Blood Testing
What blood testing do you need?
What are the best vitamin blood tests? There are dozens of different nutrition tests and each is more or less accurate “relative to your health condition”.
How does Dr Wald determine which blood tests his patients need? “I do this by starting with a careful health history, the use of questionnaires specific to your health problems, 30-plus yrs of clinical experience and the specific details of your specific health problems.
Blood testing for a better life
If you have been told that your blood work is “normal” keep in mind that this means that your results fall within the average range for a man or a woman your age – this does not compare you to healthier or younger ranges. Dr.wald will compare your blood results to “healthy” and not merely “normal” ranges.
- If your blood tests are essentially normal (no major abnormalities), and you still do not feel well, according to dr. Wald this means that you need a “new normal”. You deserve to be treated like the individual that you are. Dr.wald compares you to a “healthier version of yourself” determined by careful conversation with you and comparative advanced tests.
- So you have had every test under the sun and still you are not well? Dr. Wald says, “in my 29 years of experience, when a person says this to me this really means that they are either missing key tests or that their tests were not interpreted appropriately. I always try and review prior tests that have been performed with my patients when we first meet. I often find that their are obvious answers right there in the tests that my patients were not told about.
- Finally, the right tests for you depends on at least these factors: age and genetics, lifestyle including diet, stress levels and sleep hygiene, past and current health history, results of prior tests (important to put it all together), the types and dosages of nutritional supplements that you may take, your medications and other factors.
Do you need blood testing?
Maybe. Dr. wald will review your entire health history and decide whether or not he feels that laboratory work would help you get better faster.
What blood testing is right for you?
Based upon your health history as well as your current health issues and goals, Dr. Wald will determine which lab tests he feels could make a difference either in your diagnosis or with Dr. Wald’s approach to your health problems.
Do all doctors order the same blood testing for their patients?
No. As you might have experienced from your prior doctor visits, doctors vary greatly regarding what lab tests that they order. Generally speaking, doctors tend to order only those tests that are consistent with their medical specialty. Dr. Wald however, may order all lab tests that span all medical specialties depending upon what you needs. Importantly, Dr. Wald is very good at putting it all together.
What are the limitations of blood testing?
Lab tests do not always show problems even though serious health issues may be present, even cancer. Lab tests are designed to show abnormalities once a certain functional capacity of an organ or organ systems have failed…and not until then. It is generally the rule that individuals may experience weeks, months or even years of symptoms until blood and other diagnostic tests show abnormalities.
How are blood results interpreted and are they interpreted differently by different doctors?
Not all doctors have the same skill and knowledge when interpreting laboratory work. Dr. Wald teaches laboratory interpretation, and authored a book on the subject (The Antiaging Encyclopedia of Anti-Aging Tests) and says, “not all doctors are equally skilled in interpreting laboratory tests. They are also limited by their medical specialty ordering only tests within their respective field. This categorization of testing and knowledge can adversely impact your health unless someone, or several doctors, interpret the laboratory work correctly.
Are their blood tests for vitamins, minerals, amino acids and fatty acids and other nutrients?
Yes. These tests exists but many of them are not accurate. Speak with Dr. Wald about what tests are the test suited for you.
Is blood type accurate for providing dietary advice?
Blood type is not accurate for determining dietary needs. There is no research on this topic at all. Do people LOSE weight if they eat according to their blood type? Yes some do, but most don’t. However, many blood tests such as tests of protein, absorption, nutritional use tests, body composition and others tests can produce dramatic weight loss and health results.