Celebrating Men’s Health Month!

Societal expectations promote the idea that men should be tough and self-reliant, causing many to avoid visiting their doctor for routine check-ups and screenings. This June, the Men’s Health Network is celebrating Men’s Health Month to raise awareness about preventable causes of death in men and to encourage men to seek screenings that can help them live longer healthier lives.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the top five preventable diseases that affect men are:

1. Heart disease. The number one killer of men is heart disease. Sadly, about 47% of the deaths from heart disease occur outside of the hospital. This means that men are not reacting to, or not experiencing, cardiac distress symptoms, like chest pain, nausea, cold sweats, upper body discomfort, lightheadedness or shortness of breath. So that men are better prepared to make a decision about seeking care, it is critical that they understand their heart health today and be aware of how it is changing over the years.  We recommend you consider the LPP Basic or LPP Plus Test!

2. Cancer. While men can be affected by many forms of cancer, skin and prostate cancer are the two most common. In fact, about one in seven men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. Fortunately, prostate cancer is a relatively slow-growing cancer, and with early detection survival rates after five years are at 90 percent. We recommend you consider our PSA Test.

3. Chronic lower respiratory diseases. Smoking is the primary cause of chronic lower respiratory diseases. For this reason, men should quit smoking, or work with their doctor to get help in doing so. Chronic lower respiratory disease includes both chronic bronchitis and emphysema and is commonly referred to as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

4. Stroke. Every four minutes someone in the United States dies from a stroke: strokes are also the leading cause of preventable disability in the country. Strokes are caused by blocked blood vessels or from blood leaking into the brain. A health lifestyle that limits alcohol and avoids smoking may help to prevent a stroke from occurring.

5. Diabetes. Routine monitoring of diabetes symptoms is critical for living well with diabetes. By staying on top of the body’s needs, the 1.4 million people living with diabetes can help to stave off serious complications, such as nerve and kidney damage, cardiovascular problems or death. We recommend our Glucose or Hemoglobin A1C Test!

Men may feel that society dissuades them from seeking routine medical care and screenings. In reality though, by taking advantage of walk-in tests, like those offered by Any Lab Test Now, and gathering information about their health men may actually live stronger and more self-reliant lives longer.

Did You Know Some Employers are Now Testing for Nicotine? Here’s Why

Today’s labor market is competitive, and employers are constantly looking for ways to differentiate potential employees who may otherwise be practically identical. These tactics range from test questions to personality quizzes, but some companies are taking things a step further and asking future hires to take a nicotine test. Hospitals, transportation companies and utility services are leading the way in testing employees’ saliva for tobacco and tobacco-product use, and other substances to help make hiring decisions.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. It costs the nation billions in health care expenses, and smokers are expected to die about 10 years earlier than nonsmokers. There isn’t an organ in the body that smoking doesn’t damage in some way. Despite this, many choose to continue smoking. Public health experts are beginning to feel that if a person’s health isn’t enough to motivate them to quit, maybe they can be incentivized by money. For workers everywhere, the penalties for not quitting, and the rewards for quitting, could soon be hitting you in the wallet.

Many employers, faced with rising health insurance costs for smokers and the higher rates of chronic diseases in employees who smoke, are offering carrot-stick bargains — either quit smoking and receive a small bonus and free smoking cessation tools, or continue smoking and lose a small percentage of your paycheck each month; or in some cases, lose out on the job offer. Being tobacco-free makes a job applicant a more natural choice for an employer trying to save money on insurance costs and promote a healthy office environment.

Testing for illegal drugs has been a pretty widespread practice for years, but with the relative ease of oral fluid testing, employers can now ask a candidate for a swab and know whether the applicant smokes, dips or chews. The payout for the employer can be twofold: they can offer new potential employees smoking cessation tools to help them get healthy, and they can potentially receive a federal insurance subsidy for testing their employees. It’s been demonstrated time and again that the healthier the workforce, the more productive it is, so having a group of employees who are entirely tobacco-free could increase productivity dramatically, while reducing insurance costs.

The oral swab test, or even a urine specimen test, offered by Any Lab Test Now identifies the amount of cotinine, a byproduct of nicotine, in the bloodstream. This substance sticks around for an average of three days — longer in heavy smokers — so going cold turkey for the day isn’t going to cut it. By offering a quick, inexpensive way to test for cotinine, Any Lab Test Now is making it easier for employers to make hiring decisions based on important health criteria. Companies now realize that an investment in the health of each employee is an investment in the business itself, and the advantages of nicotine testing far outweigh the costs.

PSA Testing – Why You Need To Get Checked

You feel young and healthy; you’re in your 30s or 40s and still in the prime of your life. You get regular medical checkups, but anything more comprehensive than that hasn’t really crossed your mind. You’re too young to be thinking about special screenings and tests. After all, 40 is the new 30, right? Well, you might want to think again. Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among American men. But the good news is it’s 100 percent treatable if caught early. Most men don’t think about getting tested before the age of 50, and while Medicare and other insurance plans cover screenings for men 50 and up, the younger guys are left out in the cold. And for some, getting tested earlier could have saved their lives.

The prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test is the best way to catch prostate cancer in its earlier stages. In a nutshell, PSA is a substance made by the gland cells in the prostate (both normal cells and cancer cells). The PSA blood test will measure your PSA levels, and if they are elevated, it may indicate prostate cancer or prostatitis (an enlarged prostate). Most men have a PSA level under 4 nanograms per milliliter when they are healthy. However, the risk of prostate cancer increases as your PSA level increases. If your PSA level is about 4 but below 10, you have about a one in four chance of having prostate cancer. But if your PSA level is above 10, your chances increase to around 50 percent, according to the American Cancer Society.

Here are a few reasons why men should consider being screened earlier for prostate cancer:
You Have a Family History. Like many other forms of cancer, prostate cancer tends to run in families. If you have a father or a brother with the disease, your chances of developing it are almost double. Actually, if you have a brother who developed prostate cancer, your chances are even higher than if your father had it. Your risks go up the more family members you have that had or have prostate cancer. If you have a family history of prostate cancer, you should definitely be getting tested early and regularly.

To Establish a Baseline. No matter what age you are, all men should get a PSA test. It’s important to establish a PSA “baseline,” so that you can, over time, monitor any changes in your PSA levels. Get tested even if you are below the age of 40 so you know what your normal PSA level is. Then doctors can use that for comparison in the future. Proactive blood testing like this can help you monitor your levels and possibly detect and treat disease before it’s too late.

For Continual Monitoring. Since the exact cause of prostate cancer is unknown, there are no current guidelines for preventing prostate cancer. You may be thinking, “If I can’t be proactive in preventing prostate cancer, what can I do?” The answer is simple; you need to keep an eye on the situation with regular testing. The probability of finding prostate cancer early is high because the disease usually progresses very slowly. If you are at a higher risk, start getting regular tests at the age of 40. If you are at a lower risk, start getting regular tests at the age of 50. Get tested every year after the age of 40 if you have more than one risk factor for prostate cancer or your PSA levels naturally sit a higher level.

Not only can prostate cancer be caught early, but it has amazing survival rates when you do catch it early. For those who catch the disease while it is still in the prostate, the five-year survival rate is 100 percent. Even if you catch the cancer after it has spread to the surrounding areas of the prostate — but before it spreads elsewhere — the five-year survival rate is still 100 percent. However, if the cancer isn’t caught until it travels to distant parts of the body beyond the prostate, the five-year survival rate drops to just 28 percent. So, if you’re above the age of 40 and have one or more risk factors, it’s important to get tested regularly to keep an eye out for the beginnings of prostate cancer.

Talk to our medical assistants at Any Lab Test Now about getting a PSA Test today! Now is the time to take control of your prostate health. If you wait, it could be too late.

Okay, Gentlemen. It is Time To Get Tested

This upcoming week, June 13th-19th, is nationally recognized as Men’s Health Week. Designated as a week-long opportunity to raise awareness on the responsibility men have to monitor their health, Any Lab Test Now® is challenging all of our male readers to begin to Take Control of Your Health® by learning exactly what kind of shape your current health is in and how you can start to improve it.

So, where do we fit in the picture? Our lab testing services include a wide range of men’s health specific tests. Whether you’re looking for a basic check-up or a more particular health issue test, we have what will meet your needs. Take a look at some of our men’s health-focused tests and see if there is one you could benefit from having.

Comprehensive Male Panel

This panel provides men with valuable knowledge that speaks to their overall health. After receiving this set of tests, a man will understand his current risk for:

• coronary heart disease

• stroke

• liver and kidney failure

• blood disorders

• prostate cancer

• thyroid conditions

Men’s Heart Health Panel

This panel will give a man a clear picture of his overall heart health. This panel will help identify a man’s risk for:

• cardiovascular heart disease

• low blood count and electrolyte levels

• kidneyand liver conditions

• cholesterol abnormalities

• diabetes

Continued Testosterone Replacement Therapy Panel

This panel is very helpful for men who are taking androgen/testosterone replacements. The results from this panel will give a man a clear understanding of how effective his treatments are and how they are affecting his entire body. If a man taking testosterone replacements has too much of the hormone in his body, he can be at risk of developing serious health issues including:

• prostate cancer

• blood clots

• stroke

• sleep apnea

The above three tests are just a few of the many men’s health related tests that we offer. Take a look at our full list of male-specific lab testing services and give your local Any Lab Test Now® a call today to learn more about how we can help you begin to Take Control of Your Health® during National Men’s Health Week.

Get To Know The Facts About PSA Testing

What do you know about Prostate Specific Antigen, PSA testing? Many argue over the necessity of the test. However, one thing is non-debatable: your health is important.

First, it is important to understand and become aware of what exactly PSA testing is. PSA, prostate specific antigen, is produced by a man’s prostate gland. When the test is conducted, it measures the level of PSA in his blood. If the levels are elevated, it is potentially a sign of prostate cancer.

In addition to prostate cancer, a large number of noncancerous conditions such as an enlarged prostate can be found by an elevated PSA blood level. Who should have a PSA test completed?

“Men over the age of 50 should talk to their doctor about their personal risk of developing prostate cancer and the benefits and risks of having a PSA test.”

Proactive blood testing can help you monitor your levels and possible detect and treat disease before it’s too late.  You might also want to consider a PSA test before the age of 50 to establish a baseline for future testing.

Let’s Talk Prostate Cancer

You’re the man and you are invincible! But just because you feel invincible doesn’t mean that you’re 100% healthy. There are numerous conditions that affect a man’s health and prostate cancer is one of them. Let’s say maybe you don’t know what your prostate is or what it does, you are definitely not alone: most men don’t! But it’s something you really should take the time to learn a little more about.

According to the Men’s Health Network, over 30 million men suffer from prostate conditions that affect their quality of life and not in a good way. The CDC reported that in 2009 206,640 men in the United States were diagnosed with prostate cancer and 28,088 men died from it. This specific type of cancer is dangerous for the simple fact that it can sneak up on you some times showing no symptoms until it is in its advanced stage. That is when establishing a baseline and having frequent screenings come in handy.

“So how do I know when and if I should get screened?” In order to figure out when to get screened you need to take into consideration one of the main risk factors which is age. Though many doctors will recommend you get screened around age 50, no matter what age you are, all men need a PSA Test to establish a PSA “baseline”. Establishing a baseline at a younger age can help you monitor any changes in your PSA levels, which can result in early detection. Other risks include family history (a man with a father, brother, or son who has had prostate cancer is two to three times more likely to develop the disease himself) and race (according to the CDC African Americans are more likely to develop prostate cancer and have more than twice the risk of dying from it than any other race).

Now that you know these risk factors you must be telling yourself “I am around that age and I fit the description of the other risk facts, now what?” The easiest way to get you started is by getting a PSA test. This test is one of the easiest ways to detect any prostate problems. The test looks for PSA, a substance that may be found in high amounts in men with prostate cancer. However, a high PSA level does not always mean that a man has prostate cancer. High levels can also indicate an enlarged or inflamed prostate. Making this test the best 3 for 1 punch for your prostate health! Is the question “where can I get this test?” popping into your health? ANY LAB TEST NOW® offers PSA lab testing along with additional lab testing options that help you Take Control of Your Health®. Additional lab testing options include the Comprehensive Male Panel.

September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month! Help create awareness about this disease by setting an example and getting screened. Make blue look cool, Take Control of Your Health® and check-in on your PSA levels today! To learn more about ANY LAB TEST NOW®’s lab testing options stop by a location  near you or visit www.anylabtestnow.com