What tests should I get?

[backpacker]

Next week I am going in for a physical. I haven't had one in years, and I've never had my cholesterol or blood sugar or anything checked before (though most of my family members have high cholesterol). I wish I had gone in for tests when I weighed 45 pounds more so I could compare numbers, but that's beside the point.

I'm 29 years old, and I hit my main goal weight of 185 pounds (woohoo!) yesterday. :D

I am wondering is what specific health tests should I request? :confused:

[Gaelen]

Backpacker, I work in an industry where the employees face certain health risks and the company provides free health maintenance physicals (mainly to cover itself.) All employees under 40 can opt to get a bi-annual physical; 40 and older are entitled to an annual physical, for free, provided by the industrial medicine department's on-site doctor and nurses. It's considered a complete physical, although there are things it doesn't cover which a baseline physical (IMO) should include:


complete fasting bloodwork panel (hematology and chemistries) to evaluate among other things your complete lipid profile, fasting blood glucose and general bloodwork profile
seracult (to detect blood in stool)
respiratory function test
baseline chest x-ray
baseline EKG
neurological exam
complete medication, hospitalization and family medical history
body weight
blood pressure and resting pulse
temperature
full body hands-on palpation
an eye exam (distance, color-blindness, close vision) (yes, an eye exam, from an actual optometrist who can evaluate your distance vision and other age-affected issues)
baseline audiology exam to evaluate current hearing ability and provide a measure to evaluate future hearing loss
check of immunology/vaccination history with booster updates if needed


This doesn't differ all that much from the annual physicals I get from my internist, except that IMO any baseline physical should also include:

rectal exam
baseline screening for colon cancer (50 is WAY too late to be truly preventative)


You'll need to see a gastoenterologist for the colon cancer screening (at minimum a flexible sigmoidoscopy, but a baseline colonoscopy at 30 wouldn't be a bad idea), and maybe an optometrist for your baseline vision exam, and audiologist for your baseline audiology exam (depending on how your primary care doc's office is equipped.) You should also be seeing a dentist at least twice annually for regular cleaning and mouth/tooth exams. Sounds like a lot, I know, and your insurance may not all of cover it...but these are all important tests, and the earlier you establish baselines, the better your primary doc can evaluate changes. It's all about history; as you noted about your weight, you can't truly evaluate changes unless you know where you started from.

It seems to me that there is a baseline physical recommendation in either PP or PPLP, but I couldn't find it on the run. Hope this helps.

[Gaelen]

Backpacker, I did finally find my baseline physical references (really gotta do some hard drive cleanup and reorganization this weekend!)

Each of these links list slightly different testing recommendations, but all are on board with ensuring that you establish your testing baselines by age 30. As I posted yesterday, I'd encourage a baseline sigmoidoscopy (or preferably colonoscopy) much earlier than 50--there are far to many incidences of colorectal cancer that present with no symptoms and are diagnosed in Stage III or higher when people get their age-50 screening. CRC can be completely cured if found early, but the insurance companies' current definition of 'early' is not even close.

Anyhow, these are some sample recommendations for baseline physicals for men. When I find the file with the recommendations for women, I'll post those links, too.

A Man's Guide to Health Checkups (http://www.mhs.net/Articles/Editions/32/MensGuidetoHealthCheckups.aspx)

Suggested health tests for men (http://www.adventisthealthcare.com/AHC/Atoz/hc/men/life/checkups.asp) from Adventist Health Care.

Baseline Comprehensive Physical Exam (http://www.myonemd.com/baseline.html) from OneMD.

The Ultimate Physical (http://www.bestlifeonline.com/cda/article/0,5507,s1-2---1572,00.html) from Best Life magazine.

Hope these help.

[James L]

Backpacker, I don't recall if you've read Protein Power and Protein Power Life Plan or not. If not, you should!

Anyway, probably one of the most important health-oriented ratios is from the lipid profile, namely triglycerides/HDL. Greater than 5 means increased risk for heart disease, etc. You want a ratio less than 2, and less than 1 if you can do it. This is based on research that the Eades cite that was published in the American Heart Assn's journal, Circulation.

[backpacker]

Gaelen - thanks for the great info!

James - I have read both PP and PPLP, but I loaned out PPLP to a friend, so I don't have it on hand as a reference right now. I'm definitely getting a lipid profile. I'm very curious to see where I'm at, especially since I've been pretty strict on the diet for the last 6 months.