5 crucial medical tests your doctor won't tell you about

Many physicians believe that we need to rethink the routine medical tests we get during checkups, NewsMax Health reported.

Research has shown that there are better diagnostics available than the typical lab work used by most doctors.

However, insurance companies are often hesitant to pay for non-routine tests and doctors tend to be creatures of habit, using diagnostics with which they are familiar and comfortable.  

Here are five tests that Dr. Smith recommends to his patients.

1.  VAP cholesterol test

This advanced test is much more accurate than routine cholesterol panels, detecting twice as many risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

Measuring HDL, LDL, and total cholesterol levels just touch the tip of the iceberg. The VAP test delves into the subgroups of these lipoproteins, identifying different kinds of HDL and LDL that can cause heart disease and blockage.

2. Myeloperoxidase or MPO test

Elevated MPO, a white blood-cell derived inflammatory enzyme, can double the risk of heart death. This enzyme can cause HDL to become dysfunctional so that it no longer removes fat from the arteries to the liver, where it is properly processed. The higher the level of MPO, the greater the dysfunction.

3. Food sensitivity test

 When a person has food sensitivity, it’s like a foreign object is placed in their body triggering inflammation. Unlike a food allergy, which evokes an immediate response, sensitivity to certain food or drink takes hours to cause symptoms in the body.

 A simple blood test can identify a person’s sensitivity to 100 common foods. The report categorizes these foods like stop lights: red, yellow, and green.

The red foods you need to stop eating altogether and the yellow foods you should eliminate and then start adding one at a time back into the diet. Green foods are fine. Although this test isn’t covered by insurance, his patients say that the $200 fee is well worth feeling whole again.

4. Red blood cell magnesium test

Magnesium is a crucial mineral responsible for the welfare of more than 350 biochemical reactions in the body. Every organ in the body needs magnesium. 

 Recent research associates low levels of magnesium with Type 2 diabetes. Since 40 percent of magnesium is located in the red blood cells, regular serum blood tests may not give a true picture of magnesium levels. The standard test may show normal levels even when there is a deficiency.

 5. APOE-e4 test

 Although the greatest risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease is aging, there is a strong genetic component. The APOE-e4 gene is the first gene identified with Alzheimer’s and has the greatest impact on increased risk of developing the disease.

If a person has a strong family history of Alzheimer’s, Dr. Smith recommends testing for the gene between the ages of 20 to 30. If not, the ideal age would be between 50 and 60. If the gene is identified, the patient may want to take protective lifestyle measures to prevent or slow down progress of the disease.

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