Introduction:
In today's hectic life, we need to pause and put efforts towards achieving good health. It comes to those who are conscious of their day-to-day activities and try to inculcate healthy habits. These include a good and sustainable diet, exercise, meditation, etc. But how do we know that we are moving in the right direction towards achieving our targets. There are numerous testing parameters. Some of them are quite simple and easily accessible like body weight, BMI, Blood pressure. Other minimally invasive tests include different blood tests which give an idea about general well-being.
Various laboratories offer different packages for full body Checkup.
But still numerous questions arise in our minds when we think of doing whole-body profiles:
“What are the benefits of Full Body checkup?”
Identifying the disease state: On the exterior, a person may look healthy but there might be some subtle changes in the body system in the initial stages of disease. If regular testing is being done, then these derangements in the sample values can be caught early and appropriate measures taken to prevent the disease progression. For example, many a times a spike in sugar levels will be diagnosed in such tests and the patient can do some simple lifestyle modifications for managing and if possible reverse early diabetes.
Reduces financial burden: Such tests will cost you a few thousand rupees but in the long run you will save lakhs in medical bills. Disease caught early can be managed more conservatively than going through rigorous therapy after it has advanced. For example, even diabetes can be managed through oral medications and lifestyle changes rather than taking painful insulin injections. Even some of the cancers can have a very good prognosis if diagnosed in Stage I and Stage II rather than Stage III and IV when it becomes very difficult to treat.
Many laboratories offer discounted prices for whole-body check-ups. You can get in touch with your healthcare provider and enquire about the best price possible.
Tracking familial health conditions: The cause for many of the diseases is multifactorial, both genetic and environmental factors play a role in the development of a disease. If regular testing is being done for all your family members, then you can keep track of any familial disease. For example, if you know that diabetes runs in your family then you can track your sugar levels consciously and also make healthy and sugar-free food choices.
Better prepared to prevent the complications arising later in life:
Knowing the disease condition helps you tackle and prevent the complications arising later in life. This halts the disease progression in its initial stage. For example, diabetes can adversely affect kidney function, eyesight, nerve issues leading to numbness and tingling of hands and feet. Such patients even need to keep a lookout on their cholesterol levels. So knowing about the ailment beforehand will give a good perspective towards managing diabetes.
Increases awareness towards fitness and overall wellbeing:
Regular check-ups help in fine-tuning and tweaking the small habits which have an impact on your health. Like avoiding processed foods, eating healthy and nutritious food, avoiding alcohol, getting in shape. This has an overall good impact on sleep patterns, interpersonal and social relationships. You feel happy and confident.
“Who should get such tests done?”
It is recommended that any individual above 18 years should get at least a basic health check-up done twice a year, but it is especially important for people above 50 years of age or for those who are suffering from any ailment. Let us take an example of diabetes. It manifests as an increase in blood sugar levels. In addition to affecting the pancreas which normally releases insulin to metabolize sugars, it also affects other organs like kidneys, vessels and nerve bundles. Thus, only testing for sugar is not sufficient in diabetic patients. They need a comprehensive work-up that involves lipid profile, kidney function tests, glycosylated hemoglobin etc.
“How often should an individual get tested in a year?”
Every six months is advisable for routine tests. But if any particular ailment is suspected or any medication has been started or current medication is altered then testing will be needed. This is variable, the decision is taken by the treating physician on a case-to-case basis.
“Which package is suitable for me?”
For healthy individuals a basic health package which includes Complete blood count (CBC), Liver function tests, Kidney function tests, Lipid (Cholesterol) profile, TSH (for Thyroid), Sugar testing is sufficient. It gives information about the basic functioning and well-being of the body. In case any disease is in latent stage, it can be diagnosed before it causes any catastrophic disaster in the future.
Older individuals, in addition to the above list, should select a profile that also includes Glycosylated hemoglobin (for 3 months sugar control), Iron studies, Vitamin B12, Vitamin D and serum electrolytes. Such tests give additional information which is especially needed in the elderly where the body has already undergone considerable wear and tear.
“Full body check-ups put a hole through my pocket? Is it really necessary?”
Let me answer this question through a proverb - ‘A stitch in time saves Nine’. Would it not be okay to spend a little amount on regular comprehensive blood tests than pay expensive medical bills in the future. Imagine the financial and the psychological stress such a situation will cause. So go for regular testing so that the right corrective measures are taken while there is still time. Also there are a wide range of full body check-ups available and most of the healthy individuals will benefit from basic health check-up alone.
“How much blood sample is needed?”
The blood sample is drawn in test tubes called vials which have different coloured tops based on the anticoagulant present inside.
The most commonly used vials are:
EDTA (purple) vial: used for CBC, Blood grouping, HbA1c and ESR.
Fluoride (Grey) vial: used for sugar testing.
Plain (Red): for biochemistry and hormone analysis like RFT, LFT, Lipid profile, TFT
3-4 total number of vials will be drawn at the time of the analysis which amounts to around 10 cc of blood. But this sample can give loads of information which can be used to decide the further course of management.
A well-trained phlebotomist will further relieve your anxiety by his confident demeanor and easy sample collection so as to cause minimum discomfort and pain. The blood is collected from a vein in your forearm. You may feel a slight sting or discomfort especially when the needle is inserted or withdrawn. However, when in good hands the entire process takes less than 5 minutes. So overcome your fear of needles and take the first step towards your fitter and healthier future.
“Is any special preparation needed by the patient before the sample collection?”
As such no special preparation is needed. Only if any special test like fasting blood sugar is done then the patient is advised to fast for 8-12 hours before the test. Generally, an overnight fast after dinner is enough. For example, if you have dinner at 8 pm you can give an early morning sample at 7-8am. The person can have water in this period but refrain from eating or drinking anything else till the sample is submitted. In case giving a fasting sugar sample is not possible ask your lab person for a Random Blood sugar test which doesn’t need a fasting sample.
“By what time will I get the reports?”
Most of the reports will be available on the same day after 6-8 hours of sample collection. However, few special tests like Vitamin tests, thyroid function tests may take some time and the reports will be available the next day. At the time of testing, you can ask your healthcare provider the time taken for the reports to be released. This will help in planning the next doctors’ appointment.
“Which tests come under basic whole-body profile?”
Complete Blood count (CBC): This is a basic blood test giving information about the cellular elements forming the blood as well as Hemoglobin levels. You get to know the Total and Differential White blood cell count, Platelet count as well as the Red blood cell count. Many laboratories also do a Peripheral blood smear examination along with CBC.
Renal function test (RFT):
Gives information about the kidney and includes Serum creatinine, Urea levels, Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN), Uric acid etc. Kidney plays a role in the excretion of wastes and any damage to it can lead to build up of metabolic waste in the body.
Liver function test (LFT):
Includes Bilirubin levels, protein levels like (albumin, globulin), SGOT & SGPT levels, alkaline phosphatase etc. Liver plays a major role in metabolism of food, drugs, alcohol etc. So any derangement in this test is like a warning to rectify the cause.
Lipid profile:
This test includes cholesterol testing and tells us about the good and bad cholesterol present in our blood. What makes the bad cholesterol so dangerous is that it builds up and clogs blood vessels and if these vessels are supplying any major organ like heart or the brain then there could be serious consequences like cardiac arrest, stroke etc.
Fasting blood sugar and Post meal blood sugar:
This tells about sugar control. If the levels are high then you need to see your doctor and follow their instructions like lifestyle modifications and medications to keep the sugar levels in check.
Glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c):
This test is very important for diabetic patients as it tell about the sugar control for the past 3 months. Many a times the fasting and post meal values may be normal but they tell about the blood status in the recent past. However, HbA1c tells us about the sugar control for the past 3 months giving a better idea to the treating physician about your overall health, compliance and the effectiveness of the medications.
Thyroid Function test (TFT):
Thyroid is an endocrine gland playing an important role in the metabolism and any abnormal functioning of the gland will reflect in abnormal hormonal levels. Getting tested for T3, T4 and TSH is important. Sometimes, T3 and T4 will be normal but the TSH values will be abnormally high. This is because the gland is working overtime to secrete the normal level of hormones but chances are that it may not be able to sustain its function for long and may fail and the person will land up in a state of hypothyroidism.
There are numerous other tests too like serum electrolytes, Vitamin D, Vitamin B12, Iron studies etc…
Thus, I have provided an overview of the significance of comprehensive whole-body profile testing. This basic testing will provide a framework for any further necessary work-up and help individuals to achieve target health.
In case you have any further queries or comments feel free to contact us.
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