Three Tests Your Doctor Doesn’t Run But Should
By
Natalie Moore
Posted May 2, 2016
- Three reasons we loathe… hate… despise tests
- Revealed: The three potentially life-saving tests everyone should get…
- The one condition that could be the root of most chronic disease… and one way you may detect it.
Dear Reader,
Taking tests is the worst.
First there is the waiting for the doctor.
Then the waiting at the lab for someone to drain you of several tubes of blood — they poke, they prod… and an occasional, “woops! Sorry about that.”
And finally, the torturous wait to hear your results.
Yes, blood work is an unpleasant. It’s uncomfortable, time consuming, and in my experience, very impersonal.
Most of the time, my doctor just checks the comprehensive metabolic panel which includes blood sugar, electrolytes, fluid balance, kidney and liver functions and calls it a day.
Yet, it’s a necessary evil. A way to discover lurking illnesses we wouldn’t otherwise discover until it’s too late.
But what if all poking, prodding, and anxious waiting isn’t giving your doctor an accurate view of your health?
Well, I have news for you. Chances are, it isn’t.
But don’t worry.
Today, Living Well Daily has invited Dr. Peter Swanz N.D. to bring you key information on three critically important tests your doctor should be running but probably isn’t.
Dr. Swanz, a graduate of the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Tempe, Arizona, has been in practice for 10 years. He utilizes his advanced training in naturopathic medicine, homeopathic medicine, and nutrition to support patients of all ages with chronic and acute conditions in his Louisville, Kentucky-based practice Vital Force Naturopathy.
Take it away, Dr. Swanz…
Dr. Peter Swanz of Vital Force Naturopathy.
Three Important Blood Tests Your Doctor Doesn’t Run
But Should
When seeing your primary care doctor, it can be difficult to know which blood tests are important and which aren’t.
For my patients, I recommend three nonstandard blood tests to them during their annual checkup.
While the data from these tests are not crucial to any particular diagnosis, the tests provide information that help to paint a picture of the underlying health of the patient. In addition, the results may inspire meaningful and lasting lifestyle changes that will impact overall health and well-being down the road.
I should mention — if you have insurance, often one annual physical is covered. The blood tests may cost extra but are well worth the expense.
On to the tests…
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is crucial for immune function, bone health, cardiovascular health, mood, and so much more.
The most accurate way to check your vitamin D status is with a 25-hydroxy vitamin D test. In my experience, greater than 90% of my patients have had levels lower than the optimal range when checking this marker.
Since vitamin D is chronically low in our society today, I recommend 2,000–4,000 IUs of vitamin D3 for my patients until they get their levels tested. We then may adjust the dose depending on the results of the level.
Hemoglobin A1C
The HA1C test is a standard test for anyone with diabetes. The HA1C differs from a blood sugar test in one very important way — a blood sugar test is specific to that particular point in time, while the HA1C gives a broader indication of the blood sugar levels over the past three months.
For a diabetic, the HA1C indicates how well they are controlling their blood sugar levels with diet, medication, and/or insulin over the past few months. In addition, this test can provide valuable information for making changes to any of these areas based on the results.
Everyone should have their HA1C checked — diabetic or not.
Here’s my reasoning…
Many people that aren’t diabetic may be walking the edge of developing diabetes. However, their fasting blood sugar could still be in the normal range when they have blood drawn for their annual exam.
Eating for stable blood sugars is an important component of long-term health and vitality. If you have your HA1C checked and the value is above a 5.6%, it would be valuable to discuss with your doctor how to eat for healthy blood sugar levels. If you doctor tells you to “eat more whole grains,” ignore that doctor and find a new one.
High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein
The high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (HSCRP) test is a measure of inflammation. Currently, this test may be run if the patient is at risk for heart disease. This could be based on other factors such as elevated cholesterol, lipids, triglycerides, blood pressure, or other indicators.
Yet the HSCRP test is not specific to cardiovascular inflammation. In fact, it’s a measure of inflammation throughout the body. For example, if someone suffers from an autoimmune condition, there is no need to run this test because we already know they are experiencing high levels of inflammation. However, someone with a normal lipid panel may still experience systemic inflammation, and the HSCRP test could give us an indication of this status.
Inflammation is a unifying theme for the chronic diseases that are causing so much trouble in our society today. If someone can get a glimpse of their inflammatory status before developing any chronic disease and then begin to implement lifestyle and diet changes to address the inflammation, that is a perfect example of preventative medicine.
You should continue to have your levels checked during future blood work so that your doctor can fine-tune various interventions to improve the results and optimize the overall status of your health. Next time you go to your primary care physician, ask them to check these three markers in your blood.
Regards,
Peter Swanz, ND, FHANP
If you have blood work coming up, talk to your doctor about these tests.
If you don’t like your doctor, it may be time to find a new one.
If you are interested in booking an appointment with Dr. Swanz you don’t have to live in Louisville, Kentucky, to do so. Dr. Swanz has patients all over the world!
Dr. Swanz’s services are available remotely through phone or video chat! All you have to do is schedule and appointment and answer the phone!
Click here to schedule your appointment or call 812-716-HEAL (4325) to get started!
Live well,
Natalie Moore
Managing editor, Living Well Daily
P.S. If you would like to hear more from Dr. Swanz in the future, let me know! nmoore@lfb.org – and click here to like us on Facebook.
Written By Natalie Moore
Natalie Moore is a dedicated health researcher with a passion for finding healthy, natural, and science-based solutions. After a decade of direct healthcare experience in western and natural medicine, she was involved in public health research before joining Living Well Daily.
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