Wanting to get blood work done

[Octopussoir]

OK, many of you on here have had blood work done to check and make sure everything is functioning right. Im trying to come up with a list that I can present my Dr to check for. Please add anything that may be important since I roll with the animal free dietary lifestyle. Heres what i have so far:

 

Vitamin D

Vitamin B-12

Test & Free Testosterone

Thyroid

Triglycerides

Cholesterol (ldl/hdl)

calcium

 

I had a mental list earlier, but this is all i can think of right now.

[medman]

CBC (which will include things like hemoglobin), and make sure you have your ferritin checked too.

[Vegan Joe]

http://i43.tinypic.com/1jvle9.jpg

 

http://i44.tinypic.com/2rw1duh.jpg

 

http://i43.tinypic.com/34i4i1i.jpg

[djshrew]

I just got some blood work done but haven't gotten the results (long story short, the doc sucks and I'm in the process of changing doctors) anyhow, I've read that it's important to request an MMA test to check your b12 levels. (someone correct me if this is wrong)

[beforewisdom]

OK, many of you on here have had blood work done to check and make sure everything is functioning right. Im trying to come up with a list that I can present my Dr to check for. Please add anything that may be important since I roll with the animal free dietary lifestyle. Heres what i have so far:

 

Vitamin D

Vitamin B-12

Test & Free Testosterone

Thyroid

Triglycerides

Cholesterol (ldl/hdl)

calcium

 

I had a mental list earlier, but this is all i can think of right now.

 

 

Can someone have decent levels of a substance in their blood, but be short on that substance in their body?

 

For example, if someone is excreteing/losing calcium, wouldn't that calcium have to move through their blood on its out to being lost?

 

Oct, maybe iron and blood glucose ( I doubt you are prediabetic, but if it is included in the price ).

 

Better than blood work I would say get a bone scan to see if you have osteoporosis, those other things aren't likely to be a problem as much as bone loss.

[Vegan Joe]

Better than blood work I would say get a bone scan to see if you have osteoporosis, those other things aren't likely to be a problem as much as bone loss.

The way i understand it is that osteoporosis can not be determined until the second test as the first one cannot be compared to anything as all individuals are different in their bone structure to see if a person is actually losing calcium. Check me if I'm wrong?

[medman]

beforewisdom, the reason I suggested ferritin is that it represent's the body's reserve of iron (more direct measurements of iron can be normal even if the person is deficient). Blood calcium is good to know for a variety of reasons, none of which have to do with osteoporosis. Many of the things you look for in a blood test aren't just "current" circulating levels, they're markers of the bigger picture going on in the body.

 

And Vegan Joe, a BMD (bone mineral density) scan is of course even more useful if you have a previous one to compare to, but in and of itself, it can suggest whether someone might be osteopenic (having low mineral density, which isn't identical to osteoporosis but is related).

[beforewisdom]

Medman;

 

Given that many of us on here eat a vegan diet, are into nutrition and exercise my opinion is that many of the blood tests people might think of would not be that much use to us. We aren't likely to be in danger of high cholesterol or being prediabetics.

 

B-12 would be good to know as some of us could be those people for whom the standard supplement form is not good enough. Testosterone, more for the psychological reasons via the soy scare flung about.

 

Given nutrition and exercise conscious vegans I can't think of any more things to measure to stay abreast of potential issues other than bone loss screenings and EFA status.

 

I know you are just a med student, but would you care to list somethings it would be useful to ask for during a checkup?

[Veganluv]

Getting your B-12 & D levels tested is a good idea for Vegans, Yet I havent had my checked for 15 yrs.

 

Good study about B-12 with Klamath algae

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20108213

[vegimator]

You might make sure you're in good shape for iodine and zinc too.

[medman]

Medman;

 

Given that many of us on here eat a vegan diet, are into nutrition and exercise my opinion is that many of the blood tests people might think of would not be that much use to us. We aren't likely to be in danger of high cholesterol or being prediabetics.

 

B-12 would be good to know as some of us could be those people for whom the standard supplement form is not good enough. Testosterone, more for the psychological reasons via the soy scare flung about.

 

Given nutrition and exercise conscious vegans I can't think of any more things to measure to stay abreast of potential issues other than bone loss screenings and EFA status.

 

I know you are just a med student, but would you care to list somethings it would be useful to ask for during a checkup?

 

There are still vegans who are in danger of having high cholesterol - diet is only one part of the lipid picture. There are a number of disorders of lipid metabolism, some of which are relatively common, which can cause high cholesterol even in the absence of a dietary intake. It's always a good idea to have your cholesterol checked, because it's such a significant risk factor if it turns out you have a problem. Same goes for blood sugar...a good quality diet doesn't make you immune, it just decreases your probability of developing a problem.

 

I agree with veganluv, B-12 and D are probably the biggest two I'd ask about, followed by ferritin (which shows if you're developing an iron deficiency). Beyond that, most other tests (like TSH for thyroid function) should be at the discretion of your doctor, if he or she has any reason to suspect there could be a potential issue. There are plenty of other things that will automatically get checked off when you get your blood work done, so I would just make sure you mention B12, D, and ferritin.

 

As for general checkup advice, my biggest suggestion would be to ask about anything you're worried about. Have you felt more tired than usual lately? Has there been a change in your bowel movements? Weight gain or loss with no significant change in your diet/exercise routine? Anything going on in your body that has caused you concern is worth mentioning; if it is "nothing to be worried about", let your doctor make that determination.

[Vegan Joe]

And Vegan Joe, a BMD (bone mineral density) scan is of course even more useful if you have a previous one to compare to, but in and of itself, it can suggest whether someone might be osteopenic (having low mineral density, which isn't identical to osteoporosis but is related).

Still in and of itself unless you are having broken bone problems, sedentary people have low bone density, so unless you have previous history, or are experiencing medical problem, it is not an indicator of very much. we all have different densities depending on our weight our activity, and also our race. In Octo's case with all the weight lifting he does(which stimulates bone growth [internal]), I would be very surprised if a BMD problem would be evident in the one test. But it would be one he could use in further references.

[Fallen_Horse]

There are still vegans who are in danger of having high cholesterol - diet is only one part of the lipid picture. There are a number of disorders of lipid metabolism, some of which are relatively common, which can cause high cholesterol even in the absence of a dietary intake. It's always a good idea to have your cholesterol checked, because it's such a significant risk factor if it turns out you have a problem. Same goes for blood sugar...a good quality diet doesn't make you immune, it just decreases your probability of developing a problem.

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