Over 50 - Blood & Urine Tests

[atpeace]

40 minutes ago, AsiaTraveler1234 said:

Google Maps reviews on Lifecare aren't exactly encouraging 🤔  There is a lab in nearby Jomtien called Rada Medical Labratory. I used them before and they were good, but I still think using a package from Bangkok Hospital Pattaya is the best bet. They have various packages based on your interest.

Just read the reviews and they weren't bad at all.  The bad ones didn't really give specifics other than the numbers were wrong in their opinion.  I have got my blood work done all over Thailand and have records going back 15 years.  I would know if the numbers were fake.  I have numbers that aren't normal so it would be obvious.

 

Bangkok Hospital is a good option but takes more time (travel and the in hospital process) and IMO doesn't add any value.  It does have a good rep which is something so I get your choice.

[scubascuba3]

4 hours ago, AsiaTraveler1234 said:

Google Maps reviews on Lifecare aren't exactly encouraging 🤔  There is a lab in nearby Jomtien called Rada Medical Labratory. I used them before and they were good, but I still think using a package from Bangkok Hospital Pattaya is the best bet. They have various packages based on your interest.

People often wrongly think if they pay more it's better and worth it, often not, unnecessary filler tests to look good. Do you even know what you're looking for?

[Jaggg88]

On 6/27/2024 at 2:26 PM, Sheryl said:

The packages at hospitals tend to be poorly designed, and also geared towards Asian health issues (example: relatively high incidence of primary liver cancer  which is rare in Westerners. )

 

At private hospitals, packages are designed with or by the marketing department.  They often include things not recommended by any public health authority and likely to lead to other unnecessary and costly tests (e.g. routine abdominal ultrasounds  which often turn up unimportant cysts on various organs).

 

They also include completely misleading and unreliable tests e.g  "cancer screenings" consisting of bloid markers not suitable for mass screening. Again leading to a lot of  unnecessary other tests.

 

One definitely needs to be proactive in deciding what tests to have.

 

There are reliable websites that will tell you what a person your age should get e.g https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/webview/#!/

 

But to summarize for you:

 

Routine urinalysis

Blood tests: 

- Hb1Ac

- Lipid panel (HDL  LDL, triglycerides)

- complete Blood Count (CBC)

-  creatnine

- BUN

- liver enzymes (ALT/AST)

- PSA

 

All the above should be available at a lab at reasonable cost. Try to ensure lab is ISO certified.

 

You also need the following  which  are not blood or urine tests  and have to be done at a hospital:

- colonoscopy inless you have already had one in past 10 years. (Allows early detection of colon cancer and removal of pre-cancerous polyps. )

 

And I'd suggest  either an Exercise Stress Test or Echocardiogram plus EKG to assess cardiac function. The first is usually less expensive and will also assess your cardiac fitness. 

 

These 2 things are available separately as packages in many hospitals.  Assuming normal results, they do not need to be done often. Colonoscopy every 10 years. Cardiac screening, if asymptomatic and no risk factors like elevated lipids or diabetes    every 5-10 years  or so.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Excellent advice as usual but I think apolipoprotein B (APO B) needs to be added to the blood test list