Health Care Costs Increasing

Health care costs are increasing according to an article by Tom Murphy of the Associated Press.  The article cites a survey of insurers by Aon Consulting Worldwide, which states that health care costs are expected to rise by more than 10 percent into next year.

Reducing Health Care Costs Through Disease Management

The article focuses on reducing health care costs through home health care and disease management.  Having lab tests performed by HealthCheckUSA will assist you in both of these areas.  We would recommend starting with a health risk assessment, which is a comprehensive report that empowers you to improve your personal health through testing, knowledge and prevention.

The health risk assessment provides confidential reporting on your potential risk in the areas of diabetes, cholesterol levels, cardiovascular problems, and other various risk areas.  Knowing in advance of your risk can help you and your physician determine the best prevention route, thus decreasing your future health care costs.

Corporation are also beginning to use these employee wellness programs in order to help reduce heath care costs.

Health Care Costs Kept Low

The next step in reducing your health care costs is to receive lab tests from HealthCheckUSA prior to going to your doctor’s appointment.  This way you have results ready to discuss with your physician, which will save you an extra trip to the doctor’s office.  We recommend receiving lab tests on any area that you have some health concerns.

Contact one of our health care representatives, order your appropriate tests, and start reducing your health care costs.

Health Risk Assessments Determine Disease Risk

Health Risk Assessments are imperative for anyone that doesn’t already have heart disease or diabetes.  A health risk assessment takes into considerations several different risk factors, typically ones that you can control, to determine your potential for disease.

Health Risk Assessment Measures Risk Factors

The risk factors that are measured by a health risk assessment and used to determine your risk of heart disease or diabetes are as follows:

• Smoking
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Diabetes
• Being overweight or obese
• Physical inactivity
• Nutrition
• Alcohol use
• Health history
• Biometric measures

Health Risk Assessments Can Help You Live Longer

A health risk assessment will take all of the above factors and determine your risk of having a heart attack or dying from coronary heart disease within the next 10 years.  A health risk assessment can also gauge whether you have metabolic syndrome.  Metabolic Syndrome is a group of risk factors that greatly increase your chance of developing cardiovascular disease, including stroke and diabetes.

Health Risk Assessments Suggest Lifestyle Changes

You should have a health risk assessment by the time that you are 40 and then should assess your risk at least every few years, or if you think that your risk has changed.  However, if there is a history of heart disease or diabetes in your family, you should know your risks as early as 20 years of age.  Knowing your risk factors and working towards eliminating them as soon as possible is one of the best ways to prevent disease.  Having a periodic health risk assessment allows your physician to help determine the best wellness program for you.

Health Risk Assessment Reports are provided by HealthCheckUSA and contain the results of your comprehensive health risk assessment and biometric tests in 29 easy-to-read and understand pages.   Call one of our customer service representatives to schedule your health risk assessment and start preventing heart disease and diabetes today.

Celiac Disease:  What is it?

Celiac disease is a lifelong autoimmune intestinal disorder that affects genetically predisposed people of all ages from middle infancy on.  Celiac disease is triggered by the ingestion of gluten.  Gluten is a protein that can be found in all forms of wheat, including durum, semolina, spelt, kamut, einkorn and faro.  Gluten can also be found in rye, barley and triticale.  Persons with Celiac disease must eliminate all gluten from their diet.

Symptoms of Celiac Disease

Celiac Disease is very serious and should be tested for and treated if it is suspected.  Symptoms in children can include growth failure, vomiting, bloated abdomen, and behavioral changes.  In adults symptoms can include one or more of the following:  recurring bloating or gas, chronic diarrhea or constipation, unexplained weight loss or gain, vitamin k deficiency, fatigue, missed menstrual periods, canker sores in the mouth, and tooth discoloration or loss of enamel.

Complications of Celiac Disease

If you have undiagnosed Celiac disease and you continue to ingest gluten, several long-term conditions can occur; as well as some other associated auto-immune disorders, such as Insulin-Dependent Type I Diabetes, liver disease, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Thyroid disease, and Dermatitis Herpetiformis.

If someone in your family has been diagnosed with Celiac disease or one of the previous mentioned auto-immune disorders, you should take a Celiac Disease DNA test as soon as possible.

Celiac Disease Testing

A Celiac Disease DNA test from HealthCheck USA includes an easy and reliable genetic test; detailed reports with genetic interpretation, recommendations and education; and free genetic counseling for physicians, patients, and families through our partner company Kimball Genetics.

If your test results are positive, the only real treatment for Celiac disease is to completely abstain from ingesting any gluten.  Your physician may suggest other lab tests to check your current health status; and if so, one of our healthcare representatives can assist you with scheduling these.

Cardiovascular Disease is Deadly

Cardiovascular Disease, according to the American Heart Association, is the single leading cause of death in America today.  Maintaining good heart health, and thus avoiding cardiovascular disease, is hands down one of the best things a person can do for themselves.

Cardiovascular Disease Testing

HealthCheckUSA’s Heart Check Profile is essential for anyone that is concerned about their cardiovascular health, or for anyone who would like a solid baseline in an effort to maintain their heart health.

The Heart Check Profile is one of the most comprehensive lab tests that you can do to assess your risk for cardiovascular disease.  The Heart Check Profile is a combination of many cardiovascular tests; including the homocysteine test, the highly sensitive C-reactive protein test, the Chem-26 test, and the VAP (Vertical Auto Profile) cholesterol profile.

Cardiovascular Disease Risk Assessment

As mentioned above, the Heart Check Profile by HealthCheckUSA is made up of several different and important cardiovascular health lab tests. They are, in more detail, as follows:

• Chem-26 (Master Chemistry) – screens your kidney, liver and heart functions, as well as potassium, calcium, uric acid, electrolytes and iron levels.
• Homocysteine – an amino acid in the bloodstream.  Approximately 20% of people with heart disease have high homocysteine levels.
• Cardio C-Reactive Protein (CRP) – this lab test measures inflammation and helps estimate your risk of having a sudden heart attack.
• VAP (Vertical Auto Profile) – this revolutionary test identifies more than 90% of people at risk for cardiovascular disease.  This cholesterol screen identifies hidden heart disease risks, including hereditary factors.

Cardiovascular Disease:  Start Preventing Today

Go to the Heart Check Profile page on HealthCheckUSA.com, select your preferred location, input information into your client profile, and then make your payment.  In a few days, you will receive a personal requisition form that you take to your selected location where you will have your blood drawn.

In about 10 business days, you will get your results and can start taking the appropriate steps to lower your risk of cardiovascular disease.

Disease prevention Baselines

Disease prevention is more than getting a shot here and there and practicing good hygiene.  It is about screening your health and establishing baselines.  It’s about discussing results of your health screens and health risk assessments with your physician and establishing a wellness plan in order to maintain health and to keep disease away.

First Step to Disease Prevention

One of the first steps of disease prevention is making sure that you are currently disease free and to set up a baseline of your current health.  These checks can be done through various lab tests that check your cardiovascular health, the health of your liver, your sexual health, your thyroid, as well as your risks of acquiring cancer and diabetes.

Disease Prevention Assessment

One way to get a complete picture on what you need to do to prevent diseases is through a health risk assessment.  A health-risk assessment is a complete work-up involving a series of lab tests and health history questions in order to determine your predisposition to disease, as well as your overall general health.

You can then take the health risk assessment to your physician for review.  Your physician will then have all the necessary information to get you on track to better health.

Physicians and Disease Prevention

If you would prefer to have a better understanding of the results of your lab tests and health screens before you go to see your physician, or if you don’t currently have a physician, HealthCheckUSA offers a physician interpretation service.   A board-certified physician, who is affiliated with HealthCheck, can interpret your results for you.  Their interpretation will be provided with 72 hours of the test completion and will be confidential.

You must choose the physician interpretation option before completing your online order.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact one of our friendly customer service representatives.

Syphilis Testing More Important Than Ever

Syphilis testing is more important than ever. Over the past few years, the number of reported cases of Syphilis has increased 11.8 percent and continues to go up. 64% of the reported cases of Syphilis occurred in sexually active homosexual men. Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease that occurs mostly in adult men and women ages 20 to 39 years of age.

In the medical community, Syphilis has often been called “the great intimidator” because the signs and symptoms are very much similar to those of other diseases.

Contracting Syphilis

Syphilis is passed from person to person through direct intimate contact with a syphilis sore. Syphilis cannot be transmitted through contact with doorknobs, toilet seats, swimming pools, by trying on clothes or by using eating utensils at a restaurant. Pregnant women, however, can spread the disease to their unborn child, which is just one more reason why syphilis testing is so important.

Syphilis and Pregnancy

Depending up on how long a pregnant woman has had the disease, syphilis can cause the baby to be stillborn or develop serious problems within a few weeks from birth. These serious problems can lead to developmental delays, seizures or even death. It is very important if a woman is considering pregnancy, to be tested for Syphilis, as well as other tested for other sexually transmitted diseases.

The Dangers of Syphilis

If syphilis goes undetected or untreated, it can move into the late and latent stages. In this stage, the syphilis infection will continue even though the infected person is showing no signs or symptoms. At this stage, syphilis can damage your internal organs. If signs and symptoms of late stage Syphilis do show up, they include the following: difficulty coordinating muscle movements, paralysis, numbness, gradual blindness, and dementia.

Testing for Syphilis

Testing for Syphilis in sexually active people who think they may have been exposed to the disease is imperative. A simple blood test will detect whether or not you have the disease. Syphilis can be treated with a course of antibiotics from your physician.

To prevent the spread of Syphilis, please practice safe sexual relations, as well as refrain from sex if you have Syphilis until you have cleared it with your physician.

If you have any questions regarding the Syphilis test, or any other lab tests available at HealthcheckUSA.com, please contact one of our customer service representatives.

Hepatitis B: What Is It?

Hepatitis B is an infection of the liver caused by the Hepatitis B virus (HBV). According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, there are three types of the Hepatitis B: acute, chronic and perinatal. Acute Hepatitis B usually last for less than six months and your body is able to recover completely from it. Chronic Hepatitis B means that your body can’t rid itself of the virus and it may last for a lifetime and potentially leads to cirrhosis or liver cancer. Perinatal Hepatitis B is when the virus is passed from an infected mother to her newborn child.

Symptoms of Hepatitis B may never appear, and if they do it is usually within 12 weeks of acquiring the disease. These symptoms include the following: Symptoms of Hepatitis A include jaundice (yellow eyes and skin), abdominal pain, dark urine, joint pain, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, and fatigue.

Hepatitis B: How to Prevent It

Hepatitis B can be prevented with a series of vaccinations which can protect against the virus for at least 23 years. Other ways to prevent the disease is know the status of any sexual partners, practice safe sex, use sterile needles, vaccinate before traveling to regions there is a high-risk, and be cautious before accepting transfusions in foreign countries. Also, if you are pregnant, get tested just in case.

Hepatitis B Test: How to Test for It

Hepatitis B can be detected through a very simple blood test. Health Check USA offers a Hepatitis panel test that will detect Hepatitis A, B and C. To ensure accuracy of the panel, HealthCheckUSA.com recommends a ten-hour fast prior to having your blood drawn. However, water and black coffee are permitted during this time. If you have any questions regarding this lab test, please contact one of our representatives.

Hepatitis B: How to Treat It

Once you have realized that you have come into contact for the disease, notify your doctor immediately to receive an injection of Hepatitis B Immune Globulin within 24 hours of contact. Once you have developed Chronic Hepatitis B, there really are limited treatment options. Your doctor may monitor vs. treat. If the doctor decides to treat, there are several antiviral medications you can receive. However, if there is sever liver damage, a liver transplant may be necessary.

Hepatitis C Testing: Do You Need It?

Hepatitis C testing detects this serious infection of the liver, which causes the liver to swell. Hepatitis C is a silent killer, as it rarely presents itself with symptoms. Unlike its counterparts, Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B, there is no vaccine for the Hepatitis C Virus. Hepatitis C is a highly infectious virus that causes extreme damage to the liver and over time can cause liver cancer, liver failure, cirrhosis of the liver and even death.

People with Hepatitis C can easily spread the disease to others, even without symptoms. If you think that there is a remote possibility that you have been exposed to the disease, the Center for Disease Control recommends that you get a Hepatitis C test right away.

Hepatitis C: How to Prevent It

As mentioned earlier, Hepatitis C can not be prevented through vaccination. The best way to prevent exposure to the virus is to avoid certain practices. You can get Hepatitis C by the following ways: sharing drug needles, getting pricked with a needle that has infected blood on it, having sex with an infected person, getting a tattoo or body piercing with unsterilized tools, and being born to an infected mother. Also, if you have had a transfusion before 1992 there is a possibility you have received infected blood. Before 1992, there were no tests for the Hepatitis C virus.

Hepatitis C: How to Test for It

Hepatitis C can be detected through a very simple blood test. Health Check USA offers a Hepatitis test that will detect Hepatitis A, B and C. To ensure accuracy of the panel, HealthCheckUSA.com recommends a ten-hour fast prior to having your blood drawn. However, water and black coffee are permitted during this time. If you have any questions regarding this lab test, please contact one of our representatives.

Hepatitis C: How to Treat It

Once you have received your test results back and have discovered you have the Hepatitis C Virus, notify your doctor immediately. Your doctor may perform a liver biopsy to see the extent of any liver damage that has already occurred. There are two drugs that doctors can treat you with, peginterferon and ribavirin. They are given through shots and have strong side effects. If you have had the virus for several years, you may require surgery or even a liver transplant.

Order a Hepatitis Test Now

Just like any other kind of STD testing, hepatitis testing is definitely a case of “better safe than sorry.” If you suspect you might be at risk for hepatitis, or just want to make sure you’re clean, order a Hepatitis test without delay.