Why Annual Checkups Aren’t Enough

every cancer patient needs to know about Signara

In American healthcare, annual checkups have become standard practice as benchmarks for doctors to check in on their patients’ preventative care efforts. However, annual checkups in traditional healthcare take only 15 minutes to focus on the bare minimum. We want you to be healthy all year round, every year. Annual checkups may superficially indicate that there are no major health issues at the moment, but is that enough? Specialized testing and periodic monitoring of health biomarkers can be very valuable in preventing disease and working towards optimizing your health.

Traditional Annual Checkups v. Functional Medicine Evaluation

While traditional health care focuses superficially on your present health, a functional medicine approach is more comprehensive. We take a deeper dive into your current and future health. At annual checkups, your doctor might ask you about your diet, exercise, and lingering health concerns then tell you to eat healthy and continue exercising. A functional medicine approach takes healthcare a step further to pinpoint exactly where your health can improve and develop a specific plan based on a variety of factors such as genetics and lifestyle preferences.

Aim for Optimal Health

Optimal healthcare begins with specialized testing because healthcare isn’t one size fits all. While traditional healthcare focuses on basic blood work and “normal values,” we take a more comprehensive approach that focuses on aiming for optimal values rather than what is “normal.” For example, what if I told you that the average American had an Omega-3 level of 1.4-5% (which is “normal” according to the lab) but a level of greater than 8% was associated with a lower risk of heart disease and stroke? Would you want to be “normal” or optimal? We also run many specialized tests for nutritional, genetic, and advanced cardiac risk markers that go above and beyond the basic check-up. In addition, we track specific health markers while taking into account changes in your lifestyle, medications, and supplements so that we can determine which changes are beneficial. With this approach, we can create an effective and accurate treatment plan that is specialized to your body.

Your Health Scorecard

To improve your health beyond your annual checkups, you want to examine all factors that can impact your health now and in the future. Functional medicine uses state-of-the-art medical testing in every area to assess your overall health. At Robinson M.D., your comprehensive testing may include:

Diabetes risk: blood sugar, A1C, and fasting insulin

Detoxification: liver, kidney, glutathione, heavy metals

Hormone health: reproductive, thyroid, and adrenal

Functional nutrition markers and vitamin levels

Advanced lipid and cardiac risk markers

Blood counts and iron studies

Tests for chronic infections

Whole genome sequencing genetic testing

Cognitive scoring and MRI brain volumetrics

Gut health testing

Inflammation and oxidative stress

By tracking these biomarkers, we know exactly what imbalances to target and improve. Our goal is to aim for optimal levels to keep you healthy now and prevent disease in the future.

Gut Health Testing

Do you have a gut feeling something is wrong? There’s a reason why you should trust it. The gut and mind are interconnected. It’s why you get butterflies in your stomach when you’re excited or feel nauseous when you’re scared. The gut can inform you about other areas of your health, which is why it’s beneficial to monitor it.

Invest in Your Health

Health is important, and most people don’t realize that until it becomes a problem. That’s why it’s worth the time and money to invest in your healthcare. With concierge medicine, your health is our priority. At all times, you have access to your medical provider who is there to listen to you, answer your questions, and create a customized plan to help you meet your goals. Don’t wait for your health to become an issue to make it a priority. Make the switch to affordable concierge medicine to begin your wellness journey.

Tracking Heart Health

Along with gut health, heart health is also important to track beyond annual checkups. Specialized testing looks beyond the basic cholesterol panel to more important risk markers such as ApoB or Lipoprotein A. If these indicators are present, then you could be at a much higher risk for heart disease. We also look at EKG, coronary CT angiogram and coronary artery calcium score, carotid intimal medial thickness, and echocardiogram. By monitoring these signs of heart health, you and your doctor can work on a plan to prevent a future heart attack or stroke.

Cancer Screening

When it comes to cancer, early detection is best. By relying only on traditional annual checkups, you might miss an early sign that could be the difference between identifying stage 1 and stage 4 cancer. With our specialized testing, we offer a variety of cancer screening options like the Grail test, which is a liquid biopsy that screens for over 50 forms of cancer including the most aggressive cancers for which we have no screening test. We also provide Signatera testing in our patients who have a history of cancer, which detects recurrent and residual cancer. In addition, many patients choose to get a whole-body MRI.

Concierge Services with a Functional Medicine Approach

Beyond annual checkups, we’re here for you all year round. At Robinson M.D. we offer concierge services with comprehensive specialized testing. We believe the patient’s health comes first in all aspects, which is why we are available to you whenever and wherever you need us. Improve your health beyond an annual checkup and schedule a consultation with Robinson M.D.

Affordable Concierge Medicine is More Attainable Than you Think

by Robinson M.D. Team | Mar 8, 2023

Insurance-based healthcare might be the standard for healthcare in the United States, but it doesn’t work for everyone. It’s not uncommon to struggle with appointment times or to have your health issues dismissed. However, concierge medicine allows you to have access...

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