Total Body Check-up: Myths & Truths

Regular health check-up has become important for early detection and prevention of health problems in today’s fast and busy life. Also India is rapidly becoming the global capital of lifestyle related diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart diseases and respiratory ailments. While all age groups require specific types of screening as you will learn while reading this blog further, young working age groups in their thirties should take this thing seriously. While many are doing it on their own, choosing different total body check-up packages available online, it’s important that this important decision be made taking expert advice.

1.  Total body Check-Up? Is it really possible?

As it is marketed today, it’s not true. Any no. of blood tests can not screen for all possible ailments one can have given their age, gender and lifestyle.These days there is competition going on in the diagnostic industry to include large no. of lab tests in affordable health check up package (e.g 50-100 tests in just rs 600), but is it required for you, considering your age, gender and lifestyle and more importantly, is it possible to do, so many tests at such dirt cheap cost if we really care for quality and accurate test results? It’s a BIG NO! 

Truth:

Essential Health Check-Up: Total body check-up should be renamed as Essential Health Check-Up, which is appropriate for you, which will be recommended by your consulting physician, which is also in line with the modern concept of ‘Personalized Medicine’. First Consultation with your Treating Physician (MBBS MD Medicine) is important before you blindly go for any health check up package.

Why:

-there is no health check-up package that fits all.

-some packages have unnecessary tests such as urine ketone/blood ketone (which is ideally a test for patients with uncontrolled diabetes), hormonal tests( only for patients with pubertal development problems or fertility/potency problems) etc.

-misleading number given to no. of tests included in package e.g CBC/Complete Blood Count is one test that has 20-25 different blood parameters enlisted, that is the reason it’s called Complete Blood Count, but Total Body Check-Up ad will count this as 25 different tests.

2. Do only Blood tests tell you the complete picture of your health?

No! Only blood tests won’t tell you the whole picture.

Truth:

Age, gender and existing disease appropriate screening of diet, exercise, sleep, bowel/motion habits, vaccination status, mental health status, physical examination by physician, and other appropriate cardiac or radiological tests are also important for comprehensive health screening.

Why:

–because there are more things/organs to look into our body other than just blood.

3. What are examples of  ‘Age Appropriate’ health screening?

       a. Childhood:

Along with basic blood tests, during childhood one should consult for appropriate diet and vaccination status.

b. Adolescents:

Along with basic blood tests, adolescents should be screened for normal development of secondary sexual characters and their knowledge of bodily changes and sexual behaviour. Especially girls should be screened for Haemoglobin levels, pap smear, HPV vaccination status and  they should be told about self breast examination etc

     c. Adults:

Physicians will screen for Age Appropriate Adult Vaccination Status. Screening for Lifestyle Related disorders.

d. Elderly:

With other tests Cancer screening and  Age Appropriate Adult Vaccination, Bone Marrow Density Test , Memory test.

4. What are examples of  ‘Gender Appropriate’ health screening?

1. For women:

CBC, TFT ( Thyroid Functions Tests) in women of child bearing age, PAP Smear with HPV every five years after 21 years of age\ After marriage , B12 and Folic Acid levels, Self Breast Examination, Mammography after age of 50 years.

1. For Men:

In addition to other appropriate tests elderly male should be screened for Prostate size e.g PSA levels after the age of 60 years.

5. What are examples of  ‘Existing Disease Appropriate’ health screening?    

Patients with existing health problems should opt for personalized health check-up. Few examples as below:

a. For Hypertension/ High Blood Pressure:

In addition to diagnostic tests for detection of cause of high blood pressure regular check up for complications of hypertension should be done e.g. Eye Sight (Retinoscopy), Urine Albumin Levels etc

b. For Diabetes / High Blood Sugar Levels:

In addition to diagnostic tests for detection of cause of High Blood Sugar regular check up for complications of diabetes should be done e.g. Eye Sight (Retinoscopy), Urine Albumin Levels, Peripheral Neuropathy Screening ( Monofilament Test) etc

c. For Coronary Artery Disease / Heart Problems:

As per the advice of physician ECG(ElectrocardioGram), 2D Echo(Heart Sonography) and TMT(Treadmill Test) or Cardiac Stress Test.

6. What are examples of  ‘Appropriate Occupational’ health screening?

Pre-employment health check-up and     During the period of employment for different jobs different set of screening tests are required. For example…

a. Catering staff should be screened regularly for Infectious Communicable Diseases e.g Dysentery, Typhoid etc

b. Persons regularly exposed to industrial dust or people with lung problems(e.g. Asthma, COAD) should be regularly screened for lung functions tests i.e PFT(Pulmonary Function Tests).

7. What are examples of  ‘Appropriate Travel’ health screening?

    Type of tests needed depend on destination of travel, physical demands of  travel, Country Specific travel requirements, your age and existing diseases.

We at NRS Hospital Wakad have Health Check-up packages designed by Physicians considering all above aspects and also personalized as per one’s requirement.