Understanding lab testing: what blood work can & cannot tell you (AMA 91 sneak peek)

The gist

1. Attia says many patients expect labs to tell them everything about their health, and that direct-to-consumer testing has strengthened that belief.
2. He tells patients that labs reveal roughly a third, maybe 25%, of what he wants to know about their risk.
3. Attia defines longevity as lifespan plus healthspan, with physical, cognitive and emotional health making up the healthspan side.
4. He lists the main threats to lifespan as cardiovascular disease, cancer, neurodegenerative disease, metabolic disease and accidental deaths.
5. Attia says repeated tests over time matter, since a single high CRP of 3 or LDL of 160 could be temporary, an error, or lifelong.