What is hereditary hemochromatosis?

Hereditary hemochromatosis, referred to as HH, is a common iron overload genetic disorder. A person with hereditary hemochromatosis absorbs and stores excess amounts of iron in the body. This extra iron settles in the liver, skin, and pancreas and, if left untreated, gradually develops iron deposits that cause organ and tissue deterioration.

What causes hereditary hemochromatosis?

The HFE gene in humans monitors iron absorption; a mutated HFE gene allows too much iron absorbtion and causes hereditary hemochromatosis. People with the hereditary hemochromatosis gene are carriers for the disease. If two carriers have a child, that child will develop hereditary hemochromatosis. Recently, researchers from both the European Molecular Biology Laboratory and the University of Heidelberg, Germany, discovered that HH is a liver disease. Research lab mice that were genetically engineered to lack HFE only in liver cells showed all the key features of hereditary hemochromatosis.

How common is hereditary hemochromatosis?

Hereditary hemochromatosis is one of the most common genetic diseases in the U.S.; almost 1 in 10 American Caucasians carries the gene. Caucasians with ancestry in Northern Europe are most commonly the carriers of the HH gene. Hereditary hemochromatosis is uncommon but still occurs among African Americans, Asian Americans, and Latinos.

What’s the danger of hereditary hemochromatosis?

If left untreated, iron accumulations due to hereditary hemochromatosis could potentially lead to other serious health issues, such as arthritis, liver failure, congestive heart failure, impotence, skin pigmentation, and pancreas damage. Without previous testing for hereditary hemochromatosis, most people are unaware that they have the disease. Most symptoms don’t appear until after about age 30 for men and 50 for women.

Screening for hereditary hemochromatosis is easy.

There is good news, though–testing for hereditary hemochromatosis is painless and simple. A fairly inexpensive, quick cheeck swab test kit you can use at home that will show if you have the mutated HFE gene that results in hereditary hemochromatosis is available from HealthCheckUSA. You shouldn’t take iron supplements until you know your test’s results. If your test’s results do show that you have hereditary hemochromatosis, treatment comes in the form of routine blood removal, usually several times a year.

Interpreting lab test results needn’t be a chore or a mystery

Interpreting the lab test results that you get back from HealthCheckUSA is remarkably easy.

Your lab test results are sent to you the first business day after your lab test via first-class mail. The lab test results arrive in a confidential, printed document with the laboratory’s findings laid out in a clear, easy-to-read fashion.

Interpreting lab tests: use our Test Results Info guide

Of course, since these are the same medically accepted lab tests that physicians use, interpreting some of the lab test terms and abbreviations can be challenging without a guide.

That’s why our Test Results Info page was created. Interpreting your lab test is simple with the Test Results Info page. On that page, you can find definitions for common lab test result abbreviations like “WBC” (white blood cell count) and “LDL” (low density lipoprotein, or “bad cholesterol”).

Many lab test results are expressed in reference ranges. These ranges indicate the low and high for what’s considered to be “normal” for that lab test criterion.

Interpreting lab tests: what if your lab test comes back abnormal?

If your lab test result for an item is not within the normal range, or has other red flags, don’t panic! “Normal” lab test results are not set in stone, and many factors can contribute to an out-of-range lab test result, from stress to a dietary anomaly to a benign congenital condition. If you’re out of the reference range when you go to interpret your lab test, you should consider re-taking the test or asking a physician for a professional medical interpretation. Since our lab tests are the same ones doctors order, your family doctor can interpret your HealthCheckUSA lab test without difficulty.

Order a Physician Interpretation with your lab test

You should also look into the “Physician Interpretation” option, especially if you choose to re-take the test. For a minimal charge, you can have a HealthCheckUSA partner doctor interpret your lab test. Secure and confidential, a Physician Interpretation gets a board-certified physician to read your lab test and examine it in special detail. You can then access your interpretation by calling a toll-free number three days after your lab test.

Interpreting your lab test from HealthCheckUSA isn’t a chore. It’s easy with the tools at the HealthCheckUSA website and the Physician Interpretation test option. Also, if you have any lab test questions, just contact HealthCheckUSA. We’re happy to answer your questions fully and swiftly.

Many Health Tests Don’t Require a Prescription

Health tests without a prescription are now amazingly easy. HealthCheckUSA.com brings you convenient lab and health tests — and you don’t have to schedule or pay for a doctor’s visit to get tested!

In the old days, doctors held the keys to health tests. For example, if you were on a diet and wanted to get a cholesterol test to check your progress, you’d have to see a doctor to set up a test. Every time you wanted a health test, you’d have to get a doctor’s prescription. Getting regular lab tests was like being in pre-school again — you needed someone’s permission every time you wanted to do something. Health tests were expensive, and scheduling tests was a chore.

Getting Health Tests — Without a Prescription — Has Become a Breeze

Now, however, it’s a lot easier to check your fitness with a health test. The testing laboratories in the HealthCheckUSA.com network are the same labs that process health test prescriptions for local doctors in your community. The difference is that you’re working with them more directly, and saving money on your health test too. All our health tests are accurate, analyzed by fully accredited medical reference laboratories.

In fact, in some parts of the country, you can even get a walk-in lab test. No scheduling or pre-payment — just find a lab testing location that does walk-in testing and stroll right in. The pharmacy schedules at HealthCheckUSA.com can help you find participating health test locations.

Get Your No-Prescription Health Test

Because lab tests are simple and non-invasive, there’s usually no need for a doctor’s prescription to take a health test. There are no serious health risks to taking a health test. (For the best accuracy, you should fast before your lab test, but if you schedule your test for the morning, you can spend most of those ten fasting hours during the night, when you’re not eating anyhow.)

The fact is, a doctor’s supervision isn’t ordinarily necessary to gather information on your health. That’s why it makes so much sense to work with an online consumer lab testing service like HealthCheckUSA.com.

You can find some helpful lab test taking tips at the main HealthCheckUSA.com website.

Nutrition Panels are Great Preventative Medicine

A nutrition panel could be your best preventative medicine. A nutrition panel consists of a simple blood test that examines the way your body processes food. Even though adhering to a good diet and exercise regimen is the best way to stay healthy, each body’s chemistry is unique and breaks down nutrients in different ways. Most diseases are caused by a lack of proper nutrition or an inefficient breakdown of the nutrition that the body receives. At under $100, a nutrition panel is an affordable, comprehensive way to prevent potential health problems.

Fast Before a Nutrition Panel

Fasting for 10 hours prior to the nutrition panel is recommended for the best lab test results, though drinking water or black coffee doesn’t adversely affect the panel’s results. Therefore, it is usually best to schedule the panel in the morning.

Test your diet with a nutrition panel

Nutrition panels focus on three specific areas: CHEM-26, vitamin B12 with folic acid, and total iron binding capacity (TIBC).

The CHEM-26 portion analyzes the body’s total cholesterol (HDL & HDL), triglycerides, glucose, calcium, uric acid, electrolyte, and iron, as well as kidney, heart and liver functions. Glucose levels indicate how the body processes sugar, so it’s good to keep tabs on them if your family has a history of diabetes. Too much or too little iron can be a sign of various health problems.

The vitamin B12 and folic acid portion of the panel can provide information on the body’s metabolic functions. The body uses B vitamins to access and mobilize the energy stored in carbohydrates, fat, and protein. Without B vitamins, the risk of organ damage is heightened. Folic acid is in the B vitamin family and works hand-in-hand with B12 to unlock the nutritional value of the foods you eat. Folic acid also helps to synthesize DNA in the production of new cells.

The total iron binding capacity or TIBC portion checks the blood’s ability to transport iron throughout the body. If your iron levels are low, eating more iron-rich foods like dark green vegetables is recommended.

All three sections of the nutrition panel provide information on which functions of the body are efficient and which need more attention.

What if a nutrition panel comes back with abnormal results?

If a nutrition panel produces abnormal results, share them with your doctor. He or she may recommend different health tests, a change in diet or exercise regimen, or another nutrition panel to double-check the results.

Roots of Colon Cancer

Colon cancer has roots in some of the first to make America their new home. Research done by the University of Utah has traced a gene mutation for colon cancer all the way back to some of the very first settlers to the New World.

Mr. and Mrs. George Frye are genetically responsible for a significant number of colon cancer cases today. Those with the mutation almost a 70% chance of getting colon cancer, compared with 4% of those who do not carry the gene.

Symptoms of Colon Cancer

Colon cancer, also known as colorectal cancer, is the third leading cause of cancer death in the United States. Colon cancer starts as benign polyps, abnormal growths in the large intestine. These polyps later become cancerous. Symptoms include diarrhea, abdominal pain and unknown weight loss.

Screen for Colon Cancer

Don’t know if the Fryes are your distant relatives? Good news. Colon cancer can be treated if diagnosed early. HealthCheckUSA offers a fecal occult blood test (FOBT) as a colon cancer screening. The test screens for gastrointestinal bleeding and can help diagnose colon cancer in its early stages.

Chlamydia Screenings Can Detect the Silent STD

Chlamydia, popularly known as “the clap,” is the most common sexually transmitted disease, but don’t expect to hear about it in the news. While many remain silent on the taboo topic, the infection quietly affects around 2.8 million people per year. 75% of infected women and half of infected men don’t even know they have the disease - because they have no symptoms. Tests such as this Chlamydia Screening are the only way to know for sure.

Risks of Untreated Chlamydia

A person infected with Chlamydia is five times more likely to become infected with HIV, and if left untreated, can lead to other illnesses such as Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) and chronic pelvic pain.

Get Tested For Chlamydia

The Center for Disease Control recommends testing annually for Chlamydia, especially for women under 25. Health Check USA offers a Chlamydia antibody screening for the bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis, which can be transmitted through sexual contact, as well as hands and clothing.

Celiac disease is one of the most common diseases you’ve never heard of. Its symptoms are as common as fatigue, joint pain or muscle cramps, but also include serious illnesses such as anemia and osteoporosis. With such vague symptoms, the disease is often misdiagnosed by doctors or temporarily treated with over-the-counter medications. Celiac disase can easily be diagnosed by a test such as the Celiac Disease DNA Test. While there is no cure, a change in diet can get rid of many symptoms.

Celiac disease is caused by gluten, a food product made of wheat, rye or barley found in many foods and medicines today. The immune system responds to gluten by damaging the lining of the small intestine, which normally aids in absorbing nutrients from our food. Celiac disease causes malnutrition, and can lead to cancer.

According to the Associated Press, over two million people in the U.S. suffer from celiac disease, and for Linda Fedewa, owner of A Piece O’ Cake Bakery, the disease was working her to death.

Because all of her baked goods were made with flour, Fedewa constantly ate food with gluten and had no idea why she was so sick. She was losing weight rapidly, and her doctor began checking for symptoms of an eating disorder after her weight dropped to 85 pounds. After being tested, Fedewa was told to stay away from all things gluten, including the extravagant cakes she baked for her customers. After changing her diet, she began looking for an gluten-free alternative for her bakery. Today, Fedewa’s gluten-free goods comprise a quarter of her business, and offer treats for those suffering from both celiac disease and a sweet tooth. (AP)

While celiac disease is a genetic illness, it can also be triggered by stress, infection or childbirth. As with any illness, early detection through health tests is the key to fighting celiac disease. HealthCheckUSA offers free genetic counseling with their Celiac Disease DNA Test.

Happy New Year! We sincerely wish a happy 2008 to you and your family. We also wish you a very Healthy 2008! Make a resolution to take better care of yourself this year and start the year off right with a men’s health screening or our women’s health screening. Also, make sure you are getting proper nutrition this year by having a nutrition analysis. Be healthy in 2008 and you are well on the way to a Happy New Year!

Health screening: knowledge is power

A health screening could save your life.

That statement might sound alarmist, but it’s true. A good health screening could be a lifesaver for you or your loved ones. The sad fact is that, in today’s medical care landscape, health screenings that were once routine are now rare. Heath screening lab tests isolate health risks like cancer and strokes, and can provide HIV testing and warn of unseen cardiovascular health problems.

How health screening works

“Can a single simple blood test do all that?” you may be asking. It’s true - many simple health screening procedures look like a simple blood test, but the health screening blood sample can pinpoint dozens of risk factors and is quick and easy too.

A health screening produces an easy-to-read report on the health hazards that you’ve decided to test for. Depending on the health risk tests that you select, a health screening can call attention to problems posed by high blood pressure, obesity, osteoporosis, incorrect diabetes management, incomplete nutrition, and many other common issues.

A health screening could have good news, too - maybe that weight gain or diabetes could be held in check by something as easy as more dried fruit in your diet!

Health screening benefits from your health insurance

Although HMOs and insurance companies are reputed to be remarkably tight with a dollar, you might be surprised what kind of preventive medicine (like lab tests and health screening) are covered by your health insurance policy. Don’t wait for crisis to strike - be proactive and check out your health screening coverage. You might be able to get medical tests for a variety of conditions - maybe even a full health screening - without having to carry the cost. HealthCheckUSA does not accept insurance claims, but many health insurers will reimburse you directly for our health screening services.

Employee health screening: on the rise

Companies are starting to get on the health screening bandwagon, too. Employers realize that inadequate workforce health makes for lots of absenteeism, reduced productivity and even death. Employee health screenings cost them upfront, but they realize that this cost is outweighed by the long-term corporate wellness benefits, increased employee loyalty and reduced health insurance premiums.

If you’re not aware of employee health screenings at your workplace, ask your employee wellness program coordinator or HR department. Maybe you can help start an employee health screening program yourself!

The advantages of health screening with HealthCheckUSA

If you elect HealthCheckUSA for a health screening, we hope you’ll find the health screening process enjoyable. Distributed laboratory testing has been our business for 20 years; our health screening services have been mentioned in a variety of national publications, including TIME, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times.

Our health screening and lab test prices are almost always lower than what you’ll see in a doctor’s office or hospital, and our health screening lab partners are accredited professionals located all over the country and in testing pharmacies near you.

Talking to HealthCheckUSA about health screening

Early detection is the differentiating factor for almost all major diseases like heart disease and cancer. Please see our health screening and lab testing information for answers to your health screening questions.

It’s no secret that employee wellness leads to more efficiency and higher morale in the workplace, but some American companies are doing more than just noting this. They’re pioneering innovative employee wellness programs.

While many workplaces may just offer basic insurance programs that may or may not include things like lab tests, annual exams and prescription drug benefits, these top companies are really going above and beyond for the sake of preventive health care.

Recently Business Roundtable conducted “Doing Well through Wellness,” a study on the wellness and prevention initiatives of leading American companies. The results show how these companies’ initiatives are helping to reduce health caremanagement costs. Plus, it helps their employees stay healthy.

Business Roundtable’s study results also show that CEOs of these American companies are all about seeing that their employees have what they need to behealthy. These top companies, which include Accenture, General Mills, and Xerox,offer tools to their employees that educate them on wellness and health and also give them access to corporate wellness resources and other special programs, like quitting smoking and weight loss.

What’s really interesting about these study results is that they found three big trends when they looked at the companies’ employee wellness programs. They found that companies are educating employees about how wellness saves everyone money on health care. In addition, they found that a culture of wellness is being created by members within the company and that companies focus on giving much needed resources to employees.

Clearly, these top companies are committed to employee wellness and have a great understanding of what exactly wellness can do for their business in terms of productivity and happiness in the workplace.

So what can HealthCheckUSA do for companies and employee wellness? Giving employees access to health tests like the Heart Check Profile and the Men’s Profile test or Women’s Profile test is a great move for preventive care. If you have any questions, please contact us.