4 ms·
I'm not a doctor, so standard disclaimers apply: I've followed the LEF's recommended list (https://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2006/5/report_blood https://ww
by briHass 3y ago
I'm not a doctor, so standard disclaimers apply: I've followed the LEF's recommended list (https://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2006/5/report_blood https://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2006/5/report_blood) since I was in my early 30s. Doing them every year or two, out-of-pocket using DirectLabs or similar, which frequently goes on sale for ~$250. The key mentioned on that LEF page, and echoed by longevity doctors, is that the standard test ranges are often too wide.
I also paid out of pocket recently (age 42) for a coronary calcium scan. It was surprisingly inexpensive (~$125), but did require a prescription.
One thing you will probably hear from your GP is that these kinds of tests are a waste of money for someone near 30, and speaking from population averages, they're correct. Odds are, there won't be anything in there that is actionable or useful, but I think there's value in establishing a baseline and observing trends over the years. Of course, if you fall into the rare case where your CAC shows a >0 score, that's a really valuable bit of info.
Those, to me, always seemed like the best value to $ spent, for someone younger than 50. I suppose an early (<45) colonoscopy might approach that value, but those would be thousands out of pocket.