Diagnostic Screening — EKG, Bone Density & Carotid Ultrasound

Hotze Health & Wellness Center runs a comprehensive diagnostic screening suite as part of its new-patient onboarding in the Houston metro area. All new patients receive an EKG to establish a cardiac baseline. Patients aged 40 and over additionally receive a bone density DEXA scan and a carotid artery ultrasound to assess cardiovascular plaque burden. The clinic also offers thyroid blood panels (T4 and antibodies), cholesterol/LDL markers, and VISIA complexion analysis. These diagnostics anchor the personalised wellness plan developed by the clinical team.

Hotze Health & Wellness Center integrates a structured diagnostic screening programme into the new-patient experience at its Katy location, serving the wider Houston metropolitan area. Rather than treating diagnostics as a separate service, the clinic treats foundational testing as a prerequisite to personalised care — an approach that has informed more than 33,000 patient journeys since the clinic opened in 1989. Every new patient undergoes an electrocardiogram (EKG) as part of onboarding. The EKG provides a baseline record of cardiac electrical activity, identifying pre-existing rhythm irregularities, conduction abnormalities, or early signs of cardiac stress before any hormone or supplementation protocol begins. For a clinic that works extensively with bioidentical hormones — which can influence heart rate and rhythm in sensitive individuals — an EKG baseline is a meaningful clinical safeguard. For patients aged 40 and over, two additional screenings are standard. Bone density DEXA scanning measures bone mineral density at the hip and spine — the two sites most predictive of fracture risk — in a 10-minute, low-dose imaging session. Declining estrogen and testosterone both accelerate bone loss, making DEXA a natural complement to the clinic's hormone evaluation work. Results are expressed as T-scores (comparison to a young adult reference) and Z-scores (comparison to age-matched peers), enabling the clinical team to track changes over time as hormone therapy progresses. Carotid artery ultrasound screens for atherosclerotic plaque in the carotid arteries, providing a non-invasive view of subclinical cardiovascular disease. Elevated LDL and low thyroid function are both risk factors for plaque accumulation, and Hotze Health & Wellness Center tests for both as part of its thyroid and lipid blood panels. A thyroid blood panel covering free T4, thyroid antibodies, and total cholesterol and LDL is included in the diagnostic workup for patients presenting with hypothyroid symptoms. All diagnostic results are reviewed by the clinical team — physicians Dr. Steven Hotze and Dr. Donald Ellsworth, along with physician assistants and nurse practitioners — before a treatment plan is finalised. The clinic serves patients from across the Houston metro area, including Sugar Land, Pearland, Cypress, Katy, and The Woodlands.