

Kahn is the first physician in Michigan to offer TMAO testing, and offers this advanced lab test at the Kahn Center for Cardiac Longevity, with clinics in Bloomfield Township and Grosse Pointe Farms.

"TMAO is the most exciting heart story of the last two to three years," said Dr. Kahn. "The ability to now measure and prevent disease here in Michigan is taking a major medical leap forward."

In 2014, Cleveland Clinic researchers reported that red meat contains carnitine and eggs contain choline, which converts to a chemical in the blood called trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO). Researchers demonstrated that these food-based amino acids are converted to TMAO due to bacteria found in the gut of omnivores, laying down plaque in heart arteries, stimulating coronary artery disease, heart disease, congestive heart failure and kidney failure.

It's interesting to note that vegans do not produce TMAO because they have different types of bacteria living in their bowels.

"It is very important to continuously be able to offer the most advanced and up to date medical technologies available that advance heart disease prevention," said Dr. Kahn. "I recommend TMAO testing to all of my patients, along with plans to maintain a healthy GI-heart axis."

Source:  Kahn Center for Cardiac Longevity