By Dr. Michael Wald

1. True or false? When your doctor tells you that your blood work is “perfectly normal”, even though you do not feel well, is it “all in your head”?

ANSWER: False. Your lab work may be “normal”, but your doctor’s lab workup may be incomplete, limited to his/her medical specialty, misinterpreted, or may not compare you to a “healthy” population as opposed to a “normal” population.

2. True or False: A blood sugar (glucose) of 65-110 mg/dL, found on a typical lab test, represents the “average” of a “normal” person in a population and not necessarily your “healthy” range?

ANSWER: True. The ranges for all tests you find on the lab are based on averages and may not represent “optimal ranges” for “healthy people.” This is not surprising as these ranges were designed to detect “disease” and not necessarily earlier problems that may be “hidden within the normal ranges of lab values.”

Bottom line – If you are not feeling well, and your doctor says that your test results are normal, maybe you are being compared to the wrong population of people (namely the “average”and not “healthy”).

3. True or False? Because of your health issues, you’re under the impression that you’ve seen the top specialist on the planet and they have done “every test you can imagine.”

ANSWER: This is something that our patients say quite often to us. Unfortunately, we often find that many essential tests and health issues are simply not considered. Why is this? Each specialist “specializes” and therefore does not consider your health issues in the context of multiple systems, spanning multiple medical specialties (not to mention, natural health care specialties) all at once.

4. Which of the following is true regarding the best way to read your blood for nutritional deficiencies and balances and excesses?

a) Measure the blood levels of various vitamins such as vitamins D, E and A for example.

b) Measuring the level of vitamins and comparing it with a dietary log.

c) Measuring levels of vitamins, examining dietary intake, but also performing tests of nutritional utilization and absorption.

d) Performing non-blood tests that have nutritional significance plus everything in choice above considered in the context of a medical health and nutritional history.

ANSWER: D

SPECIAL NOTE: Dr. Michael Wald of Integrated Medicine is the “Original Blood Detective.” He invented a software program that compares your lab work to healthy and not nearly average people as part of a complete work up. The Results often find the hidden issues that have caused many years of lost quality of life and increased disease risk.

– Listen to Dr. Michael Wald’s audio show, Blood Detective for more information about this topic. Call and ask for a free copy of Blood Detective Radio Shows. Thirteen hours of natural health care secrets. QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR HEALTH? Call Integrated Medicine & Nutrition at 914-242-8844 or visit www.intmedny.com