Yesterday, I wrote about the dangers of using the services of a mobile testing company. As fate would have it, after writing my piece, I received a solicitation from one such company.
The solicitation included a marketing flyer, which on one side was titled, "6 Reasons for Regular Screening." Let's analyze their reasoning.
1. Your health changes over time.
Based on this logic, we should be doing all sorts of testing all the time because we never know when our health changes. Applying this principle, this should include blood tests, ekgs, x-rays, CT scans, MRIs, PET scans, ultrasounds, cardiac-stress tests, spinal-taps, endoscopies, etc. If you agree with their thought process, why exclude more elaborate tests that are better detectors of problems. The answer is because most of the tests they do are unnecessary, because the tests are not free, because you can't obsess about your health by constant testing (a little neuroticsm is ok), and most importantly, because you are likely to get many false positives that will lead to further stress and unnecessary testing.
2. Your physician usually cannot order these screenings unless symptoms are present.
That's an easy one. Good physicians don't go on wild goose chases looking for problems. When they hear hoof-beats, they think of horses, not zebras, and they use the proper tools to diagnose the problem(s) the patient shares with them.
That said, certain medical tests are covered and recommended in the absence of symptoms because the evidence for thier prospective use has been carefully evaluated by the United States Preventive Sevices Task Force (USPSTF) and determined to be of good use. However, these tests are generally covered by insurance and can be ordered by your doctor.
3. Your previous results may have revealed important risk factors.
This is a doozey. It reminds me of my experience with the pre-diabetes. Do they think (or hope) you ignored the previous abnormal results, did not bother to consult a medical professional, and should now return for another test only to keep repeating the process of excluding a medical consultation? Apparently so. Testing in the absence of follow-up is dangerous. Do not be a doctient, a person who thinks he is both a patient and a doctor and can self diagnose and treat.
4. Screenings can help prevent stroke.
Screenings do not help prevent stroke. They may detect your increased risk for stroke after which you can consult a doctor for preventive measures. The issue here is that in the absence of sign and symptoms of stroke related disease, such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, atrial fibrillation, etc., the probability of having a stroke is extremely low. If you have these medical issues, you are at higher risk for a stroke and you don't need a test to confirm the risk. You should take action immediately to decrease your risk by changing your lifestyle and seeing your physician for medical intervention.
5. Screenings can detect serious risk factors in just minutes.
If you have nothing better to do with your life, then by all means go for these unnecessary tests in the absence of sign and symptoms because maybe, just maybe they may find some abnormality that requires action you should have already taken anyway. But don't worry, they will confuse you fast.
6. You may suffer from Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD).
That's a true statement. You may suffer from hardening of the arteries and about a thousand other diseases. Again, PAD itself is associated with heart disease, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. If you eat what you want and barely exercise, there is a high probability you will develop PAD at some point in life. You don't need this test, and in the absence of signs and symptoms, that is why it is not covered by insurance.
Many insurances today, including Medicare, offer a full range of preventive benefits, including screening tests, that have, based on the scientific evidence, been to be found worthwhile. Don't succumb to fancy marketing and be sucked into getting unnecessary testing.
If you have any concerns about your health, speak to your medical provider as soon as possible.
One final note, a study just published in the American Journal of Cardiology, focused on men who had at least one parent who'd had a heart attack before the age of 55. The study found that despite this apparent gentic predisposition to heart disease, those men with a healthier lifestyle were less likely to develop heart failure over two decades.
"Healthy habits included not smoking, exercising regularly, keeping a normal weight and drinking alcohol in moderation."
Many screening companies use your family history to scare you into unnecessary testing. The bottom-line remains that testing doesn't prevent disease--you do by the lifestyle you live. Save your money on testing and buy a bicycle or some other piece of exercise equipment. It will do you more good.
The solicitation included a marketing flyer, which on one side was titled, "6 Reasons for Regular Screening." Let's analyze their reasoning.
1. Your health changes over time.
Based on this logic, we should be doing all sorts of testing all the time because we never know when our health changes. Applying this principle, this should include blood tests, ekgs, x-rays, CT scans, MRIs, PET scans, ultrasounds, cardiac-stress tests, spinal-taps, endoscopies, etc. If you agree with their thought process, why exclude more elaborate tests that are better detectors of problems. The answer is because most of the tests they do are unnecessary, because the tests are not free, because you can't obsess about your health by constant testing (a little neuroticsm is ok), and most importantly, because you are likely to get many false positives that will lead to further stress and unnecessary testing.
2. Your physician usually cannot order these screenings unless symptoms are present.
That's an easy one. Good physicians don't go on wild goose chases looking for problems. When they hear hoof-beats, they think of horses, not zebras, and they use the proper tools to diagnose the problem(s) the patient shares with them.
That said, certain medical tests are covered and recommended in the absence of symptoms because the evidence for thier prospective use has been carefully evaluated by the United States Preventive Sevices Task Force (USPSTF) and determined to be of good use. However, these tests are generally covered by insurance and can be ordered by your doctor.
3. Your previous results may have revealed important risk factors.
This is a doozey. It reminds me of my experience with the pre-diabetes. Do they think (or hope) you ignored the previous abnormal results, did not bother to consult a medical professional, and should now return for another test only to keep repeating the process of excluding a medical consultation? Apparently so. Testing in the absence of follow-up is dangerous. Do not be a doctient, a person who thinks he is both a patient and a doctor and can self diagnose and treat.
4. Screenings can help prevent stroke.
Screenings do not help prevent stroke. They may detect your increased risk for stroke after which you can consult a doctor for preventive measures. The issue here is that in the absence of sign and symptoms of stroke related disease, such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, atrial fibrillation, etc., the probability of having a stroke is extremely low. If you have these medical issues, you are at higher risk for a stroke and you don't need a test to confirm the risk. You should take action immediately to decrease your risk by changing your lifestyle and seeing your physician for medical intervention.
5. Screenings can detect serious risk factors in just minutes.
If you have nothing better to do with your life, then by all means go for these unnecessary tests in the absence of sign and symptoms because maybe, just maybe they may find some abnormality that requires action you should have already taken anyway. But don't worry, they will confuse you fast.
6. You may suffer from Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD).
That's a true statement. You may suffer from hardening of the arteries and about a thousand other diseases. Again, PAD itself is associated with heart disease, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. If you eat what you want and barely exercise, there is a high probability you will develop PAD at some point in life. You don't need this test, and in the absence of signs and symptoms, that is why it is not covered by insurance.
Many insurances today, including Medicare, offer a full range of preventive benefits, including screening tests, that have, based on the scientific evidence, been to be found worthwhile. Don't succumb to fancy marketing and be sucked into getting unnecessary testing.
If you have any concerns about your health, speak to your medical provider as soon as possible.
One final note, a study just published in the American Journal of Cardiology, focused on men who had at least one parent who'd had a heart attack before the age of 55. The study found that despite this apparent gentic predisposition to heart disease, those men with a healthier lifestyle were less likely to develop heart failure over two decades.
"Healthy habits included not smoking, exercising regularly, keeping a normal weight and drinking alcohol in moderation."
Many screening companies use your family history to scare you into unnecessary testing. The bottom-line remains that testing doesn't prevent disease--you do by the lifestyle you live. Save your money on testing and buy a bicycle or some other piece of exercise equipment. It will do you more good.
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