Within this post there’s a great point. HOW does one go about getting meaningful checks ?
This! I fit into the typical category that’s been referenced as having experienced issues - ie, lots of years in endurance sports (20+), high volume (avg 15+ hrs/wk) and older-ish (late 40’s) but feel great with no outward signs of ill health. I recently moved and just got a new PCP and have my first visit with him next month - for just a routine physical. I’m assuming the physical and typical blood work will come up fine so is it suggested that there’s more that I could/should do?
**I’m picturing a conversation like this. **
Me: “Doc, I read on an internet forum where they say that high volume endurance athletes are susceptible to potential heart issues. Could you refer me to a cardiologist for a battery of expensive tests even though my physical and blood work are fine.”
Doc: “Don’t believe everything you read on the internet. You don’t need that. You’re in good health, pay attention to your body and if a physical issue arises, we’ll deal with it when it happens.”
P.S. Thank you so much for continuing to bring light to this issue. I think awareness is an excellent first step both in learning about how prevalent issues are and about how to proactively deal with them.
And THAT is the big issue with men’s health and why threads like this are so important. Do some conversations go like that above? Sure. But there are way way more that go the otherway and the doc is aware of this issue, interested in you and use their extensive knowledge to see the value. I’ve had both, but actually more of the latter. Best period of my healthcare life was when my GP was a triathlete herself and she was so proactive it was amazing. Understood the stresses we put our bodies through, advised when I needed to just back off as I was trying to do way too much at work and in tri training, but equally encouraged a wide range of tests when something still wasn’t right. She also balanced the cost benefits of my lifestyle in respect to reduced probability of diabetes, etc against running a fairly broad range of bloods once a year as a pro-active approach to get early indicators of my pushing too far, or to give a baseline for tests if I was unwell.
Going to a doctor who tells you there is nothing to worry about in not in the least bit uncomfortable, nor a waste of anyone’s time. And noting we prance around the street in spandex and regularly piss ourselves in rubber with 2000 mates this isn’t the time to go all shy.