Dr. Davis recently wrote about how healthcare is shifting toward consumer directed care. We are tired of being sick, fat, and tired. Care is transforming toward the no-doctor directed care.
Dr. Davis Blog: Self-Directed At Home Lab Testing
Q: How to achieve optimal heart health in today's current neolithic healthcare environment?
ANSWER: The no-doctor approach using low-tech paleolithic eating and living combined with high-tech neolithic self-ordered lab and NMR/VAP testing (atherotech.com) particle analysis and EBCT coronary calcification scoring.
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12 comments:
Great post! Short & Sweet, and very much to the point!
The doctors who deserve the most respect are those that help us to take our health care in our own hands: preventive care through diet and life style (Paleo), and related health improvement techniques (TYP).
We'll still need to go to the hospital to get that broken leg fixed, but minimal/no visits for colds, flu, and many "diseases of civilization."
Health care costs, in total, will drop through the floor, especially when many of those "heart repair centers" get to close their doors due to a lack of business.
Dr. B.G. and Dr. Davies, thank you for sharing and showing us what can be achieved and HOW!
Arnoud
Hey Arnoud!
Thanks for the KUDOS!!! It will help me to stay focused... when I prefer to... digress all over.. *haaa* The blog is actually my peripheral hard-drive-cum-brain. Chris/Hearthawk will be revamping the format. There are many projects in the works...not enough TIME. (Hope I get the coco-N-U-T *winky*)
I agree, for acute situations I would still wholeheartedly contact our local ER docs and GPs. I'm really glad to see the primal community growing and expanding for all of our greater health awareness. If only it would touch academics and those driving public policy a LITTLE faster. How much longer can we afford to wait. The burden of healthcare is just too enormous to support itself at this current rate.
-G
Hey Doc..
Have you ever run across the info on using N-acetylcysteine for lowering Lpa? I know Dr. Davis mentions a few things for high numbers but don't think he has mentioned NAC. Heres a link:
Wiklund et al demonstrated NAC’s ability to reduce plasma
homocysteine levels by 45 percent,8 while Gavish and Breslow demonstrated NAC (2-4 grams daily for
eight weeks) was able to reduce lipoprotein(a) by 70 percent.
http://www.thorne.com/media/n_acetylcysteine_mono.pdf
Have you ever tried Paleomeal from Designs For Health? Great product when on the run.http://www.rockwellnutrition.com/PaleoMeal-Organic-Whey-Protein-by-Designs-For-Health_p_659.html
Great posts! I really enjoy them, keep the great work.
Robert
I applaud the idea, but holy cow is that expensive! I pay for my own insurance, out of pocket, every month. Just one of those tests is close to my monthly premium, let alone doing multiple tests.
I really wish the prices for at-home testing would come down.
Hi Robert,
Thank you for your comments!
Dr. Davis has discussed the value of NAC for heart disease reversal, esp in improvement in Lp(a). I think it works synergistically with other vitamins and nutrients. I take some as well -- (after liver assaults, eg alcohol).
Dr.Davis discusses NAC in Report 2 for Lp(a) treatment strategies.
Unique Strategies for Lipoprotein(a) Reduction TYP Special Report (sorry for members):
-Report 2
Lipoprotein(a): What it is, why it's important, and why you need to know if you've got it!
-Report 1
Yes -- I am familiar with some of the Designs for Health products -- personally none of the bars were palatable to me (had to throw away). The premise is (!) excellent and if one is really busy and cannot cook whole foods, then the replacement strategies might work. All high carbs or fake sugar alcohols just don't agree well with me (and I don't believe in packaged stuff much now). I actually have the (pricey) natural chocolate flavored Paleo Meal on my counter! It is very expensive b/c it contains a lotta stuff... (like my favorite Taurine, Arg and Leucine). However, I use it infreq because my heart pounds afterwards and I haven't figured out why. The product has only a couple net carbs... that might be it.
-G
Andrew,
Being a cheap*ss I know what you mean. Insurance covers most -- the only challenge is inconvenience and obtaining an MD order. The VAP or NMR is still about $99 to 149. The EBT on the other hand is about $250 (if you can get a 2-for-1 deal) to $500 in California, out of pocket. Unfortunately, Medicare stopped reimbursment for EBTs about 9mos ago.
The costs for self-care depend on how you would annualize estimated costs for sickness later down the road, including time and opportunities lost from family, friends, and work. It is hard I think when we are young to consider these factors.
BTW Healthcare Spending Accts (HSA) do include the listed services (and MASSAGE THERAPY :) when authorized by a provider *hee*). Even the $gas$ to and from the day spa... ka-ching!!! Of course, please verify w/your accountant (b/c I'm financially retarded).
-G
G,
Imbedded in this url may-be/is a reason to think through whether the Tabata method is a means of a "no cost" development of new capillary linings and channels.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angiogenesis
The discussion in VEGF on how physical activity stimulates the capillary development process is amazing. (We know from t-nation that the optimal time of hypoxia is 20 to 40 seconds for Tabata.) Time to think of an experiment!.
best
j
I know this is a bit off topic, but I saw the reference to NAC and just have to chime in.
Ever since I was...oh... 21 or so (ha), I've taken NAC whenever I drink alcohol. I take it with vitamin C (in case the NAC oxidizes). Seems like I tolerate alcohol better that way, and if I accidentally have a bit too much, I never feel it the next day.
Life Extension makes a cool little supplement precisely for the purpose of taking with alcohol, called (surprise!) Anti-Alcohol Antioxidants:
http://www.lef.org/Vitamins-Supplements/Item00802/Anti-Alcohol-Antioxidants-with-HepatoProtection-Complex.html
j,
I'll ck the link out! Thanks! T-nation has their new velocity diet... interesting stuff :)
Tabata is SOOO cool... I can only do 13 tabata squats before I go hypoxic which is way more than 40 sec... guess I'm growing new blood vessels and collaterals!
You should lead this thread on the TYP forum *smile* YOU are such an T-driven exercise buff...
-G
David,
I appreciate your chimes! Thanks for the great TIP!!
A good friend gave me the LEF book/manual -- think I need to study that a bit more...
My supp's are taken w/vitamin C or some citrus bioflav extracts, so I guess that counts *YEAY* (+some Vit ADEK) :)
-G
So you have that massive LEF book, eh? Disease Prevention and Treatment. It's fantastic. I've read most of it, I think, and I'm constantly going back to it as a reference.
I'm a LEF member, and I thought I was getting this great deal by getting the book for free with my membership. Then I went on Amazon.com and saw it there for like 2-3 dollars. Great.
David,
Yes -- the massive one :)
-G
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