Advances in science and technology are opening new opportunities to prevent noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and improve long-term health outcomes. Precision medicine is helping healthcare move beyond a one-size-fits-all approach by using more personalized tools to better understand an individual’s health risks.
Through smarter screening and more targeted testing – including advanced blood tests, imaging technologies, and genetic insights – precision medicine can help identify risk earlier, often before symptoms appear. This earlier understanding creates valuable opportunities for prevention, lifestyle changes, and timely medical care.
For patients and families, these advances offer an important pathway toward prevention, helping people take proactive steps to protect their health and reduce the risk of serious chronic diseases before they begin.
Noncommunicable diseases, or NCDs, are also commonly referred to as chronic diseases. They are long-lasting health conditions that do not spread from person to person. Unlike infections caused by viruses or bacteria, NCDs develop over time – often without obvious symptoms in their early stages. They can quietly progress for years before becoming clinically apparent, which is why they are sometimes referred to as “silent” diseases.
NCDs are influenced by a combination of our diet, lifestyle, environmental exposures, our genetics, and even our microbiome. Poor nutrition, physical inactivity, tobacco use, excessive alcohol consumption, and chronic stress are among the common contributors. Over time, these factors can cause damage at a cellular and systemic level – leading to inflammation, insulin resistance, high blood pressure, abnormal lipid levels, or other imbalances that increase disease risk.
Because many NCDs evolve slowly, early warning signs are often overlooked or attributed to aging or lifestyle stress. For example, high blood pressure may not cause noticeable symptoms until it leads to a stroke or heart attack. Similarly, insulin resistance can exist for years before a person is diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. By the time symptoms appear, significant internal damage may have already occurred – making early detection, screening, and prevention efforts critically important.
Behind every statistic is a family. MADP exists to help change these outcomes.
Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) remain the leading causes of illness, disability, and death in the United States. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death — with one person dying every 34 seconds — and cancer is the second leading cause, with more than 1.9 million new cases expected each year. Together, these conditions drive the majority of chronic disease burden and healthcare spending nationwide.
🔹Colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence has nearly doubled among U.S. adults under age 50 since the early 1990s. Notably, the U.S. has seen a rapid rise in CRC cases among individuals aged 20 to 49 years. [ACS Cancer Journal for Clinicians, Colorectal Statistics]
🔹Coronary artery disease (CAD) is increasing in younger populations. Approximately 1 in 20 adults at age 20 years and older are affected by CAD. [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Heart Disease Statistics in the United States]
Despite their widespread impact, many noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) can be prevented or detected earlier when people have access to the right information, screening, and preventive care. Research shows that up to 90% of heart disease and as many as 40% of cancers may be preventable through a combination of healthier lifestyles, early screening, and risk-based medical care.
Simple steps – such as evidence-based blood tests, recommended cancer screenings, and improvements in nutrition, physical activity, and environmental exposures – can help identify risks earlier and reduce the likelihood of serious disease. By prioritizing earlier detection and prevention, MADP helps individuals take action sooner and reduce the growing burden of chronic disease for families and communities.
Prevention works best when patients and healthcare providers work together – building a trusted partnership that combines clinical expertise with active patient participation in care. MADP’s educational guidance draws upon recommendations and clinical research from leading organizations, including the American College of Cardiology (ACC), American Heart Association (AHA), and National Lipid Association (NLA), as well as laboratory resources from Quest Diagnostics and Labcorp.
Beyond routine laboratory testing, additional biomarker testing may help identify important risk factors that are not always detected through standard bloodwork. These include markers associated with cardiovascular risk, inflammation, insulin resistance, and metabolic health.
Understanding these risks earlier can support more personalized prevention strategies, timely intervention, and better long-term health outcomes. We encourage patients to discuss appropriate screening and advanced testing options with their healthcare providers as part of their annual preventive health visit.
Traditional cholesterol tests measure total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol (LDL-C), HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides. While these markers are important, they may not always provide a complete picture of an individual’s cardiovascular risk.
Advanced lipid testing can provide additional insights into cardiovascular risk, including atherosclerotic plaque development and inherited risk factors. Two important biomarkers include:
These additional tests can help identify individuals with elevated cardiovascular risk, even when routine cholesterol results appear within normal ranges. Earlier identification can support more personalized prevention strategies.
As part of MADP’s commitment to expanding access to public health prevention resources, individuals are encouraged to take an active role in understanding their cardiovascular risk. Patient support resouces outlining preventive blood tests to discuss with your provider at your next annual wellness visit are available through the MADP Patient Support Resource Hub _ [HERE].
We welcome you to download and print the recommended testing guide – complete with corresponding CPT codes – to help support informed conversations with your healthcare provider and facilitate appropriate ordering of preventive screening tests.
Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States. Despite advances in prevention and cholesterol management, an important gap remains in identifying individuals at increased risk for premature cardiovascular disease.
Lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a), is a largely inherited cardiovascular risk factor that is not measured through a standard cholesterol panel and often goes undetected in routine care.
Approximately 1 in 5 adults have elevated Lp(a), with higher levels particularly common among individuals of African ancestry. Many remain unaware of their increased risk because elevated Lp(a) typically causes no symptoms.
Elevated Lp(a) is associated with an increased risk of premature heart attack, stroke, and calcific aortic valve stenosis, including cardiovascular events occurring in individuals in their 30s, 40s, and 50s.
A simple blood test, generally needed only once in adulthood, can help identify inherited cardiovascular risk and guide earlier, more personalized prevention strategies.
Identifying elevated Lp(a) before a cardiovascular event occurs is an important opportunity for earlier intervention and prevention. MADP encourages adults to discuss once-in-a-lifetime Lp(a) testing with their healthcare providers as part of a comprehensive cardiovascular risk assessment.
Early identification of elevated Lp(a) can help support:
We invite you to share this important information and to speak with your healthcare provider about Lp(a) testing. For additional information, we have provided the: Download Resource: MADP Understanding the Importance of Lipoprotein(a) [HERE].
For those interested in advancing this important public health call to action, MADP welcomes individuals to become MADP Advocacy Ambassadors or to establish a MADP Community Health Cabinet within your community or workplace. We invite those interested to contact our support team by emailing ➜ [HERE].
Together, we can prevent premature cardiovascular events, close critical gaps in care, and improve long-term health outcomes for patients and families.
Genetic testing has an important role in preventive care, offering opportunities to identify inherited risks for certain cancers, cardiovascular conditions, and other serious health concerns – often before symptoms develop. Advances in precision medicine are helping individuals and families understand inherited risks, pursue earlier screening, and benefit from personalized prevention strategies.
For example, identifying Lynch syndrome can reveal an increased lifetime risk for colorectal and other cancers. Early identification allows for earlier and more frequent colonoscopy and recommended cancer surveillance, helping reduce cancer risk and improve opportunities for early detection.
Your healthcare provider or genetic counselor can help determine whether testing is appropriate based on your personal and family history and guide individualized screening and prevention decisions.
To learn more about “Who Should Consider Genetic Testing?” and “How Genetic Testing Can Play an Important Role in Preventive Care, we invite you to explore these and additional educational and advocacy resources through the MADP Patient Support Resource Hub ➜ Login [HERE]
Clinical-grade genetic testing is recommended and typically requires an order from a licensed healthcare provider, who can determine the most appropriate test and ensure accurate interpretation of results. Individuals are encouraged to use caution with direct-to-consumer genetic testing, as these tests may not provide the same level of clinical validation, comprehensiveness, or medical guidance and may result in incomplete or potentially misleading information.
A baby inherits genes from both parents, but genetics is only part of the story. Emerging research suggests that parental health before conception may influence how those genes are expressed through epigenetic mechanisms.
Epigenetics refers to biological signals that help regulate gene activity – shaped by factors such as nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress, and environmental exposures. Supporting good health prior to pregnancy may help create a more favorable environment for early development and contribute to a healthier start for future children.
