Simple Blood Tests for Better Health
Homocysteine - A toxic amino acid that can damage the linings of your arteries and considerably increase your risk for heart attack and stroke. It is an independent risk factor, meaning that even if there are no other signs or symptoms, this silent attack on your arteries can be hurting you. If high blood pressure is present, the danger from homocysteine is even greater.

What causes it to be high? A detoxification process called methylation isn't working properly.

If your homocysteine level is more than 15 umol/L , your risk is significantly greater than if it is less than 9. Many experts recommend levels less than 9 for better health.

According to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine _{(N Engl J Med. 2002 Feb 14;346(7):476-83)}, elevated homocysteine was found to be a strong independent risk factor for development of dientia and Alzheimer's disease.

Is there help? Yes, nutritional supplients such as vitamins B..12, B-6, folic acid, and trimethylglycine can help lower homocysteine. Even a glass of red wine can help tame the negative effects of homocysteine _{(J Surg Res. 2003 Nov;115(l):82-91).}

Though Homocysteine may not be directly related to inflammation, I am certain, that Omega 3 might be beneficial to resolve some of the associated problis of high Homocysteine and C-Reative Protein (CRP).

C-Reactive protein (CRP) - This is a special protein that is formed when there is inflammation in the body. High levels are seen when you have a cold or the flu or if you have arthritis but in the last few years research has shown that small but significant amounts are related to heart disease. Why is this? Because atherosclerosis, the disease related to plaque formation in the arteries, is an inflammatory process.

The bottom line is that if CRP is elevated, it should be reduced, preferably to less than lmg/L

What can help reduce CRP? Fish oil and other high quality omega-3 oils. Also vitamins C and E and a derivative of the spice turmeric called curcumin.

(CRP is a general marker of inflammation. A new test is now available that is specific for inflammation caused by the formation of plaque in the arteries. Called the PLAC© test, it may be used in addition to CRP to identify cardiovascular risk.)

Fibrinogen - This is a protein in the blood that relates to clot formation; some of it is good and necessary. Simply put, the more fibrinogen in your blood, the greater the risk of forming a clot. Increased levels are highly associated with risk for heart attack and stroke.

What levels do we associate with better health? Less than 30Omg/dL is a good place to be. Keep in mind we need some fibrinogen to stop and prevent bleeding.

What can be done about higher levels? Nattokinase, an enzyme from Japanese Natto beans (specially fermented soy beans), helps "digest" fibrinogen and lower your levels. Garlic can also be helpful.



Vitamin D - In years past there was concern that people were getting too much vitamin D rather than not enough, but new research, shows very high rates of deficiency, prompting riarkable changes in thinking on how much is needed for good health. The laboratory reference range was dramatically raised from 7-46 ng/mL to 32-100 ng/mL and many experts now believe a level of 40 is the minimum acceptable level for good health.

Deficiencies are linked to a multitude of health problis, including osteoporosis, bone and muscle pain, and lack of iotional wellbeing and certain cancers may also be related to deficiency. The Mayo Clinic performed research on 150 patients with chronic nonspecific musculoskeletal pain and found virtually all to be deficient in vitamin D (93% using the old reference ranges) _{(Mayo Clinic Proc. 2003 Dec;78(l2):1463-70)}.

Deficiency is easily identified with a blood test, and correctable with quality supplients.

To find answers, we must first ask questions.
Ask us for more information about blood tests.

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Metabolic Syndrome
A Major Cause of Ill Health in America
Metabolic Syndrome, also known as Syndrome X, may be an unfamiliar term, but it is the most pervasive health probli in the U.S. with approximately 60 million Americans affected. The numbers grow larger each year and many children are now developing symptoms as well.

What is it? According to the American Medical Association, anyone with three of the following has Metabolic Syndrome:

• Waist measurient of 40 inches or greater in men and 35 inches or greater in women.
• Serum triglycerides level greater than 150mg/dl.
• HDL cholesterol less than 40 mg/dl. in men and Less than 50mg/dl in women.
• Blood pressure of 135/85 rom Hg. or greater.
• Fasting serum glucose of 100mg/dl or higher.

The central issue in Metabolic Syndrome is control of blood sugar; not just the glucose value on your blood test, but how much insulin is needed to keep the level within normal limits. Also important is how much glucose is in your systi over time; the hioglobin A1c test evaluates the average glucose level over a period of two months.

What causes Metabolic Syndrome? The primary cause is poor diet, especially excessive consumption of refined carbohydrates that rapidly convert to blood sugar. Contributing factors include stress, lack of exercise, and vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Over time, the body loses its ability to normally metabolize carbohydrates, thus more and more insulin is required to do the same work. This phenomenon is called insulin resistance.

What can this syndrome do to your health? Weight gain is the most noticeable effect, but hypertension, atherosclerosis, fatty liver disease, systiic inflammation, kidney damage, increased coagulability of the blood and diabetes also have significant ties to Metabolic Syndrome.

There are some additional connections to hormones. Too much insulin in men can lead to a decrease in testosterone. Elevated triglycerides can block leptins from telling the brain that enough food has been consumed and without this communication, overeating can occur. Cortisol - the stress hormone - may cause glucose to be elevated, even when no food has been eaten recently, but at the expense of lean muscle mass.

Blood tests related to Metabolic Syndrome. There are a number of tests that have relevance in this insidious health challenge. These include several tests that are typically part of comprehensive panels; glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, the liver enzyme SGPT, uric acid, and phosphorus. Along with assessing levels of insulin (a review of the reference range should be considered in light of recent research) and hioglobin Alc, your doctor can gain insight into your ability to metabolize sugar and carbohydrates, and some of the related health issues that may be affecting you.

With cardiovascular disease being one of the primary concerns in Metabolic Syndrome, several tests have significant value including C-reactive protein and fibrinogen. The newly available Plac© test is related to the formation of rupture prone plaque in the arteries. The NMR Lipoprofile©, which provides the size and number of cholesterol particles, enables the doctor to differentiate risk to a much higher degree than with the traditional cholesterol test. Your doctor can help make informed choices regarding which tests are appropriate for you.

What will help reverse Metabolic Syndrome? Fortunately there are a number of supplients, along with a dietary and safe exercise program, that will enable the body to use insulin more effectively and aid in limiting harm. These include GTF chromium, zinc, B vitamins, garlic, l-carnitine, lipoic acid, whey protein and others that your doctor will consider when building a program to suite your individual needs.

Why Do More Testing Than Insurance Allows?



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