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Old Tue, Jan-31-17, 17:20
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GRB5111 GRB5111 is offline
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Posts: 4,036
 
Plan: Very LC, Higher Protein
Stats: 227/186/185 Male 6' 0"
BF:
Progress: 98%
Location: Herndon, VA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by khrussva
Another element of our conversation that I found interesting was the doctor's take on me doing the kinds of self directed health testing that I've done along my journey. He did not appear to be a big fan of it, believing that at best it is often a waste of money and at worst it can lead to more problems than it solves. His litmus test was to ask "What are you going to do with the information?". "What actionable steps can you take based on the results?" "Do the results help diagnose or confirm a condition in combination with other indications?" This topic came up when I said I was planning on doing another NMR next month and possibly a C-reactive protein test. He didn't think I should bother. He said I will likely get good results and take no action based upon them. So I'd be wasting my money. But what if the C-reactive protein test came back with a higher than expected number? What would I do with the information without some other indication of a problem? I'd take the test again, get normal results and not know why. I'd waste more money. He said my NMR results were good. Do I expect them to be any different this time? So yeah, I think he has a point. I probably wouldn't do anything different based on the results of those two tests, so do I really need them?

Interesting. My GP said the same thing when I specified an NMR Lipid Panel with HbA1c and CRP. He wanted to know why, and indicated he didn't think that level of detail was necessary. When I asked him his recommendation, he said to simply get a blood cholesterol test and eliminate the rest. I asked if total cholesterol was still an informative heart health marker, as I had heard otherwise. I said I wanted to know measured, not estimated, LDL details and to better understand my overall insulin resistance score. Also, I wanted to know my CRP, because my WOE is designed to eliminate inflammation sources. I wasn't too concerned about my HbA1c, but I requested it all because my previous NMR Lipid Panel had some interesting results.

To your point, Ken, now that I have a good set of measurements, I'm not sure I need anymore tests. If something changes, then I can reconsider. The influence of my WOE on my health was what I was seeking. Now that it is confirmed, the objective is to stay consistent.
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