Lifescan

amstel2

Hello

I am in my mid 50s with some family history of heart disease (although they all had un-healthy lifestyles). I on the other hand have a healthy lifestyle (hardly drink, never smoked but need to exercise more).

Couple of years ago had an over 50s health check at the GPs. Asked questions about my lifestyle & took a blood test to cover a few things e.g. Liver Function, Cholesterol etc. All came back fine.

However, i was thinking about having a Heart scan one provided by Lifescan, BUPA etc. So was wondering has anybody had one & are they worth it. I have seen several articles in the media saying they are a waste of money & cause more harm than good because the scan provides Radiation exposure.

Any opinions thanks.

A.Penny.Saved

I wouldn't waste my money. I also have a family history of heart disease, my father died before 60 and so did his father, my grandfather although both smoked and drank moderately.

I suspect that my family has a genetic polymorphism affecting folate metabolism. There can be a number of affected genes which can have varying severity on normal function. There are tests for this but so far I have not done it. If I was to spend that is the test I would do to determine the severity of the abnormality.

At the moment I get plenty of natural folates, I take 5MTHF tablets but getting lots of natural greens should provide plenty and AVOID folic acid supplements if your similarly affected. Folic acid an artificial form of folate which needs conversion which can be compromised by the generic abnormality and can have a very negative effect on normal folate usage.

Eating Beetroot and some other vegetables has positive effects due to it's TriMethylGylcine content which is beneficial to the circulation and eliminating homocysteine.
https://examine.com/supplements/trimethylglycine/

Getting plenty of Vitamin C and eating blue, black and red berries is beneficial due to their natural pigments/proanythocyanidin content which strengthen the veins and arteries.

If you have any current circulatory disease then you might try Pauling therapy to help eliminate it. Serrapeptase and Nattokinase can be helpful too. Vitamin C is extremely important so get as much as possible, if nothing else, your skin and aging will benefit. Not smoking is very helpful due to it not using up valuable Vitamin C levels.

Cholesterol is a myth exploited and propagated by drug companies attempting to increase their profits, do not worry about it.

Armchair23

Unless you think your GP missed some significant issues I'd give Lifescan or similar a miss.

It's very easy to become a member of the 'worried well' when a company stands to make a lot of money out of making you feel vulnerable.

If you do have concerns go back to your GP, if they don't have any worries but you still do then by all means think of what specific tests would be of value.

A generalised health check through BUPA etc., will always come back with issues that require further investigation and payment.

If you had a heart scan and they found a problem it might not be treatable , how would you feel about that ?

I think it's great you're concerned about your health but please don't fret overmuch.