An Integrative Functional Medicine Approach: 5 Tests You Should Request

 

When it comes to multidisciplinary rehabilitation, integrative functional medicine is making waves and bringing to light a number of concerns that have previously escaped the notice of traditional medicine. This is because integrative functional medicine focuses on the underlying imbalances or dysfunctions of the body's basic systems than a diagnosis. Its goal is to identify the fundamental reasons and then aid in the enhancement of natural restoring processes to combat them.

With integrative functional medicine, chronic illnesses (allergies, digestive, hormonal, metabolic, and neurological issues) have made significant improvement. And there is one area in particular where integrative functional medicine has benefited and must continue to benefit: the obesity pandemic. "This is a term that spans the complete range of insulin resistance, including pre-diabetes, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome." It affects half of the country, yet most individuals are unaware that they have it.

The difficulty is that most integrative functional medicine practices are not covered by health insurance, thus the great majority of Americans are unable to benefit from this much-needed patient-centered approach. However, there is some good news: if you have a solid connection with your primary care doctor, you may work together to obtain the tests you need to take a more holistic approach to your health. Here are the most four things to have your doctor test for if you're looking for something outside of the box:

1. Insulin levels are high.

Only a glucose tolerance test is usually used to assess for insulin resistance. Unfortunately, by the time your blood sugar rises to the point where this test detects a problem, you're already diabetic. Both an insulin resistance test and a hemoglobin A1c test are recommended.

Insulin resistance test: To detect insulin resistance before it progresses to this point, you'll need an insulin response test to determine if you're one of the two individuals in the world who has diabetes. Insulin levels should be checked while abstaining and then again after ingesting a 75-gram glucose drink at one- and two-hour intervals. Totally revolting; it tastes awful and sends you insane for hours, followed by a massive sugar crash.

Abstaining blood sugar should be less than 80 mg/dl, and after one and two hours, it should be less than 110 mg/dl. Abstaining insulin levels should be between 2 and 5 mlU/dl; anything higher than 10 mlU/dl is considered abnormally high. Insulin levels should be less than 30 mlU/dl after one and two hours. Insulin resistance is defined as a level of blood sugar that is greater than normal.

Hemoglobin A1c test: To get a thorough picture of your overall blood sugar, you'll need more than one blood sugar testing. If your blood sugar has been elevated for the preceding six weeks, the hemoglobin A1c test (also known as glycosylated hemoglobin) may tell you. It should be used to check the equilibrium of blood sugar.

This test should result in a hemoglobin A1c level of less than 5.5 percent of total hemoglobin. Anything above 6.0 indicates diabetes, while anything above 7.0 indicates poorly managed diabetes.

2. Cholesterol in the Blood

The traditional approach to managing cholesterol was to use statins to reduce LDL. However, we now know that LDL is a poor predictor of heart disease. There are other tests and outcomes to consider, the best of which is your triglyceride to HDL ratio. It's not uncommon to have normal LDL and total cholesterol levels but extremely high triglycerides and low HDL. Diabesity is strongly predicted by this factor. And it puts you at a higher risk of having a heart attack. Even knowing the amounts of HDL, LDL, and triglycerides, however, does not provide us with all of the information. To really understand what's going on, we need to know the sizes of all those particles.

When it comes to HDL, LDL, and triglycerides, it's critical to look at particle size as well as number. Small, dense particles are far less harmful than large, airy ones. But what is the source of these deadly cholesterol specks? Sugar and processed carbohydrates are both bad for you. Insulin resistance towards to the formation of thick cholesterol particles, which is why this test is so important for determining insulin resistance and cardiovascular risk.

Total cholesterol should be less than 180 mg/dl, LDL cholesterol should be less than 70 mg/dl, HDL cholesterol should be less than 60 mg/dl, triglycerides should be less than 100 mg/dl, the total cholesterol/HDL ratio should be 3.0, the triglyceride to HDL ratio should be less than 4.0, and there should be fewer than 1,000 total LDL particles and 500 small LDL particles.

3. Thyroid health

Thyroid disorders are frequently associated with diabetes. Unfortunately, most doctors do not order the proper thyroid tests, leaving millions of Americans unmanaged and suffering needlessly.

TSH: Get a TSH test to assess TSH in a blood sample for an initial read on thyroid function. A high TSH level implies a thyroid issue, most often hypothyroidism. When the TSH level is low, it usually means that the thyroid is hyperactive and produces too much thyroid hormone (hyperthyroidism).
The ideal range for this test is between 1 and 2 microliters per liter.

Free T3 is a thyroid function test that is commonly used to identify hyperthyroidism. T3 may also identify illnesses involving aberrant binding proteins.
The optimal range for this test is 300-400 ng/dl.

Free T4 is a test used to assess thyroid function in those who may have protein problems that alter total T4 levels.
This test should be interpreted in the range of 1-1.4 ng/dl.

TPO: Thyroid peroxidase (PTO) is essential for thyroid function. It participates in the chemical process that converts iodine thyroglobulin to thyroid hormones, which govern growth, brain development, and metabolism.
How to read this test: A result of less than 20 IU/mL is optimal.

4. Inflammation

Inflammation has a role in nearly every contemporary disease, including heart disease, dementia, arthritis, autoimmune diseases, allergies, digestive problems, and, yes, diabetes.

Test for C-reactive protein (CRP). CRP is a blood test that determines how much inflammation is present in your body. In most persons with diabetes, C-reactive protein is highly raised, and as diabetes improves, so does inflammation.
How to read this test: A result of less than 1.0 mg/L is optimal.

A liver function test is performed. An essential test for determining the extent of liver damage caused by insulin resistance-induced inflammation. High liver enzymes—alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT)—identify liver cell death, which is most commonly caused by elevated insulin resistance due to a fatty liver.

Test for fibrinogen. Fibrinogen is a kind of blood clotting agent that rises in response to inflammation and insulin resistance.
How to read this test: A result of less than 350 mg/dl is excellent.

Test for ferritin. This is a metric for extra iron storage, which rises in conjunction with inflammation and insulin resistance.
How to read this test: A result of less than 200 ng/ml is good.

5. Stool Functional Testing

A healthy body starts with a happy stomach. Your stomach is your body's first line of defense. Believe it or not, the GI tract contains the biggest lymph organ in the body, including 50–70% of the health system and immunoglobulin-producing cells. Traditional stool tests are only good for detecting the most common parasites and bacterial illnesses, but functional stool testing is the gold standard for determining the health of your gut and microbiome. This test may provide information on digestive enzyme function, pancreatic enzyme activity, inflammatory indicators, a wider spectrum of pathogenic bacteria, parasites, and yeasts, friendly bacteria, and short chain fatty acids (markers of gut lining health). Gut health is vital to track since gut dysfunction is often at the basis of many health problems.

When it comes to your health, working together may be quite advantageous. Keep in mind that your primary care doctor may not be familiar with the appropriate panel of testing. Alternatively, they may feel it is most to wait and see what occurs once the sickness has advanced. As a result, come to the appointment prepared. Your healthcare should ideally be a collaborative effort between you and your doctor. And, let's face it, this is your body. It's up to you to seize the bull by the horns and improve your health, so don't be too hard on yourself. It's a totally acceptable situation. Diabesity is a serious issue, and you may not solve a problem you don't recognize.

The article "An Integrative Functional Medicine Approach: 5 Tests You Should Request" was seen originally on urban Wellness Clinic

Ready to get started with functional medicine? The Toronto Functional Medicine Centre may be a good place to start. The clinic is conveniently located at the heart of the city. Schedule an introductory meeting by calling (416) 968-6961.