Palo Alto-Silicon Valley clinics›Heart & circulation
Palo Alto-Silicon Valley · Guide · Heart health

Heart health testing in Palo Alto-Silicon Valley

Heart disease builds quietly for years, but most of it shows up in simple numbers long before you feel anything. Here's what to check, what the newer tests add, and which Palo Alto-Silicon Valley clinics offer them.

Main tests
Blood pressure and cholesterol Plus ApoB, Lp(a) or a scan if needed
What you do
A blood draw and a reading A heart scan only if it helps decide
You get
Your heart risk, explained And a plan to lower it
Palo Alto photograph by Blair Morris · Unsplash

The tests, in plain English

Start with the basics: blood pressure, a cholesterol panel, blood sugar and your family history. They do most of the work. ApoB and a one-time Lp(a) test add useful detail for some people, and a heart scan helps most when your risk sits in the middle and a decision could go either way.

Think of your arteries like the pipes in a house. Blood tests show how much is flowing through that could clog them. A heart scan looks inside the pipes for buildup that's already there.

Blood pressure

The biggest single number for heart risk.

Cholesterol panel

It shows how much cholesterol and fat are in your blood, which is what slowly builds up as plaque.

ApoB

Counts the particles that actually get stuck in artery walls.

Lp(a)

An inherited marker that raises heart risk on its own, even when your other numbers look healthy.

Calcium score

A quick CT scan that shows hardened plaque already sitting in the heart's arteries.

Coronary CT angiogram

A more detailed scan that shows soft and hard plaque, plus any narrowing.

Heart health in Palo Alto-Silicon Valley, by the numbers

The rate of high blood pressure in Palo Alto-Silicon Valley is lower than the national rate. About 1 in 4 adults in Palo Alto-Silicon Valley have high blood pressure, compared with about 1 in 3 nationally. That adds up to roughly 410,000 adults in Santa Clara County.

27.0%of adults in Palo Alto-Silicon Valley have high blood pressureUS: 34.4%
410,000adults in Palo Alto-Silicon Valley have high blood pressureEstimated from CDC county figures
11Palo Alto-Silicon Valley clinics list heart testingSee them below
Palo Alto-Silicon Valley does better than the US on all 3 measures
Share of each group named, 2023. Lower is better.
High blood pressure
High cholesterol (of those checked)
Coronary heart disease
↓ Data

Source: CDC PLACES, 2023 county estimates. Palo Alto-Silicon Valley = Santa Clara County, weighted by adult population.

longevityclinicshub.com

Blood pressure and cholesterol are part of an ordinary checkup, so your regular doctor is the place to start. The tests above add detail once you know those basics.

Showing 11 clinics that address heart & circulation in Palo Alto-Silicon Valley

How we order clinics
Patricia SitnitskyFariha Ashraf

Avita MD, Los Altos

Altos Oaks Dr, Los Altos
Patricia Sitnitsky, M.D., Fariha Ashraf, M.D.
3 locations, also in Los Gatos and Mountain View
Advanced diagnostics & emerging careGenetics & biological ageHeart & circulation

Avita MD Los Altos is a physician-owned primary care office on Altos Oaks Dr, one of three Avita MD offices. Its Longevity Medicine service starts with an expanded blood panel of over 60 biomarkers, with genetic and epigenetic testing through 3x4 Genetics. It also offers executive wellness exams, BHRT, medical weight loss and IV therapy. Visits are billed to Medicare, PPO and HMO plans, with self-pay options. Led by Patricia Sitnitsky, M.D., Fariha Ashraf, M.D.

Tests & services

Botox & fillers Executive physical IV vitamin therapy PRP injections
See if it’s a fit
Pardeep TaunkJyotsna Singh Vincent

Avita MD, Los Gatos

Los Gatos Blvd, Los Gatos
Pardeep Taunk, M.D., Jyotsna Singh Vincent, M.D.
3 locations, also in Los Altos and Mountain View
Advanced diagnostics & emerging careGenetics & biological ageHeart & circulation

Avita MD Los Gatos is a physician-owned primary care office on Los Gatos Blvd, one of three Avita MD offices. Its Longevity Medicine service starts with an expanded blood panel of over 60 biomarkers, with genetic and epigenetic testing through 3x4 Genetics. It also offers executive wellness exams, BHRT, medical weight loss and IV therapy. Visits are billed to Medicare, PPO and HMO plans, with self-pay options. Led by Pardeep Taunk, M.D., Jyotsna Singh Vincent, M.D.

Tests & services

Botox & fillers Executive physical IV vitamin therapy PRP injections
See if it’s a fit
Patricia SitnitskyPamela Ruiz

Avita MD, Mountain View

South Dr, Mountain View
Patricia Sitnitsky, M.D.
3 locations, also in Los Altos and Los Gatos
Advanced diagnostics & emerging careGenetics & biological ageHeart & circulation

Avita MD Mountain View is a physician-owned primary care office on South Dr, one of three Avita MD offices. Its Longevity Medicine service starts with an expanded blood panel of over 60 biomarkers, with genetic and epigenetic testing through 3x4 Genetics. It also offers executive wellness exams, BHRT, medical weight loss and IV therapy. Visits are billed to Medicare, PPO and HMO plans, with self-pay options. Led by Patricia Sitnitsky, M.D.

Tests & services

Botox & fillers Executive physical IV vitamin therapy PRP injections
See if it’s a fit
Biograph, San Francisco Bay Area clinic

Biograph, San Francisco Bay Area

San Mateo, on the San Francisco Peninsula
Dr. Gilberto Hernandez, MD, Dr. Jonathan Fu, MD and 2 more
Whole-body baselineCancer risk & screeningStrength, fitness & body composition

Biograph's founding clinic sits in San Mateo, on the San Francisco Peninsula. An annual membership is built around one full assessment day of twenty or more tests, including whole-body MRI, bloodwork, DEXA, VO2 max and genetic testing, with a physician-led review three weeks later. Black Membership adds cardiac and lung CT and multi-cancer early detection. People come here for a whole-body baseline. Led by Dr. Gilberto Hernandez, MD, Dr. Jonathan Fu, MD, Michael Doney, MD and 1 more.

Tests & services

Comprehensive biomarker panel Continuous glucose monitoring Coronary calcium score DEXA scan +15 more
See if it’s a fit
Biohackr Health, Palo Alto clinic

Biohackr Health, Palo Alto

Bryant Street, downtown Palo Alto
Lori Bluvas, MD, Lauren Greenberg, MD
Advanced diagnostics & emerging careStrength, fitness & body compositionCancer risk & screening

Biohackr Health Palo Alto is the brand's second clinic, opened in 2022 on Bryant Street downtown. The menu for this location spans semaglutide weight management, aesthetic and laser treatments, IV infusion therapies, EBO2 and VO2 max testing. Registered nurses treat under supervising physician Dr. Lori Bluvas, with treatments, packages and a monthly membership. People come here for weight loss and emerging care. Led by Lori Bluvas, MD, Lauren Greenberg, MD.

Tests & services

Comprehensive biomarker panel Continuous glucose monitoring Coronary calcium score GLP-1 weight loss program +24 more
See if it’s a fit
Ezra East San Jose clinic

Ezra East San Jose

McKee Road, Alum Rock, San Jose
Advanced diagnostics & emerging careCancer risk & screeningHeart & circulation

Ezra's East San Jose center sits in a shopping center on McKee Road in the Alum Rock neighborhood. It sells a 22-minute whole-body MRI covering head, neck, abdomen and pelvis, a 47-minute version adding the spine, a low-dose Lung CT Scan and a Heart CT Scan with a coronary artery calcium score. Scanning happens at RadNet, and results come back as an Ezra Report in about 7 to 10 days.

Tests & services

Coronary calcium score Full-body MRI Low-dose lung CT
See if it’s a fit
Nawal L. Atwan Johansen, MD, Nawal Johansen, MD

Nawal Johansen, MD

El Camino Real, Palo Alto
Nawal L. Atwan Johansen, MD
Heart & circulationWhole-body baselineBrain & cognition

Nawal Johansen, MD is a single-physician concierge internal medicine practice on El Camino Real in Palo Alto, built around an annual executive physical and a preventive menu that names its tests: coronary calcium CT scanning, echocardiograms, stress testing, ECG monitoring, advanced lab testing and bone density. Dr Johansen practised at Stanford for over a decade and holds active privileges at Stanford Hospital. Led by Nawal L. Atwan Johansen, MD.

Tests & services

Coronary calcium score DEXA scan Longevity membership Cardiac stress test +4 more
See if it’s a fit
Dr. Sukhjit (Sarge) Takhar, MDDr. Michael Billington, MD

PrimaryMD, San Mateo

South San Mateo Drive, San Mateo
Dr. Sukhjit (Sarge) Takhar, MD, Dr. Michael Billington, MD
Whole-body baselineStrength, fitness & body compositionMetabolic health & blood sugar

PrimaryMD is a physician-led membership practice on South San Mateo Drive, and its diagnostic programme is named rather than described: a DEXA body-composition and bone-density scan, VO2 max, resting metabolic rate, grip strength, quarterly blood panels and one-time whole-genome sequencing. Each care team is capped at 150 members, and this is the member's everyday primary care too. Led by Dr. Sukhjit (Sarge) Takhar, MD, Dr. Michael Billington, MD.

Tests & services

Comprehensive biomarker panel Continuous glucose monitoring DEXA scan VO₂ max testing +5 more
See if it’s a fit
Young Naturopathic Center for Wellness clinic

Young Naturopathic Center for Wellness

Blossom Hill Road, Los Gatos
Strength, fitness & body compositionAdvanced diagnostics & emerging careGenetics & biological age

The Young Naturopathic Center for Wellness has served Los Gatos from the same location since 2004, built by Dr. Renee Young around testing. Diagnostics run from VO2 max and grip strength to a 130+ biomarker NutrEval panel, Galleri and telomere testing, with blood drawn in the office. Care is paid per visit and per test. People come here for a whole-body baseline and hormones and energy.

Tests & services

Comprehensive biomarker panel Coronary calcium score DEXA scan GLP-1 weight loss program +24 more
See if it’s a fit

iThriveMD, Sunnyvale

West McKinley Avenue, Sunnyvale
Dr. Samir Damani, MD
Advanced diagnostics & emerging careCancer risk & screeningMedical weight loss

iThriveMD Sunnyvale is the South Bay clinic of a California and Arizona longevity brand, sitting inside the Revive Building just off El Camino Real. It publishes the biomarkers it measures by name across five pillars, from ApoB and lipoprotein(a) to HOMA-IR, APOE genotype and neurofilament light chain, and it treats to those numbers with GLP-1, hormone, peptide, NAD+ and IV protocols. Led by Dr. Samir Damani, MD.

Tests & services

Full-body MRI GLP-1 weight loss program Peptide therapy Telehealth visits +8 more
See if it’s a fit

Q Bio

Brewster Avenue, downtown Redwood City
Garry Choy, MD
Whole-body baselineAdvanced diagnostics & emerging careCancer risk & screening

Q Bio runs one clinic on Brewster Avenue in Redwood City and sells one thing: the Q Exam, a 75-minute visit capturing a non-contrast whole-body MRI across 10 sequences, 120+ blood and urine biomarkers, and a 163-gene panel. Every scan is analysed by Constellation, the company's FDA-cleared image-analysis software, read by a board-certified radiologist, and walked through with a physician in a 45-minute Data Review. Led by Garry Choy, MD.

Tests & services

Comprehensive biomarker panel Full-body MRI Genetic & genomic testing
See if it’s a fit

How a heart checkup usually goes

  1. Your history first

    Family history, your own numbers, and blood pressure measured properly.

  2. The testing

    Usually a blood draw, sometimes a scan. Ask what's included and what costs extra.

  3. Your risk, explained

    Your results become a clear picture of your risk over the next 10 years, and which parts you can change.

  4. A plan and a date

    Targets, any medication, and when to check again. Ask if your own doctor gets a copy.

If you have chest pain, new shortness of breath, or pain that comes on with effort, get checked right away. That's a job for your doctor, not a screening package.

Go deeper

Explainer Biomarker testing vs an annual physical

What your yearly checkup covers, what a longevity blood panel adds, and how to use both together.
Data What are the leading causes of death in the US?

The 10 biggest causes of death in America, and which ones a routine test can flag years ahead.
Data Life expectancy by state: all 50 ranked

Every state on one map, by sex and at 65, plus how the US compares to the world.

Common questions

Which clinics in Palo Alto-Silicon Valley address heart & circulation?

11 in our Palo Alto-Silicon Valley guide: Avita MD, Los Altos, Avita MD, Los Gatos, Avita MD, Mountain View, Biograph, San Francisco Bay Area, Biohackr Health, Palo Alto, Ezra East San Jose, Nawal Johansen, MD, PrimaryMD, San Mateo, Young Naturopathic Center for Wellness, iThriveMD, Sunnyvale and Q Bio.

I feel fine and I'm not old. Is it worth checking my heart?

Yes. Knowing your blood pressure and cholesterol is worth it at any adult age. But if your numbers are normal, you don't smoke and nobody in your family had heart disease early, the basics may be all you need for now.

My cholesterol is normal. Is there anything else worth knowing?

Sometimes. ApoB can show risk a standard panel misses, and Lp(a) is worth a one-time check if heart disease showed up early in your family. Neither decides things on its own. They add to the same conversation with your doctor.

I want a calcium score. Where do I start?

Our heart imaging page lists the clinics near you that offer calcium scoring and heart CT scans. It helps to book through a doctor who'll tell you what the result would change for you.

What does this cost, and will insurance cover it?

It varies a lot. Basics like blood pressure and cholesterol are often covered by insurance. Broader packages and scans are usually self-pay. Some clinics charge once, others include repeat testing in a membership. Our guides on cost and insurance go deeper.

What happens if something comes back abnormal?

Usually it's the start of a conversation, not an emergency. The next step might be a repeat test, a more targeted one, or a referral. Before you book, ask who reviews surprising results, how fast you'll hear, and whether your doctor gets a copy.

How do you decide which clinics appear on this page?

A clinic appears here when its own published material shows it offers this kind of testing at that location.

Sources (6)
  1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Heart Disease Facts
  2. MedlinePlus, Coronary artery disease
  3. U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, Hypertension in adults: screening
  4. U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, Statin use for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in adults: preventive medication
  5. American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association, 2019 guideline on the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease
  6. American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology, 2018 guideline on the management of blood cholesterol

This page is educational information, not medical advice, and it is not a recommendation to have or to skip any test. What is worth testing depends on your age, your history and your personal risk, so discuss it with a clinician who knows them. If you have chest pain, new breathlessness or another symptom that concerns you, seek a medical evaluation rather than a screening package.

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