An ounce of prevention: disease screenings for better health

Most people are aware that smoking, drinking, and not eating right can lead to health problems. Cancer is one of them. Globally, cancer accounts for about one in every six deaths. Risk factors range from lifestyle choices to genetics.

Diabetes is another major killer, accounting directly for over one and a half million deaths in 2016. Plus, the disease can lead to hyperglycemia (elevated blood sugar), which impacts the nervous and circulatory systems by damaging nerves and blood vessels. In 2012, hyperglycemia was implicated in another two and a quarter million deaths.

With treatment, cancer and diabetes can go into remission. But cancer therapy is a lengthy and painful process. The body never fully recovers and relapses cannot be ruled out. Diabetes can be prevented with early intervention in some cases. The best bet, however, is to head off cancer and diabetes before they happen through early detection and by making lifestyle choices that reduce one’s risk.

What if doctors had a means of accurately assessing their patients’ risk of cancer, stroke and heart-attack, or diabetes? Could that enhance early detection? Interestingly, our researchers found that the balance of amino acids in the blood changes in response to a person’s health. This insight led to the development of AminoIndex® Risk Screening (AIRS®). The test analyzes blood concentrations of amino acids to effectively screen for stomach, lung, colorectal, pancreatic, and prostate cancer in men, and stomach, lung, colorectal, pancreatic, breast and uterine/ovarian cancer in women. It can even assess the risk of diabetes within four years, and of stroke and heart-attack within ten years, thereby covering the three major noncommunicable diseases. AIRS® requires just a five-milliliter blood sample, making it easy for patients and doctors alike.

Advanced screening tools and regular health checkups for young and old alike reduce the risk of serious health problems and continue to prove that an ounce of prevention truly is worth a pound of cure.

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