Support NeoGAF

[Maiden Voyage]

My doc has been pushing more and more to get routine blood work done to monitor overall health. I'm onboard but would ideally like good integration into lifestyle changes/choices I can make to have the biggest impact. A service like InsideTracker seems to fit the bill, albeit at a hefty cost ($119 to upload my own test results or $180 to get the lowest tier of data analysis). I have no issue with paying but want to make sure I get the best bang for my buck. The topic also came up on the most recent Huberman Lab podcast (InsideTracker is a sponsor of the podcast & the guys is also a shareholder).

The platform seems cool but is it more than most people need? Is it the future of health & wellness?

Have you ever used a service like InsideTracker or other preventative health platform? Any feedback?

 

[BigBooper]

I don't think it's healthy for most people to be that obsessed with blood results. Are you meant to do this monthly? What you get for your money is less information than I get from my bloodtest at my local hospital. Of course, ymmv with insurance.

Edit. I was looking at the wrong plan. I think the one you mentioned covers more than my bloodtest, but it looks like that's just collecting the info from your doc, not doing the actual lab work, so you'd have to pay that on top of the lab fees?

 

[Mistake]

I know this will come off as conspiratorial, but I’d check the paperwork between your doc and these companies. No sense in paying for things you don’t necessarily need, while they profit on selling your dna or bloodwork information. A couple hospitals near me had such clauses in their consent forms….

Unless you have some serious ongoing health issues, I wouldn’t do it.

 

[Maiden Voyage]

I don't think it's healthy for most people to be that obsessed with blood results. Are you meant to do this monthly? What you get for your money is less information than I get from my bloodtest at my local hospital. Of course, ymmv with insurance.

Edit. I was looking at the wrong plan. I think the one you mentioned covers more than my bloodtest, but it looks like that's just collecting the info from your doc, not doing the actual lab work, so you'd have to pay that on top of the lab fees?

Like twice a year at most for me. It’ll cost me $75 to get the blood test from my local. $119 would get the analytics & recommendations from IT.

 

[Radical Dreamer]

Can't you just ask doc what lifestyle choices would be suitable for you and overall health? Why would you waste money on services? Just get blood test done 1-2 times a year go to doc to check results and you should be gucci. And wtf 75$ to get a single blood test?

 

[Maiden Voyage]

Can't you just ask doc what lifestyle choices would be suitable for you and overall health? Why would you waste money on services? Just get blood test done 1-2 times a year go to doc to check results and you should be gucci. And wtf 75$ to get a single blood test?

It’s a litany of tests done. A basic test is just like $15 I think.

The app interests me as it uses data from other people as a benchmark for what works well for my lifestyle & results. I also like the specific recommendations for diet, including recipes, and supplements.

 

[jason10mm]

I wouldn't say it is a scam per se, but I highly doubt the advice they are giving is any different that what EVERYONE says. Get more sleep, eat less sugar, drink less alcohol, exercise yah twat!

The labs they look at, at least the ones they mention in their published paper, are very basic labs for the most part, aside perhaps from the testosterone testing. So really ANY doc with a half decent understanding of general health (which, granted, ain't many if you only see ED or ortho docs like many young folks) should be able to do the same thing.

You KNOW what you need to do, paying that company isn't gonna make you eat a salad instead of a pizza and ruck 5 miles a day.

 

[MightySquirrel]

There was a good video about exercise surprisingly from BBC [it's 1 hour something long if I remember correctly, but can't find the link atm] End conclusion was: can't cheat health - you must move certain amount every single day, running long distances though is bs.

snippet from that




edit: nope can't find full vid sorry.

 

[Cyberpunkd]

Like twice a year at most for me. It’ll cost me $75 to get the blood test from my local. $119 would get the analytics & recommendations from IT.

Here’s recommendations for free, you’re welcome:

1. Don’t eat shit, have a balanced diet of carbs, protein, fat + finer.
2. Exercise, even a little.
3. Eliminate smoking, cut down on alcohol.

That’s all you need, let’s stop with this idea to micromanage everything.

 

[Cyberpunkd]

running long distances though is bs.

Running continuously like I see people doing everywhere in Paris is one of the most stupid things you can do - you are literally killing your joints for old age.

1. Sprint: lots of pressure ok joints, short duration.
2. Fast walking: low pressure on joints, long duration
3. Jogging: lots of pressure on joints, long duration

Add to it the fact that by heavily breathing you are in faking all the polluants present in the city.

 

[zeorhymer]

The only one I can think of is the Galleri cancer test. It's not preventative maintenance. It's an early detection of cancer if you have a family history of it. Other than that, just keep a healthy diet of cutting out sugar/processed foods.

 

[BigBooper]

I like looking at numbers too. I say if you can afford it and don't mind the possible privacy loss, go try to fine tune yourself to Mr Universe Arnold status.

I tend to think the meta management of human health is a lot of fluff though.

 

[Maiden Voyage]

Here’s recommendations for free, you’re welcome:

1. Don’t eat shit, have a balanced diet of carbs, protein, fat + finer.
2. Exercise, even a little.
3. Eliminate smoking, cut down on alcohol.

That’s all you need, let’s stop with this idea to micromanage everything.

I exercise every day, eat well, and neither smoke nor drink.

My company will pay for this. There is literally no downside.

 

[Maiden Voyage]

I like looking at numbers too. I say if you can afford it and don't mind the possible privacy loss, go try to fine tune yourself to Mr Universe Arnold status.

I tend to think the meta management of human health is a lot of fluff though.

Less about meta management for me and more just getting a baseline for where I’m at and additional things I can be doing to boost longevity. Depending on results I’d get a new blood test once or twice a year. If everything comes back with keep doing what you already are, I’d probably check in every 2-5 years.

 

[jason10mm]

My doc has been pushing more and more to get routine blood work done to monitor overall health. I'm onboard but would ideally like good integration into lifestyle changes/choices I can make to have the biggest impact. A service like InsideTracker seems to fit the bill, albeit at a hefty cost ($119 to upload my own test results or $180 to get the lowest tier of data analysis). I have no issue with paying but want to make sure I get the best bang for my buck. The topic also came up on the most recent Huberman Lab podcast (InsideTracker is a sponsor of the podcast & the guys is also a shareholder).

Like twice a year at most for me. It’ll cost me $75 to get the blood test from my local. $119 would get the analytics & recommendations from IT.

I exercise every day, eat well, and neither smoke nor drink.

My company will pay for this. There is literally no downside.

I'm confused. You paying for this or not. If not, what is the question?

 

[Maiden Voyage]

I'm confused. You paying for this or not. If not, what is the question?

I pay & get reimbursed.

The question is if anyone here has done it before. If so, what’s it like? How much of an impact did it make. Etc.

 

[Great Hair]

In yurop you go to your doctor, in the same facility they take a blood sample, urine sample and what not [for bigger shit, you go to the hospital] ... no need for a private company [out of many] to collect samples for money.

I´m not keen on sending my DNA to strangers, pay for it and have them store my DNA, name, homeaddress, billing address, phone number ... only for them to fuck it up somehow down the line.

Thanks for your $120, your private details and your dna for our database. We promise
not monetize it, we [so far] see no monetairy gain in it.

 

[jason10mm]

I pay & get reimbursed.

The question is if anyone here has done it before. If so, what’s it like? How much of an impact did it make. Etc.

Ah. Well, barring some sort of undetected disease (diabetes, early onset hypercholesterolemia) this kind of thing is unlikely to contribute much to your actual health as we understand it from a scientific perspective. If they try to promote stuff like blood alkaline or blood group diet stuff it is mostly likely quackery. So they are basically charging you/your employer to do what a reasonably competent internal medicine or family practice doc should already do.

 

[Maiden Voyage]

Ah. Well, barring some sort of undetected disease (diabetes, early onset hypercholesterolemia) this kind of thing is unlikely to contribute much to your actual health as we understand it from a scientific perspective. If they try to promote stuff like blood alkaline or blood group diet stuff it is mostly likely quackery. So they are basically charging you/your employer to do what a reasonably competent internal medicine or family practice doc should already do.

They cite actual studies for each recommendation. If the evidence is inconclusive, they also call that out. I've watched a few reviews of the platform and it does seem excessive but I am kinda onboard for more data as it relates to my health. Was curious if anyone here had their own feedback but it seems too niche.

Preventative health, at least to me, seems to be the future--Help find problems before they become too severe; Also help avoid them altogether.

There's some good discussion about this on the pod I mentioned in the OP, if you're interested. And yes, the pod is sponsored by the platform (the guest is also a share holder). Both of these things are disclosed.