Positive Health is Beyond “Normal”
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Many people, after a certain age, undergo a preventing health checkup, mostly for monitoring physiological and biochemical parameters against their normal range. If the level of any parameter is outside its normal range, the person is advised to seek medical help because such a value is considered to indicate some kind of deficiency or disease. Thus, the primary purpose of such a checkup is to find whether an aberration in health is in offing or has set in so that the corrective steps can be undertaken. Despite the name ‘preventive health checkup’, no cognizance is generally taken whether the levels are healthy enough to prevent disease, protect health, or maintain health. We know that the primary focus of medical science is on therapeutics – detecting an ailment and to advice corrective measures, and very little attention is paid to identify the parameters and their levels that provide protection. The distinction is important and can be explained as follows.
Some people live long and remain healthy most of their life while others easily get sick and die young. Whereas factors such as genes, social interaction, stress, sleep, diet, exercise, and laughter are studied in this context, these are highly subjective and defy exact measurement. Can we identify measurable internal medical parameters that serve as a shield and protect our body from falling sick, or able to quickly set the body back to its healthy level if an ailment strikes or something like an injury or a psychosocial stress occurs?
Define positive health as the ability to live long in a healthy state. The parameters that indicate positive health are not too far to seek although not enough attention is paid. Positive health is beyond normal. Among the parameters that are assets, the one that immediately comes to mind is the immunity level. Among several immunological parameters, perhaps the most important determinants of immunity level are IgG and IgM. For neurological parameters, amidst many, examples of major parameters that can be used to assess positive health are P3 amplitude, and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Adequate levels of hormones such as serotonin, oxytocin, insulin, and endorphins have predominant role in determining positive health. Vitamins and minerals are well-known nutritional parameters that protect from diseases. Musculoskeletal parameters such as body mass index (BMI), bone mineral density (BMD), skeletal mass index, and handgrip strength can also be used as indicators of positive health. Similar parameters for circulatory system (hemoglobin, heart rate, and platelet count), respiratory system (spirometry and oxygen saturation), reproductive system (semen quality, follicle-stimulating hormone), and urinary system (glomerular filtration rate, blood urea nitrogen to creatinine ratio) can be targeted for achieving positive health. These are some examples that illustrate how positive health can be assessed.
Orientation of medical science to such a concept of positive health is currently missing but has potential to initiate a discussion on its indicators, to characterize the parameters for intervention, identify the data gaps, and help develop a new approach for achieving better health. For details, see http://www.sciencepublishinggroup.com/journal/paperinfo?journalid=252&doi=10.11648/j.ajim.20210904.12
[email protected]
Many people, after a certain age, undergo a preventing health checkup, mostly for monitoring physiological and biochemical parameters against their normal range. If the level of any parameter is outside its normal range, the person is advised to seek medical help because such a value is considered to indicate some kind of deficiency or disease. Thus, the primary purpose of such a checkup is to find whether an aberration in health is in offing or has set in so that the corrective steps can be undertaken. Despite the name ‘preventive health checkup’, no cognizance is generally taken whether the levels are healthy enough to prevent disease, protect health, or maintain health. We know that the primary focus of medical science is on therapeutics – detecting an ailment and to advice corrective measures, and very little attention is paid to identify the parameters and their levels that provide protection. The distinction is important and can be explained as follows.
Some people live long and remain healthy most of their life while others easily get sick and die young. Whereas factors such as genes, social interaction, stress, sleep, diet, exercise, and laughter are studied in this context, these are highly subjective and defy exact measurement. Can we identify measurable internal medical parameters that serve as a shield and protect our body from falling sick, or able to quickly set the body back to its healthy level if an ailment strikes or something like an injury or a psychosocial stress occurs?
Define positive health as the ability to live long in a healthy state. The parameters that indicate positive health are not too far to seek although not enough attention is paid. Positive health is beyond normal. Among the parameters that are assets, the one that immediately comes to mind is the immunity level. Among several immunological parameters, perhaps the most important determinants of immunity level are IgG and IgM. For neurological parameters, amidst many, examples of major parameters that can be used to assess positive health are P3 amplitude, and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Adequate levels of hormones such as serotonin, oxytocin, insulin, and endorphins have predominant role in determining positive health. Vitamins and minerals are well-known nutritional parameters that protect from diseases. Musculoskeletal parameters such as body mass index (BMI), bone mineral density (BMD), skeletal mass index, and handgrip strength can also be used as indicators of positive health. Similar parameters for circulatory system (hemoglobin, heart rate, and platelet count), respiratory system (spirometry and oxygen saturation), reproductive system (semen quality, follicle-stimulating hormone), and urinary system (glomerular filtration rate, blood urea nitrogen to creatinine ratio) can be targeted for achieving positive health. These are some examples that illustrate how positive health can be assessed.
Orientation of medical science to such a concept of positive health is currently missing but has potential to initiate a discussion on its indicators, to characterize the parameters for intervention, identify the data gaps, and help develop a new approach for achieving better health. For details, see http://www.sciencepublishinggroup.com/journal/paperinfo?journalid=252&doi=10.11648/j.ajim.20210904.12
