The moral of this article is not simply that your doctor is doing it wrong. Many conventional doctors and medical institutions are basing their screenings on science-backed recommendations outlined by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). Heres an example of the Cleveland Clinics screening guidelines. A cholesterol screening, for example, is recommended every 5 years (or more based on risk) after age 20.

This often catches big stuff, which is good, but not always in time for you to prevent it altogether. Case in point: After my five-year stretch with no blood work, a lipid panel actually revealed I had high cholesterol and borderline high blood sugarsomething I was able to address, but that I could have addressed much earlier had I noticed my numbers slowly creeping up.

The message isnt test for everything! either. Testing has been given this halo effect of, You should test to be healthier, but some of these specialty tests are super unnecessary, says integrative physician Amy Shah, M.D.. I get people in my practice all the time who want to know their food sensitivities, but I have to be the bearer of bad news and tell them food sensitivity tests are really poor at this point. I try to stay on the side of less is more.

The truth is: You dont need to have big fancy tests done to get a lot of information about how you are shifting metabolically, says Kristann Heinz, M.D., R.D., a doctor board-certified with the American Board of Integrative-Holistic Medicine. You can glean a lot of information from pretty basic teststhe key is doing them regularly (preferably annually), so you can track your results over time and spot trends. You want to catch smoke before theres fire.

More:
What Blood Tests You Should Ask For Based On Your Family History - mindbodygreen.com

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