Can a person feel good and still be sick?
Many health issues in America have very few symptoms until the problem becomes severe. Think about cancer. Many cancers are present on average 7 years before a person has any symptoms. Heart disease is called the “silent killer.” For many people, the first sign of heart disease is a heart attack, which can be fatal. You have to lose up to 60-70% of your kidney function before you have any symptoms.
So, can you be sick and feel just fine? Absolutely.
The question then becomes ‘how can you know if you are sick?’ Having a healthy lifestyle with healthy habits such as proper nutrition and exercise are great ways to promote good health, but they don’t necessarily mean or guarantee that you are healthy.
Mark’s Story
Recently a patient of mine was in. He lives a very healthy lifestyle. He also would say that he is healthy. I asked him when the last time was that he had blood labs. He said it had been a long time. He explained that he hadn’t been to the doctor in a long time because he felt great. He also said that he didn’t have labs in a long time because he just felt like the doctor uses the labs to put him on more drugs.
“More drugs?” I asked him what he was taking, and he said that he was on a blood pressure drug and a cholesterol lowering drug. He told me he was healthy and yet he was on two cardiovascular drugs. He thought that because those drugs brought his number into the “normal levels” that he didn’t have a problem.
Proper Testing
We live in a day and age where we can measure our health by more than just our habits and how we feel. We can also use testing such as x-rays, MRIs, ultrasound, CT scans, and blood labs.
Bloods labs are a great tool because the test is in real-time, it is mostly non-invasive, and if ordered properly, it is very extensive. They, like all tests, do have limitations but generally they provide great insight into one’s health.
Testing vs. Interpreting
It is one thing to get tested, but you need to have it interpreted. Far too many people go to the doctor for a physical examination and get their blood labs drawn after they meet with the doctor. That makes no sense! Shouldn’t the doctor see the results before they meet with you?
It is also common that unless the markers are off, the doctor won’t even see your labs. If a lab is off, it is also common that the doctor is quick to prescribe a drug to change the value to bring it back into the “normal range.” There is a time and place for that, but rarely does that approach get to the root cause. It just treats the symptoms. What you want is a doctor who will look at your labs, look at patterns, and if markers are off, look at figuring out why. Better yet, you want a doctor who compares your results to functional ranges rather than “normal” ranges. (Here’s why.)
Frank’s Story
Frank is a patient of mine who told me he is taking a cholesterol lowering drug because his cholesterol was high. I asked him what all his other cardiovascular markers looked like. He said that to his knowledge, that was all they had tested. They didn’t test his homocysteine, sdLDL, oxLDL,ApoB, ApoA, Apo(a), or B vitamin levels. They also didn’t do a deep dive into his blood sugar, which can also be a problem with cardiovascular disease.
I told him to go and have his blood vessels tested for plaques through a coronary artery calcium test. It came back clean, so the doctor took him off his cholesterol medication.
So why was Frank’s cholesterol high? Frank’s stress levels were very high. When stress is high, we release cortisol. To make cortisol, you need cholesterol. It would make sense that you would be transporting cholesterol via LDL from the liver to the adrenal glands in the blood. A blood test would show high LDL. Frank addressed his stress and his cholesterol came down.
Why Order Extensive Labs?
Why would I order an extensive blood panel and pay cash when I can go to my doctor and get labs done for free? I get this question a lot. The simple answer is the tests routinely done are insufficient to get to the root cause of the problem. They can help the doctor prescribe a drug, but they won’t help the doctor figure out why the problem is occurring in the first place.
Jeff’s Story
Jeff decided to go on a health journey a few years ago. Why? His dad died at an early age and he didn’t want to end up with the same future. He changed his diet (a little) and started exercising. If anything, he said he gained weight. He was frustrated. When I asked him when was the last time he had labs drawn, he said he avoids the doctor.
I had a pretty good suspicion of what his problem was, but I wanted to see it in his labs. I also wanted him to see it. I figured he had metabolic syndrome. It would mean that he had high blood sugar, excess abdominal fat, abnormal cholesterol numbers, abnormal triglyceride levels, high blood pressure, and potentially abnormal liver numbers. Jeff had all of this but his blood sugar levels were normal so Jeff didn’t think he had a blood sugar problem. But he did. How did I know? His insulin levels were very high. Insulin is used to help get sugar into the cell. While his blood sugar was normal, it was taking a lot of insulin to get it there.
The Story of Men
Let’s face it men, when it comes to health we (men) are usually good about exercising, getting stronger, being active such as playing basketball, golfing, pickleball, etc. When it comes to taking care of our body through seeing doctor, getting proper testing, and making changes when necessary, we fail miserably! It is one of the reasons we die earlier.
Men, we need to do better. Are you okay with missing your grandchildren grow up, having someone else walk your daughter down the aisle at her wedding, having your wife take care of you because of health issues that you could have done something about, but you didn’t?
Order the Labs
At Valeo, we want people to know about their health beyond just what they feel. We offer extensive women’s and men’s blood panels that also come with a full, detailed, OptimalDX-generated report of results. The report points to areas of health that need work.
Some people work with our functional doctors to make the necessary changes, some work with health coaches, personal trainers, and other doctors, while some people are just motivated to make the changes on their own. The cost for the labs and the report is $350.
Don’t just guess about your health… get proper testing to put you on a better path to wellness.
