HeartFirst Research

Evidence for clearer
heart-risk decisions.

HeartFirst Research is the evidence layer behind our tools, briefings, glossary entries, and public education — deeper reviews, white papers, reference summaries, and research notes on cardiovascular risk, testing, prevention, and implementation.

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Featured research

Briefings are designed for fast reading. Research pages are where the fuller evidence story lives: what is known, what is contested, what is changing, and how the evidence can be translated into practical preparation.

Evidence review

From Routine to Baseline: Cholesterol Testing

A full evidence review on the history, value, global reality, limits, and future role of standard cholesterol testing — foundational, but not always complete.

Last reviewed: May 2026
CholesterolTestingPrevention
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Evidence synthesis

Lipoprotein(a) and Insulin Resistance

A research synthesis on the Lp(a)-insulin resistance relationship and its implications for cardiovascular risk interpretation, metabolic context, and future clinical conversations.

Last reviewed: May 2026
Lp(a)Metabolic riskClinical roadmap
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What belongs here

Research is the long-form evidence layer, not the quick-read library.

The research section is for deeper material: evidence reviews, white papers, technical summaries, policy notes, implementation arguments, and source-grounded reference work.

Evidence reviews
Longer reports that map what is known, where guidelines agree, where interpretation remains difficult, and what this means for prevention.
White papers and briefs
Public-facing and professional-facing documents that connect scientific evidence to policy, practice, education, and implementation.
Reference summaries
Structured evidence notes supporting HeartFirst product language, briefing cards, glossary entries, and core claims.
Risk-marker research
Deeper reviews of Lp(a), ApoB, LDL-C, hs-CRP, blood pressure, metabolic risk, family history, and other risk layers.
Testing and access
Research on what standard testing includes, what it does not include, where access varies, and how earlier risk recognition can improve prevention.
Implementation notes
Practical translation work: how evidence becomes tools, conversations, portal messages, appointment preparation, and family-risk action.
From evidence to use

Research only matters here if it changes what someone can understand, decide, or do.

HeartFirst does not publish research to overwhelm people with evidence. We use research to build clearer public education, stronger briefings, more accurate glossary entries, and better preparation tools.

The working translation pathway

Research does not sit apart from the rest of HeartFirst. It feeds the practical system.

Research → Briefings → Glossary → Products → Health-team conversations. The deeper evidence work supports short public summaries, term definitions, product language, portal messages, appointment preparation, and the Clarify → Navigate → Prevent pathway. The goal is not to flatten complexity. The goal is to make complexity usable without pretending it is simple.
Research themes

Current and emerging focus areas.

This section will expand as the HeartFirst library grows. For launch, the priority is quality and coherence over volume.

Cholesterol testing
Routine panels, baseline testing, LDL-C, non-HDL-C, ApoB, and where standard testing is useful but incomplete.
Lipoprotein(a)
Inherited risk, family testing, risk thresholds, Lp(a) context, public education, and clinical readiness.
Risk multiplexing
How risk layers interact: plaque, inflammation, clot, valve, ApoB burden, insulin resistance, blood pressure, and family history.
Testing access and equity
What people can realistically access across systems, why "routine" is not globally routine, and where policy gaps remain.
Prevention translation
How evidence becomes practical next actions, health-team questions, family conversations, and sustainable prevention habits.
Professional and policy use
Materials that can support health educators, preventive cardiology conversations, workplace health, and public-health advocacy.

Our research standards

HeartFirst Research follows a transparent methodology: guideline-aware synthesis, human review, clear sourcing, and regular updates. We distinguish consensus from controversy, and we update content when evidence changes.

Next

Need the shorter version?
Start with Briefings.

Research is the evidence layer. Briefings are the quick-reference layer: one-pagers, summaries, and practical explainers designed for reading, sharing, and better health-team conversations.

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