If you are regularly catapulted into cynicism by preventive health content but know more about your bank account than your health account, this post is for you.
We know less about our health than we should
One of the biggest absurdities of modern life is that we know more about our cars or random events around the world than about what’s happening in our bodies.
70% of all fatal cancers stem from cancers that don’t have a routine testing protocol. Parkinson’s disease does not develop tremors until nearly 60% of the substantia nigra neurons are gone, and up to 45% of heart attacks are silent.
Don’t be harmed by silent risks
Relying on symptoms is akin to checking the barn door after seeing the horse running down the meadow. The foundations for a heart attack at 60 can be laid when you are 30, and the onset of Alzheimer’s at 70 may have started in our 40s. The only way to know is to routinely test and establish baselines.
Be the CEO of your own health
Here’s what you should be tracking:
Biochemistry via an annual blood check: fats (triglycerides), sugars (glucose, insulin, HbA1c), vitamins D and B. For cardiovascular health, Apo-B and Apo-A.
Body composition via DEXA: visceral fat, subcutaneous fat, bone density, muscle mass.
Strength and cardiovascular capacity: hang time for strength; VO2Max for endurance.
Recovery and inflammation: HRV from sleep tracking; C-reactive protein for chronic inflammation.
The important thing is to have an objective, numerical baseline. What are you waiting for?
