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Measuring Our Results - Clinic and Self Health Tests
Before beginning any
anti-aging protocol, it is a good idea to establish a baseline for our starting
point so that we can measure your advancement through our treatment programs. It
is prudent to assemble a database as to your health status when you begin your
program. Inexpensive batteries of lab tests are recommended for everyone and
should include multi-channel chem screen testing, complete blood counts, thyroid
tests with TSH and urinalysis. These are often available at discounted prices at
regional “Health Fairs” sponsored by local hospitals and civic organizations.
Men must have PSA testing and women must have Pap and pelvic examinations with
appropriate breast cancer screening concomitant with the use of any type of
hormone replacement.
Tests We May Conduct In Our Clinics
In our longevity clinics, most patients get electrocardiograms as well as hair
mineral analysis. Other specialized studies such as exercise treadmills or Cardiovision™ screens (coronary artery disease), spirometry (lung function),
bone densitometry (osteoporosis), vascular doppler flow studies (arterial
blockages), glucose tolerance testing (diabetes), cardiovascular profiles (homocysteine,
lp(a), fibrinogen, CRP, etc.), digestive function testing, and others are
performed on an individualized basis. This then establishes our clinical
baseline, so that we know what we are treating.
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All of the recommendations in The Baby Boomers' Guide
to Living Forever and this site are intended for people who have no specific
disease other than aging. If you already know that you have, or you discover as
a result of your screening that you have, any serious disease process, do NOT
attempt "Self Help" exclusively. Find a doctor you trust, and work together to
establish a treatment protocol. THIS IS IMPORTANT. |
The next step involves looking at specific markers of aging. First, we
analyze our patients’ baseline hormone status. In addition to determining IGF-1
levels (for growth hormone), we will also test for DHEA-S. We usually measure
serum testosterone, SHBG (sex hormone binding globulin) and progesterone and
estradiol levels. We always check a TSH for thyroid function. If menopause or
peri-menopause is suspected, we may check an FSH and LH on women.
Next, we want to establish our patient’s biological age, because when all is
said and done, that’s the bottom line. The biological age is what we’re really
trying to reduce. At our anti-aging centers, we utilize specific equipment to
help us measure the biological age of our patients.
These machines are state of the art, but since these tests must be performed in
a physician’s office, we want to offer you some less sophisticated tests you can
perform at home to monitor the success of your anti-aging therapies. We have also
employed these same tests on patients in our clinics, and we have found that they
work quite well for monitoring biological age. We wish to thank Dr. Ron Klatz for
developing and presenting these protocols in his book, Hormones of Youth.
Self Health Testing
First, have someone take a ruler and
unexpectedly drop it between your fingers.
Measure how many inches it takes for you to catch it. This test measures
reaction time, an age-related parameter. Secondly, hold up a newspaper and see
how many inches away from your face it takes for the small print to become
clear. This is a good measure of visual accommodation. The closer you can see
the better.
Thirdly, pinch the skin on the back of your hand between the base of your thumb
and index finger. Hold the skin firmly for five seconds, then release
it. You want to measure how long it takes for the crease you’ve created to
disappear. This is a good test of skin aging. The quicker the skin returns to
normal the better.
Fourth, determine how long you can stand on one foot with your eyes closed.
This is usually a very quick test! While teenagers can often hold this position
for several minutes, people above the age of 65 can usually only hold this
position
momentarily.
We also recommend:
We have found this test to be a very cost-effective determinant of biological
age. (Particularly since they are free!) Originally, we used tables of average
values scored by people of different ages for each test. We no longer do this,
as we found there to be too much variability from person to person. Instead,
what you want to do is just perform the tests strictly in comparison with
yourself. As long as you do better on these tests and show improvement with
time, you know you are going in the right direction and reducing your biological
age with your anti-aging program.
Call (303) 233-4247 or toll-free (877) 548-4387,
to schedule an appointment or for more information.
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