Complete health profiles are a vital part of healthy living. You will receive a comprehensive picture of your general health status by having a complete health profile performed. All the tests your doctor will perform are designed to inspect key parts of your body and how they are functioning. Most attention will be paid to the focus areas including the risk of coronary artery disease, heart attack or stroke, the current status of your kidneys and liver function, electrolyte and acid/base balance as well as levels of blood glucose and blood proteins.
By having these tests done you also receive the benefit of knowing your risk for a thyroid disorder and if you have an increased risk of developing diabetes. Certainly knowing the status of each of these components can provide peace of mind or the need to improve your overall health, as abnormal results, and especially combinations of abnormal results, can indicate a problem that needs to be addressed.
A vital part of disease prevention is this health screening which involves testing or checking for conditions in their early stages, before symptoms have developed, to help improve outcomes. Various screenings may involve tests, such as cervical cancer screening tests, examinations, such as skin checks, or advice on self-checks, such as breast or testicular self-examination.
One important factor is weight, as excess weight increases your risk for diabetes and heart disease. The body mass index (BMI) measures your body fat based on your height and weight, and it can determine if you are overweight or at risk for developing obesity. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says an adult BMI between 18.5 and 25 is within normal range.
Another agency,The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that all adults over the age of 35 have their cholesterol checked every 5 years. Furthermore screening should begin at 20 years of age if you have certain risk factors which include diabetes, first degree relatives who have had heart attacks, a family history of stroke, a BMI over 30 and smoking.
In some instances a test is used for more than one purpose. While a blood test may show that a person has too few red blood cells (anemia), that same test may be repeated after treatment to determine whether the number of red blood cells has returned to normal. And in some situations a disorder can be treated at the same time a screening or diagnostic test is done. By way of example when colonoscopy (examination of the inside of the large intestine with a flexible viewing tube) detects growths (polyps), they can be removed before colonoscopy is completed.
As a rule health checks are usually incorporated into routine medical care. In most cases your doctor will often perform these checks when you are visiting for another condition, such as a cold or another problem. Then your health care provider will tell you how often you need to have a health check. In all cases having a health check is also a time to examine your lifestyle to see what improvements can be made. An examination such as this may be something you regularly do yourself or discuss with a healthcare professional.
Diagnostic Laboratory
For the convenience of our patients, our full-service lab is on-site at OFMC. Our lab is COLA Accredited and offers comprehensive testing to diagnose and treat many different medical problems.
Phone: 352-237-4133
Fax: 352-873-4581
E-mail: info@ocalafmc.com
