Laboratory testing may be necessary in order to identify suspected or hidden causes of health problems. The SOMA Acupuncture and Natural Health Clinic has a wide variety of lab tests available for your specific needs. A few of the tests are listed below.
Cardiovascular Risk Profile
When you think of testing for cardiovascular disease risk factors, you're likely to think of a single number, the total cholesterol level. While important, relying only on your total cholesterol level to make therapeutic decisions is often too simplistic and may be misleading.
At SOMA Acupuncture, we offer a test called the Cardiovascular Risk Profile, a combination of screening tests that identify other important warning markers related to nutrition, blood clotting and inflammation that can play a major role in determining whether an individual is at increased risk of a heart attack. The CRF measures ten important cardiovascular risk factors including total cholesterol, HDL and LDL cholesterol, homocysteine, c-reactive protein, fibrinogen, lipoprotein (a), triglycerides, Apo-B and Apo A-1, and their ratios.
This more comprehensive testing gives a clearer picture of cardiovascular disease risk as well as pointing the way to important and effective preventive measures. Because this panel is comprised of "bundled" tests, it is also cost effective; the prompt-pay cost is $123.00, and may be covered by your health insurance. Call us for more information. We also have pamphlets available.
Top
Predictive Genomics Test
Genomics is defined as the study of the composition of genetic material itself--the DNA in our genes and chromosomes. You may have heard of the Human Genome Project that decoded nearly 40,000 genes in the human body. This mapping of the human DNA has opened up a new arena of knowledge, exerting a powerful potential for improving our health and well-being.
Predictive Genomics assesses the variations in your genes that can influence health. More than 99% of the human DNA sequence is the same in all people. But the relatively small amount of DNA that differs from person to person is very important. A gene sequence that varies from the usual pattern can change the way your body functions. These variations can also make you more susceptible to some diseases and more resistant to others.
Your genetic profile is not an indication that you will absolutely develop a particular disease; the profiles do not cause disease by themselves. They indicate risk, not certainty. A gene's ability to promote disease relies heavily on external or environmental factors.
These factors include cigarette smoke, air pollution, excessive alcohol intake, poor diet, sun exposure, poor sleep, bacterial infections, chronic nutrient deficiencies, hormone imbalances, lifestyle habits or toxic exposure. In other words, genetic variations have the potential to cause health problems only if exposed to certain harmful agents over time. For example, the so-called diseases of aging that so many believe are inevitable are not caused by genes alone. There needs to be an interaction between genes and harmful agents. It's not an either/or scenario.
Top
It would be immensely helpful to consider all of these factors together so that you can accurately estimate your unique health risks and take steps to help prevent chronic diseases from manifesting. We can't change our genes, but we can control our environment--the classic "nature and nurture."
Great Smokies Diagnostic Lab (one of the labs that SOMA Acupuncture uses) has the technology available right now for you to evaluate your personal genetic predisposition for certain diseases such as cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, arthritis and some cancers, to name a few. DNA can either be analyzed from a blood specimen or from a noninvasive mouth rinse that collects the cells sloughed off from inside the cheeks.
If a profile shows a particular gene variation that is predictive of possible future disease, a comprehensive summary will be provided entailing the personal health implications of the result and offer recommendations for minimizing risks.
Genomic testing provides practitioners a new tool to help you employ truly "preventive medicine." Why not have the knowledge to even more fine-tune and customize treatment for an individual?
Whether you choose to eventually have your genes tested, you can take steps now to safeguard your health.
- Don't smoke
- Reduce or eliminate alcohol and caffeine
- Exercise
- Eat your fruits and veggies
- Get acupuncture tune-ups and take herbs and vitamins.
Top
