Medichecks so called advanced blood tests are not of that

frank1978

Since its unrealistic to ask your GP and the NHS for a very comprehensive blood panel I've been wanting to purchase the "Ultimate sports performance test" from medichecks they state "Our ultimate blood test for men and women gives you our most comprehensive health check, including advanced profiles for your hormone health, thyroid function, and sports nutrition."

However reading through the biomarkers very basic ones such as sodium potassium and magnesium are missing from this panel.

Electrolytes are at the core of sports nutrition they are available to purchase on there own however each panel cannot be added for 1 blood draw cost of £35.00 instead its a shocking £35.00 draw fee per seperate test.

You do have the option to finger !!!!!! at home for free but these are very tricky to use.

So it would £199 Ultimate sports performance test pus £35.00 draw fee
Then a Kidney test £39 (which is included on the ultimate panel but does not include sodium) £35.00 draw fee
Magnesium £55 pus another £35
Potassium ? They don't even test for it !

Luckily I found another site that does what i wanted for £239 including draw fee.

 

 

Ectophile

At that price, I will stick with going down the doctors every year and getting samples taken by the nurse.  No charge, and they send me a reminder whenever it's due.

Flugelhorn

Potassium can be a problem in remote testing - can appear to be raised simply because of the delay in separating the cells in the sample and getting it tested 

ChrisJJ

I asked my GP surgery if they would be willing to draw the blood for me to send off for private testing and amazingly, they were willing. So that's what I did. I did this as finger stabbing never works for me, my fingers appear to be bloodless. 

Flugelhorn

ChrisJJ said:

I asked my GP surgery if they would be willing to draw the blood for me to send off for private testing and amazingly, they were willing. So that's what I did. I did this as finger stabbing never works for me, my fingers appear to be bloodless. 

good idea - we certainly used to do it for people in our surgery - doing it properly reduces the chance of haemolysing and getting spurious results 

Albermarle

Ectophile said:

At that price, I will stick with going down the doctors every year and getting samples taken by the nurse.  No charge, and they send me a reminder whenever it's due.

Same here, I think also the more things you test with blood you are pretty likely to find at least one think out of limits. So a chance of overdiagnosis.

One grey area though is the PSA test ( prostrate cancer). Many recommend having it, ( if you are an older man ) but the GP's seem a bit reluctant, unless you are in an at risk group. I think again due to the risk of overdiagnosis and false positives.

Flugelhorn

PSA is never cut and dried and there is always more to it - used to say to men when they wanted it "for reassurance" that it was fine if it was low but had they thought through if it was slightly raised? Most hadn't considered it or the decision making that went with it - got them to read up a bit more first 

Yes the more blood tests you do the more likely something will be "out of normal range" (usually one in 20 tests are normal but out of range - doing too many may lead to further investigation and stress) - used to ask the juniors "and what will you do with an abnormal result? - if you don't know the answer to that then don't request the test"

Albermarle

PSA is never cut and dried and there is always more to it - used to say to men when they wanted it "for reassurance" that it was fine if it was low but had they thought through if it was slightly raised? Most hadn't considered it or the decision making that went with it - got them to read up a bit more first

I think the issue is that there are often articles in the papers/internet/people being interviewed on breakfast TV, saying that having a PSA test saved their life etc. so every older man should get one pronto, even without symptoms.

Then when you look into it, the situation is not so clear....

Flugelhorn

Albermarle said:

PSA is never cut and dried and there is always more to it - used to say to men when they wanted it "for reassurance" that it was fine if it was low but had they thought through if it was slightly raised? Most hadn't considered it or the decision making that went with it - got them to read up a bit more first

I think the issue is that there are often articles in the papers/internet/people being interviewed on breakfast TV, saying that having a PSA test saved their life etc. so every older man should get one pronto, even without symptoms.

Then when you look into it, the situation is not so clear....

absolutely - as a GP I had my speech ready. 

oldagetraveller1

Pedant alert - "prostrate". Really?

Yes, I have had Prostate cancer and a Radical Prostatectomy with salvage radiation. 

In spite of a high P.S.A., finger up the backside and numerous U.T.I.s it took a long time for my G.P. to refer me to a Urologist!

Murphybear

ChrisJJ said:

I asked my GP surgery if they would be willing to draw the blood for me to send off for private testing and amazingly, they were willing. So that's what I did. I did this as finger stabbing never works for me, my fingers appear to be bloodless. 

You can’t get a full blood test by a finger stab of blood, you need 2 tubes.  I’m due my annual diabetic check tomorrow and I’m one of these people who they find it very very difficult to draw blood from.