Are annual physicals a must?

[Turbo29]

As the defense attorney said during his closing statement one time when I was on jury duty, "It is impossible to make a pancake so thin that it doesn't have two sides." (Attempted murder case; we convicted the guy.)


Written by a doctor who used to be on the US Preventive Services Task Force
Why every screening test is a gamble

 

[chassis]

As the defense attorney said during his closing statement one time when I was on jury duty, "It is impossible to make a pancake so thin that it doesn't have two sides." (Attempted murder case; we convicted the guy.)


Written by a doctor who used to be on the US Preventive Services Task Force
Why every screening test is a gamble

Excellent, thanks for posting this @Turbo29

 

[MC Rider]

I used to go to a physician who gave me a digital prostate exam and observed that my prostate felt a lot like his.

TMI right there.

 

[Tuirc]

Not to hijack this thread but . . . . It's no stretch to call this "fringe" testing. The science behind good or bad gut microbiome is still in its infancy. Ask the lab if they have a CLIA certificate (they won't because only labs which have been shown to yield helpful information are certified.)

While this kind of testing is not mainstream, the point of science is to constantly be learning and testing what we think we know. There's a lot of important work being done in this area in just the last 5 years. Maybe take a look at some of the peer reviewed research.

 

[Tuirc]

Most of the tests come from Quest or Labcorp, the standard places the hospitals and doctors use in my area. A look on Pubmed shows these tests / results may not be common but are all research backed by studies in peer reviewed medical journals. All the microbiome studies are pretty recent. DH was diagnosed with a disorder and given pills that masked symptoms. For the same disorder, Pubmed has literally hundreds of studies that showed improvement from various prebiotics, probiotics, fermented foods, certain exercises, diet changes, supplements, acupuncture, microbiome changes, etc. What is fringe to you is what I would call science backed studies and testing involving healthy lifestyle changes.


ETA: Forgot to add companies llike Genova, Great Plains and Doctor's Data to the Quest and Lab Corp test, all do a vast array of gut and functional medicine tests, and all are CLIA licensed.

Along this line, I recently learned that Vitamin K2, which directs where your calcium goes (into tissues or into bones), comes from either fermented foods or grass fed meat. This group should probably be aware of how they might get more calcium directed to their bones.

Also agree that gut health is critical. Haven't gotten into testing it, but have definitely changed our diet to support it. So far, so good. Each of us dropped 30 pounds. Now back on the good side of BMI.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

Along this line, I recently learned that Vitamin K2, which directs where your calcium goes (into tissues or into bones), comes from either fermented foods or grass fed meat. This group should probably be aware of how they might get more calcium directed to their bones.

Also agree that gut health is critical. Haven't gotten into testing it, but have definitely changed our diet to support it. So far, so good. Each of us dropped 30 pounds. Now back on the good side of BMI.

We are just learning about K2 ourselves. I found out from PubMed K2 deficiency is one of the biomarkers for DH's issues. We both just had our osteocalcin tested, which is supposed to be a rough measure of K2, since the Labcorps and Quests don't have a K2 test yet. I found a test today from rooting around the functional medicine testing sites that measures MK-4 and Mk-7, so I'm thinking about ordering that.

I'm sure this will all be mainstream medicine in about 10 - 20 years, but why wait for that when a little digging and cutting edge testing now can give you this kind of amazing health feedback for under a few thousand dollars today.

 

[bclover]

I'm in my late 50's (3 years from FIRE) and other than my regular dental and eye exams I seldom go to any doctor. It's not out of fear or anything. I just think if nothing is wrong, why go. Went to my primary care physician today because I had a mole removed. (I do go if I notice changes in what is normal for me.) He asked when was my last physical. It's been well over a decade. And I maybe see the doc once every two years to get antibiotics for a sinus infection or some such thing or for, say, emergencies that would require stitches.

I do understand sometimes things will be caught early that can be taken care of before they become larger, untreatable issues. But I'm in generally good health. My cholesterol runs just a little high (genetics) and as long as I limit my coffee intake my blood pressure stays within an acceptable range. No family history of cancers or major other issues, slightly overweight according to charts (205lbs @ 6'1") and I'm much more active at my age than my parents (both still living in their 80s') were at this age.

So, are annual physicals really necessary?

my apologies if I seem brusque but this is a sensitive subject for me

My wonderful late husband thought the same thing up until he died from cancer that he may have been able to fight before it was terminal.
I was left widowed at 50 with 3 teenagers/young adults. exactly the time they needed a father figure the most.


you dont say whether or not you have a spouse or children but seriously what does it cost you to get a basic checkup?? 2 hours time at most

 

[F.I.R.E User]

The problem with majority of population is that they don’t go until they feel sick. This is not the correct way. Sometimes, it’s too late to prevent it. Lot of diseases like cancers, stroke, heart attack could have been prevented if you went to the doctor to do maintenance check ups.

Many just do not know if they are healthy. Feeling not sick doesn’t mean you are healthy.

I have been going to doctor every year since I was born. 2x a year now to keep track of blood tests. I am 43 and although I do have some health issues and I take medication but I am also physically active. I go to the gym 3x a week and play basketball.

 

[Aerides]

you dont say whether or not you have a spouse or children but seriously what does it cost you to get a basic checkup?? 2 hours time at most

This is definitely one of those threads that would benefit from some additional insight from the OP, most importantly, the answer to "why not?"

 

[Unpaintedhuffhines]

Good lord, I cannot imagine not getting an annual physical. Yes, the "digital exam" is not exactly pleasant, but it (the physical and blood work, not necessarily the digital exam) gives me peace of mind, and I get to know my doctor better in case she needs to see me more often for some reason. It's included in my insurance, but if it cost me $1,000, I'd still do it. I don't want to be that guy that let something go too far that could have been fixed much earlier.

And yes, I try and eat healthy and exercise too.

 

[braumeister]

the "digital exam" is not exactly pleasant

It's a misnomer anyway. Hard to think of anything more analog.

 

[Gumby]

It's a misnomer anyway. Hard to think of anything more analog.

I always feel sorry for the doctor. I would not want that job.