February 17th, 2009
When we drink alcohol basically the body considers it a poison and the liver steps up to remove the poison from the body. A guy, let’s call him Mike, woke up at noon with a throbbing headache, nauseated and basically worthless for the entire day. Remembering that on top of pre-dinner Martinis and wine with dinner, he downed an entire bottle of port, he knew why he was hurting. I called him to see if he had survived after that long night of drinking. “Mike, how you feeling?” “Oh man I’m dying here, that’ll leave a Scar….” Turns out Mike wasn’t far from wrong. According to the Liver foundation, http://www.liverfoundation.org/education/info/alcohol/ Alcohol induced liver disease at its worst level can leave a scar – it’s called Cirrhoses of the liver. If you live by the motto “The liver is bad and must be punished” you may want to read about the punishment that can be caused by Alcohol induced liver disease. Basically it starts with a fatty liver, moves on to Alcoholic hepatitis and then eventually full blown Cirrhoses. I know Mike isn’t going to stop drinking by he may want to check up on the damage he is doing along the way.
Some of the primary methods doctors use to check up on the liver are blood tests called liver function tests. Among these tests are ALT and AST. An unhealthy liver will produce enzymes called ALT and AST. High levels of these in the blood stream may mean that the liver is damaged or inflamed. If you want to test this theory go get your blood tested when you have one of those massive hangovers. My friend Dan had his blood tested after an all night bachelor party and the next day his doctor called and asked him to come into the office immediately. After Dan explained the situation he was rescheduled for a test in a few days and everything was back to normal If you believe the liver is bad and must be punished you should go to your nearest direct access testing facility and ask for a Liver function panel or at least an ALT and AST test. If your test results indicate HIGH in the numeric score, go see you doctor and consider a little less punishment.
Joe Neely
Tags: ALT, AST, liver
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February 4th, 2009
So men, statistics say that if you live long enough, odds are you will have a prostate problem. This does not mean everyone who gets old will have prostate cancer but it does put monitoring your prostate health front in center for men beginning around age 40. Men 40 and under, don’t go to the doctor unless they are sick and let’s face it we don’t get sick that often. If you weren’t one of those brave guys who actually gets a check up at 40 you should consider getting you PSA checked along with your cholesterol during your next visit to your direct access testing center.
What is PSA? It’s not all that complicated, PSA stands for prostate-specific antigen which is a protein produced by cells in the prostate gland. A simple blood test can measure the level of PSA in your blood. The reason it is considered a “tumor marker” is that theoretically PSA levels are higher in men who have prostate cancer. I say theoretically because there are other things that can cause an elevated PSA level.
The main problem with the prostate is that the damn thing never stops growing. If you live to 80 years old it is more than likely that your prostate will have grown large enough to begin messing with the plumbing. You will either go to the bathroom every time your turn around and or you will have a leaky pipe to deal with after you go. These symptoms can come earlier in life and are not necessarily an indication of cancer buy they are an early warning sign that should be taken seriously.
It’s all in the numbers. I would get a PSA test at 40. It may seem early but remember the prostate never stops growing. Having a score at the age of 40 will give you and your doctor a baseline starting point so that you can consider each consecutive test in light of your original score. Your PSA test will result in a numeric score. For years doctors have consider a score below a 4 to be in the “normal” range and above 4 to be in the area of concern. According to the National Cancer Institute, today doctors are taking a more conservative view of the scores because prostate cancer has been found in men with scores below 4. Ranges will vary from lab to lab but the National Cancer Institute’s recommended ranges are:
· 0 to 2.5 ng/mL is low.
· 2.6 to 10 ng/mL is slightly to moderately elevated.
· 10 to 19.9 ng/mL is moderately elevated.
· 20 ng/mL or more is significantly elevated.
Several risk factors need to be considered when trying to calculate the odds of you getting prostate cancer. These factors include age, race, family history and diet. You first step is getting your PSA level tested; don’t wait until you have a symptom. Most insurance will pay for a PSA test once a year. If you find yourself even borderline high, I’d find a DAT center and get tested quarterly to monitor any changes. Its fast, cheap and convient as it should be when you are paying cash.
Joe Neely
Tags: National Cancer Institute, Prostate, PSA
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February 3rd, 2009
Direct Access Testing – What is it? Why do it?
Tired of sitting in your doctor’s waiting room wondering which one of his patients is going to give you the flu while you wait your turn for a simple blood test so you can get a prescription refill? Ever wonder why you have to wait 20 minutes after the draw just so the doctor can pop in and say “hello” before he sends you on your way? Did that phone call from the medical assistant telling you that “everything was fine with your blood test” satisfy you interest in the results? Ever wonder “what is the big deal about getting a blood test” and “why does it have to be ordered by a doctor”?
Direct Access Testing (DAT) is for you. Environmental forces have powered a growing industry call DAT. DAT is generally defined as consumer initiated clinical blood testing. A doctor is not required to write a referral or prescription for the test. This “direct-to-consumer” approach to clinical testing is driven by three powerful environmental forces; the internet, consumerism in health care, and HAS accounts and their associated high deductable health care insurance plans. DAT is legal in many states and is practiced in most states (except NY, NJ, RI).
Why do I care? DAT allows consumers to both manage their health and control their cost of health care. If you are under treatment for high cholesterol you likely are required to take a blood test every 90 days. The doctor wants to verify that the medication is in fact controlling your cholesterol levels and he wants to be sure it not frying your liver. You don’t have to waste time trying to set an appointment and sitting around in waiting rooms. With DAT you can walk right into a center and get you cholesterol tested and have the actual report with numerical results within 24 hours in many cases. These results are just as valid as the test your doctor does. The best part – its cheap, fast and easy. If you don’t have health insurance and go to hospital for a blood test you will pay as much as 4 times more for any blood test you order.
May be you just read a book on heart health and are curious about your homocysteine levels. Or did your parents have diabetes or early onset of prostate issues? Whatever the concern, with DAT you can have access to the same tests your doctor might order to measure and monitor your health.
Joe Neely
Tags: Add new tag, clinical blood test, DAT, health care consumerism, patient ordered test
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