In accordance with the Order of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation No. 36an dated February 3, 2015, adults must undergo a medical examination once every three years. Quite a long period of time, right? A lot can happen in that amount of time. It would be good to conduct a control assessment of your health about once a year (if you have no pain and no clear complaints). It does not replace a full medical examination, but in the interval between large scheduled examinations it is quite sufficient – it may include a visit to a therapist and a minimum set of laboratory tests that will allow you to assess the general condition of the body and identify the risks of developing the most common pathologies.
Here are some tests that will allow you to keep the situation under control:
Clinical blood test
It will allow you to assess the general condition of the body, indicate the presence of anemia, an allergic reaction. A change in the concentration of erythrocytes will make it possible to suspect insufficiency of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems in time, and by changes in the leukocyte formula and the concentration of C-reactive protein, one can judge the presence of inflammatory processes that you may not have noticed yourself, and even the appearance of neoplasms.
General urine analysis
An effective method for diagnosing abnormalities in the work of the kidneys and pathologies of other organs. Changes in urine parameters may indicate inflammatory processes in the genitourinary system, urolithiasis, and diabetes mellitus.
total cholesterol
This is the most important indicator of lipid metabolism, which is used to assess the risk of obesity, atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease.
high cholesterol warns of the risk of obesity, hypertension, coronary heart disease, diabetes.
Reduced may indicate malabsorption syndrome (impaired absorption from the intestine) and other intestinal diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, rheumatoid arthritis.
Glucose and glycated hemoglobin
Whereas a glucose test provides information about your blood sugar level at the time of the test, glycated hemoglobin (the combination of hemoglobin and glucose) can tell if your blood sugar was elevated in the one to three months prior to the test.
These are the main laboratory tests for assessing carbohydrate metabolism and diagnosing diabetes. However, sometimes elevated levels of glycated hemoglobin can indicate iron deficiency anemia (false increase). That is why it is always necessary to start with a clinical analysis: when interpreting blood results “for sugar”, we should already be aware of the level of hemoglobin in the blood.
Total and direct bilirubin
These tests allow you to assess whether everything is in order with your liver. An increase in the level of bilirubin in the blood may hint at hepatitis, cholecystitis, cholelithiasis, as well as acute vitamin B12 deficiency, helminthiasis (worms), and pancreatic lesions.
Of course, it is impossible to draw conclusions and make diagnoses solely on the basis of the results of the tests. The attending physician (after the examination!) will be able to correctly assess the laboratory parameters and, if necessary, prescribe an additional examination.
All this in a complex will allow you to detect and prevent the development of dangerous diseases in time. As you know, the sooner you start treatment, the better the result will be. Although most often, to restore normal indicators, doctors recommend a special diet, wellness procedures, and a change in the level of physical activity.
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