5 replies to this topic

[scottknl]

As a CRON follower I'm very healthy. In order to stay that way, I'd like to periodically do medical tests, however here's where the problem starts. When I go to a doctor he tells me that I'm in tip top shape and don't need any tests other than a basic panel of tests. On top of that, when I show my diet, all I get in return is a blank look and a mumbled comment like " Oh, that looks healthy. I'm sure you'll do ok if you just keep following that." If I ask for igf-1 test he says "well, I can't order that unless you show signs of cancer." If I ask for vitamin and mineral deficiency tests he asks "why, are you feeling tired or low energy". If I ask for a CRP he says "well since your cholesterol is so good, and you don't complain of inflammation, I can't order the test". So overall the message is "well I will only order a test when you are sick". The concept of preventative medicine seems to be absent from the system.

So, how can I change this? Currently I don't have a doctor because my previous one quit practicing in my area. When I search for doctors in my area, I see trained drug pushers without any nutrition training. When I search for nutritionists, they don't "prescribe" the medical tests that I need to monitor my lifestyle. How can I locate a doctor that has a some kind of real education with nutrition?

Currently I go to "AnyLabTestNow" and order the tests I want, so I'm not flying blind, but It would be nice to share with someone and get a second opinion on a number of issues. Also they're a bit expensive for some of the tests. Finding a doctor with all the required qualifications and a good enough attitude towards CRON lifestyle would help me optimize the costs by claiming many of the tests on health insurance and the rest from an HSA.

Thanks for any advice here.

[niner]

The problem is that you don't have "health" insurance, you have "sickness" insurance. The policy was designed that way, because it seems to be what most people expect. I'm not saying this is a good idea, but insurance companies have had to have their arms twisted by the government in order to cover even rudimentary preventive care. You're looking for sophisticated preventive care. One approach would be to fabricate a horrible family history, like "Everyone in my family had a heart attack before the age of 23 so maybe I need a Coronary Calcium Score.".

[Marios Kyriazis]

This is one important reason why longevity therapies will only be available to the 'rich'. Those who are not able to afford full and suitable prevenrtative medicine testing (let alone new and sophisticated anti-aging therapies), will not get the benefit of longevity medicine. Health insurance in any country will not cover health prevention in sufficient depth as to be of any use in longevity. As a consequence the pool of suitably qualified doctors in this area will be very restricted.

[erzebet]

My opinion as an outsider: you do get a second opinion from the physicians you've seen but since they didn't agree with you and didn't order what you wanted, you took it personally. Doctors can't order whatever test the patient wants because:

1. the insurance will not pay it

2. some tests are risky for some patients

3. they may get sued

Medicine is a risky profession and doctors prefer to follow the clinical guidelines and not stray for fear of malpraxis. In your example, IGF-1 is ordered by endocrinologists in growth hormone diseases/syndromes (in my country at least). Finally, the purpose of discussing these things with a doctor is that you could be prevented from wasting your money on tests that don't tell you anything.

I'm surprised you can simply order any blood tests you want - that would never happen in Europe - and some companies can take advantage of the anxieties and lack of specialized knowledge of laypeople.

[pamojja]

I'm surprised you can simply order any blood tests you want - that would never happen in Europe - and some companies can take advantage of the anxieties and lack of specialized knowledge of laypeople.

 

Where to you live? Me close to the lake of Constance, and I found a few close enough labs which would do many preventive lab tests, if I only could afford it. Two examples:

 

http://www.labor-gaertner.de/

http://www.lab4more-online.de/

 

I think that companies of any trade allways try to take advantage of customers, and the only protection against is self-education.

Edited by pamojja, 08 July 2014 - 09:01 PM.

[erzebet]

I live in Romania - although in practice you can go to any lab and ask for several blood tests just like you can go to small pharmacies and buy almost any drug, it's unheard of to sell all these up-front without a doctor's prescription.