High blood pressure is an indication of what’s going on inside your blood vessels. Rising pressure in the vessels stresses the lining of the arteries and the organs that these vessels feed.  It is a major modifiable risk factor for illnesses such as heart disease, stroke and kidney disease.  By the time we see high blood pressure readings and make a diagnosis of hypertension, lots of systems are already impacted to the degree that affects mortality. If present we want to treat this asap; but more importantly - catch it before it is a diagnosis.

Heart disease can take a number of forms. According to the British Heart Foundation, half the population will be affected by heart disease at some point. The aim is to delay the onset of heart disease until the later stages of life, and not feel its effects at younger ages, such as 50.

Most common risk assessment tools are based on population risk rather than individual risk, and people are not all the same! There are however tools available to personalise risk. Armed with information, it is possible to mitigate the progress and impacts of cardiovascular disease.

Test examples, advanced lipid panel including apo B, homocysteine, lp(a), Hs CRP

Type two diabetes is a disease related to impaired glucose metabolism and an elevation in insulin levels , known as hyperinsulinaemia. Before the persistent elevation of blood sugars; there are a  number of factors that indicate that there is a problem with glucose metabolism. Hyperinsulinemia means increasing amounts of ‘body made’ insulin is required to do the job that should be performed by a small amount - the result of this is that insulin levels remain consistently high. Eventually we see a reduction in insulin efficacy - this is called ‘insulin resistance.’ INsulin resistance underpins most chronic disease whether it be heart disease, strokes, some cancers and neurodegenerative diseases like dementia.

1 in 3 people in the UK  have ‘pre-diabetes’ with routine blood tests unlikely to pick up this prediabetic state.

Why is this important?

Hyperinsulinaemia and insulin resistance increase our risk of the chronic diseases that affect us the most.

The good news?

Both can be reversed, with nutrition, movement and addressing psychological triggers. Proactively address this problem and help to reverse it with Resilience Health.

Perhaps a diagram with hyperinsulinaemia in the middle with the diseases  coming from it: Something like this. If it looks crap I can change it to just circles , the colours etc. Or if it just doesn’t fit with the website, that’s ok too!

Tests Glucose, hba1c, trig:HDL ratio, insulin (london clinic only)

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The common broad symptoms of fatigue and fogginess  could be a thyroid disorder. In some cases the conversion of thyroxine (t4) into its active cousin (t3) is not efficiently occuring.  Most of this conversion happens in the liver, but also takes place in cells of the heart, muscle, gut, and nerves.

The usual test for thyroid function involves measuring TSH and t4. TSH is the molecule that is made by the brain to tell the thyroid gland to make thyroxine. Conventional and traditional testing, currently doesn’t look at t3, or the antibodies that can affect thyroid function.  

It is important to note that a thyroid disorder is often blamed for symptoms, but a whole systems approach is needed rather than isolated testing or, increasing common medications such as thyroxine.

If the gut is not doing well, or the muscles are not efficient at their work, then understanding why and addressing this, is more likely to alleviate symptoms.

Test examples TSH, free t4, free t3, thyroid antibodies

Hormone issues can encompass most common symptoms: fatigue, ‘tired and wired,’ sleep issues, problems with weight management, heavy periods, PMS, erectile dysfunction or skin issues. It’s important to understand, wellness is a unified display of our physical, emotional and spiritual selves. One test may help point directionally to a treatment which may improve symptoms, but often fixing one thing in isolation isn’t the answer.

At Resilience Health we have access to blood and urine testing beyond that most used in healthcare. We use science as a tool to form a plan specifically tailored for you.

Test examples - Sex hormones and their precursors eg oestradiol, progesterone, testosterone,  DHEA, LH, FSH

Dutch test for urinary hormone metabolites and cortisol

Increased fat mass is one of the biggest risk factors for all cause mortality and is one of the biggest indicators of a reduced health and lifespan. This is not to say we should not celebrate who we are and have compassion for ourselves  ALWAYS! The modern food environment is instrumental in keeping us hungry. This isn't about willpower!

The age old advice of eat less and move more is vague and unhelpful. When talking about weight loss it is more accurate to talk about is fat loss. The loss of lean tissue (muscle) must be protected against. The loss of muscle increases the risk of metabolic diseases like type 2 diabetes, frailty and early death.

Fat loss must be considered in the context of health! ‘Calorie counting’ or eating in a deficit using ANY food will result in weight loss, but also result in a loss of nutrients which protect muscles, bones and the cells that make hormones.

At Resilience Health we don’t think counting calories and feeling hungry all the time is the best way to impact change. We will help you find your way to losing fat,  maintaining or increasing muscle mass, and feeling satiated whilst eating nutrient dense meals.

Test examples:  Thyroid panel, liver health, advanced cholesterol testing, blood glucose monitoring, OAT (organic acids testing)

There is a relatively new, but rapidly expanding science that links gut health and gut microbiome to numerous illnesses. These range from mood issues, physical gut ailments like IBS, and well known gut diseases such as Crohns and Ulcerative Colitis. The gut may be causing issues without causing any typical symptoms such us bloating, diarrhoea or constipation. It can be the source of low grade inflammation that puts every system on alert.

Diagnoses like leaky gut and SIBO ( small intestine bacterial overgrowth), are now becoming recognised as real factors in poor health and symptomatology. We understand that this is an emerging area and not all the answers are available yet, but there certainly is more that can be done to diagnose and manage these conditions than first thought.

Test examples GI Effects Comprehensive Stool test , hsCRP,  h pylori,  OAT test