San Diego clinics›Heart & circulation
San Diego · Guide · Heart health

Heart health testing in San Diego

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 San Diego 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
San Diego photograph by Tyrel Johnson · 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 San Diego, by the numbers

The rate of high blood pressure in San Diego is lower than the national rate. In San Diego, 28.7% of adults have high blood pressure, compared with 34.4% nationally. That adds up to roughly 740,000 adults in San Diego County.

28.7%of adults in San Diego have high blood pressureUS: 34.4%
740,000adults in San Diego have high blood pressureEstimated from CDC county figures
11San Diego clinics list heart testingSee them below
San Diego 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. San Diego = San Diego 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 San Diego

How we order clinics
Michael Wang, MD, DABR, Axos Imaging

Axos Imaging

Escondido
Michael Wang, MD
2 locations, also in National City
Heart & circulationBrain & cognitionCancer risk & screening

Axos Imaging runs Axos360, a whole-body MRI screening programme, out of a working outpatient radiology centre in Escondido rather than a scanning boutique. Three packages scan head, neck, chest, abdomen and pelvis, with dedicated brain imaging, MR angiography and NeuroQuant volumetrics on the upper two. The top package adds a low-dose chest CT and a coronary artery calcium score. Led by Michael Wang, MD.

Describes its care in general terms rather than a published test menu.

See if it’s a fit
James D. Fontaine, M.D., Fontaine MD

Fontaine MD

Carmel Valley, San Diego
James D. Fontaine, M.D.
Heart & circulationHormones & energyMedical weight loss

Fontaine MD is a preventive and longevity practice in the Torrey Hills part of Carmel Valley, built on Dr. James Fontaine's stated principle that if it isn't measured, it isn't managed. Every Healthy Aging consultation opens with a medical history, body composition analysis, a comprehensive lab panel and a carotid intima-media thickness scan. Hormone therapy and a full aesthetics menu sit alongside. Led by James D. Fontaine, M.D.

Tests & services

Body contouring Testosterone therapy Botox & fillers Medical facials & skin treatments
See if it’s a fit
Dr. Shawn Vedamani, MDDr. Alex Roher, MD

Hormones and Wellness by SDBody, La Jolla

La Jolla
Dr. Shawn Vedamani, MD, Dr. Alex Roher, MD
2 locations, also in Mission Hills
Advanced diagnostics & emerging careHormones & energyWhole-body baseline

The La Jolla clinic of Hormones and Wellness by SDBody is a free-standing site in La Jolla village, and the only one of the practice's two clinics offering hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Care opens with one of three named lab panels, Hormone, Core or Advanced, drawn at an Optimization Intake, then runs to hormone therapy, medical weight loss, peptides, IV and NAD+, PEMF, red light, infrared sauna and cold plunge. Led by Dr. Shawn Vedamani, MD, Dr. Alex Roher, MD.

Tests & services

Hormone panel Peptide therapy Cold plunge IV vitamin therapy +7 more
See if it’s a fit
Dr. Shawn Vedamani, MDDr. Alex Roher, MD

Hormones and Wellness by SDBody, Mission Hills

Mission Hills
Dr. Shawn Vedamani, MD, Dr. Alex Roher, MD
2 locations, also in La Jolla
Advanced diagnostics & emerging careHormones & energyWhole-body baseline

Hormones and Wellness by SDBody in Mission Hills is the downtown clinic of a two-site physician-led practice founded by two board-certified anesthesiologists. Every care path opens with one of three named lab panels, Hormone, Core or Advanced, drawn at an Optimization Intake and read back against your symptoms. Treatment runs from hormone therapy and weight care to peptides, IV and NAD+, and recovery. Led by Dr. Shawn Vedamani, MD, Dr. Alex Roher, MD.

Tests & services

Hormone panel Peptide therapy Cold plunge IV vitamin therapy +7 more
See if it’s a fit
Tina Ziainia, MD, FACOG, Human Longevity, San Diego

Human Longevity, San Diego

Eastgate Technology Park, San Diego
Tina Ziainia, MD, Keon Pearson, MD and 6 more
Whole-body baselineCancer risk & screeningMetabolic health & blood sugar

Human Longevity's flagship clinic sits in Eastgate Technology Park near UC San Diego, where a single private day covers whole genome sequencing, whole body and brain MRI, cardiac imaging and hundreds of blood biomarkers. Twelve clinicians are named across the company's two California clinics, with Dr. Tina Ziainia as San Diego's medical director. Results live in a platform you keep. Led by Tina Ziainia, MD, Keon Pearson, MD, Neha Ravi, DO and 5 more.

Tests & services

Comprehensive biomarker panel Continuous glucose monitoring Coronary calcium score DEXA scan +9 more
See if it’s a fit
Prenuvo San Diego clinic

Prenuvo San Diego

Del Mar Heights, San Diego
Whole-body baselineAdvanced diagnostics & emerging careBrain & cognition

Prenuvo's San Diego clinic on Del Mar Heights Road books whole-body MRI screening from a quarter to eight in the morning, Monday to Friday. The scan is published as a radiation-free, contrast-free multiparametric protocol covering the brain, spine, abdomen and pelvis in under an hour, read by a specialist radiology team. Blood panels and a provider results review sit alongside it in the memberships.

Tests & services

Comprehensive biomarker panel Full-body MRI Brain MRI with volumetrics
See if it’s a fit
Dr. John Kasawa, MDDr. Alexander Aponte-Davila, ND, MHSN

Saffron & Sage

San Diego
Dr. John Kasawa, MD
Advanced diagnostics & emerging careGut & digestive healthImmune, inflammation & complex symptoms

Saffron & Sage is a members-only integrative health centre on State Street in San Diego where testing is the front door, and the testing is named: the Saffron Panel, stool microbiome analysis, micronutrient testing, the Organic Acids Test, Smart Vascular Dx and the Galleri multi-cancer blood test. Naturopathic doctors, doctors of Chinese medicine and an MD medical director read the results together. Led by Dr. John Kasawa, MD.

Tests & services

Peptide therapy Environmental toxin panels Health & nutrition coaching IV vitamin therapy +8 more
See if it’s a fit
Christina Adams, MDPhong Hu, MD

Scripps Center for Executive Health

La Jolla, San Diego
Christina Adams, MD, Phong Hu, MD and 12 more
Cancer risk & screeningWhole-body baselineHeart & circulation

Scripps Center for Executive Health has run one-day executive physicals on the Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla campus since 1981. The WholePerson Examination runs from 6:30 am to 2 pm and covers a stress treadmill test with estimated VO2 max, carotid and femoral artery ultrasound, a chest X-ray, a coronary calcium score and full-body dermatology screening. Fourteen Scripps physicians are named. Led by Christina Adams, MD, Phong Hu, MD, Sophia Akhiyat, MD and 11 more.

Tests & services

Comprehensive biomarker panel Coronary calcium score DEXA scan Hormone panel +12 more
See if it’s a fit
Suzan Mahdai, MD, MPH, DABOM, MSCPHaider Aldiwani, MD, MPH, CCD

Timely Health

Rancho Bernardo, San Diego
Suzan Mahdai, MD, Haider Aldiwani, MD
Strength, fitness & body compositionAdvanced diagnostics & emerging careCancer risk & screening

Timely Health is a preventive and longevity practice on World Trade Drive in San Diego, led by Dr. Suzan Mahdai and Dr. Haider Aldiwani. Onsite testing covers DEXA whole-body and bone density scans, VO₂ max and resting metabolic rate. Memberships cover weight management, menopausal hormone care and prevention, with Galleri, Myriad and at-home sleep testing as add-ons. Led by Suzan Mahdai, MD, Haider Aldiwani, MD.

Tests & services

DEXA scan GLP-1 weight loss program Peptide therapy VO₂ max testing +7 more
See if it’s a fit

Axos Imaging, National City

National City
2 locations, also in Escondido
Brain & cognitionCancer risk & screeningHeart & circulation

Axos Imaging's National City centre on Highland Avenue is the South Bay site of a three-location outpatient radiology group, and the one the group calls its technology flagship. It runs the Axos360 whole-body MRI screening programme in three published packages, alongside 3 Tesla MRI, 128-slice CT and walk-in X-ray for referred work.

Describes its care in general terms rather than a published test menu.

See if it’s a fit

Sharp HealthCare Employee and Executive Health and Wellness Program

Kearny Mesa, San Diego
Strength, fitness & body compositionWhole-body baselineCancer risk & screening

Sharp HealthCare's Employee and Executive Health and Wellness Program runs from Building C at Sharp Rees-Stealy Kearny Mesa, with a second site in Rancho Bernardo. The exam is tailored to your history and finished in about two and a half hours, in a suite with a private lounge, locker and shower. The scans it names are coronary artery scoring CT, low-dose lung screening CT, bone densitometry and two ultrasounds.

Describes its care in general terms rather than a published test menu.

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 San Diego address heart & circulation?

11 in our San Diego guide: Axos Imaging, Fontaine MD, Hormones and Wellness by SDBody, La Jolla, Hormones and Wellness by SDBody, Mission Hills, Human Longevity, San Diego, Prenuvo San Diego, Saffron & Sage, Scripps Center for Executive Health, Timely Health, Axos Imaging, National City and Sharp HealthCare Employee and Executive Health and Wellness Program.

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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