10 Years On: How Does Your Health Profile Compare to a Decade Ago?

Getting older is inevitable. As we look into the future, ten years from now seems like forever. But it sneaks up on us gradually, and suddenly we’re where we thought we’re a very long time away from.

One of the major differences from Ten-Years-Ago-You and the present-day you is your health. Regardless of how in-shape you are, there are going to be changes that happened in your body.

Without a regular wellness screening, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what those changes are. That’s why it’s important to get a handle on your health profile today, so you can compare it to your future self.

Understanding Your Health Changes

Nutrition and exercise play a huge role in how your health changes over the years. You can get a firm grasp on educating yourself on how to stay healthy through reputable sites like braceyourhealth.

There are a few main things to look for when you’re comparing yourself to the self of ten years ago, like:

1. Lipids – Lipids or the fats in your body determine your risk for heart issues or stroke. Monitoring your lipid level over time lets you keep an eye on how at risk you are becoming, or if you already have cardiac issues, knowing your levels helps you see if your treatment is working.

Lipid panels cover your total cholesterol, your HDL (good cholesterol), and your LDL (bad cholesterol), as well as triglycerides.

This combination by itself paints a small picture of your heart. But when compared over the years to your previous levels, it gives your physician a solid look into your body’s cardiac health.

2. Metabolic Screening – A comprehensive metabolic panel combines 14 of the most common tests to give your physician an overall idea of how your body is working.

This screening monitors your kidney and livers to see how those organs are filtering out the waste from your body appropriately.

It also includes a glucose screening, which is often the first indicator of prediabetes or diabetes. Checking your A1C levels regularly gives you an idea of when your body is changing the way it is handling sugar and insulin early so you can adjust your diet and exercise and attempt to prevent diabetes.

Some of the other metabolic tests include measuring calcium, albumin, protein, and sodium levels. All of these, along with the other measurements included, provide you and your doctor a way to watch how your body is changing.

3. Hormone Levels – A less common, but just as important, health profile check is a hormone panel workup. These tend to be more expensive, so most physicians don’t prescribe them unless there is a need for it.

But a hormone panel, different for men and women, can pinpoint the cause of many health conditions. Low testosterone, for example, is the culprit of many issues in men, like erectile dysfunction and fatigue. Low progesterone in a woman frequently causes irregular periods and high and low emotions.

Know Your Health

While it’s important for your physician to be able to monitor your health profile, it’s even more important for you. Regular annual wellness checks are your responsibility.

Ask your doctor questions about each abnormal reading and what the results mean, and educate yourself on how to use your profile to stay healthy.

Photo by Kalen Emsley