The FDX Method
Functional Blood Chemistry Analysis
Functional Blood Chemistry Analysis can be defined as the process by which complex and comprehensive blood biomarkers are organized, analyzed and interpreted to provide a comprehensive assessment of the state and trends of the main body systems, the supporting body accessory systems, along with the status of nutrients and trends towards and away from clinical dysfunction.
The Ultimate Advanced Screening Tool For Modern Healthcare Practitioners
Blood has a lot to tell us about our state of health and the blood chemistry and CBC / hematology test is the most commonly ordered medical lab test worldwide. These blood tests are an integral part of Western clinical medicine and are used to aid in the diagnostic decision-making process.
Patients understand and are educated that blood testing is the norm for health assessment.
However, many, many people start to feel unwell long before a traditional blood test becomes diagnostic and more often than not, our patients are told by their physician that “everything on your blood test looks normal.”
What is the difference between a FunctionalDX blood test and a blood test from my doctor?
Blood has a lot to tell us about our state of health and the blood chemistry and CBC / hematology test is the most commonly ordered medical lab test worldwide. These blood tests are an integral part of Western clinical medicine and are used to aid in the diagnostic decision-making process.
Patients understand and are educated that blood testing is the norm for health assessment.
However, many, many people start to feel unwell long before a traditional blood test becomes diagnostic and more often than not, our patients are told by their physician that “everything on your blood test looks normal.”
Blood tests are an essential part of medicine, yet how many times have you been told by your doctor that your test results are ‘normal’ despite you feeling out of sorts?
Routine blood tests are generally carried out to look for problems, so if your blood chemistry results fall within ‘normal’ ranges you might not get any further in finding out what could be causing your symptoms.
The blood tests carried out by FunctionalDX differ from the traditional blood tests that your doctor might have referred you for in the past. Rather than using traditional reference ranges, FunctionalDX uses ‘functional’ ranges- which are often narrower and determine optimal values for health and wellbeing with the aim of preventing disease, or improving your symptoms if you have already been diagnosed.
This advanced form of testing can help to identify any hidden health trends at the time you start to feel unwell, often before you receive a diagnosis from a standard blood test. Rather than just searching for abnormal lab results, the FunctionalDX software uses its unique and powerful algorithms to assess over 80 different blood markers which reveal areas of functional deficiencies (or wellness) in all of the main systems of the body; from hormone function to immunity, heart health to bone health.
This helps to provide a clear and comprehensive understanding of your current health state and can pinpoint the likely root causes of your symptoms before they progress into a diagnosable condition. With this information, the relevant diet and lifestyle changes can be implemented as a preventative measure and get you feeling fit and well again.
The Functional Health Report uses highly sophisticated software to translate your blood results into clinically useful information. Any potential health and disease trends are identified, as well as your nutritional and immunity status. Our consultation will use this information in your Health Improvement Plan to discuss and tailor a bespoke diet and lifestyle plan, specific to your individual needs.
Your results will empower you to preventatively restore optimal health and well-being
"Normal" is not optimal
Most patients who feel “unwell” will come out “normal” on a blood test. Clinical experience suggests that these people are by no means “normal” and are a far cry from being functionally optimal. They may not yet have progressed to a known disease state, but they are what we call dys- functional, i.e. their physiological systems are no longer functioning properly, and they are starting to feel un-well.
The issue is not that the blood test is a poor diagnostic tool, far from it. The issue is that the ranges used on a traditional lab test are based on statistics and not on whether a certain value represents good health or optimal physiological function. The problem is that “normal” reference ranges usually represent “average” populations rather that the optimal level required to maintain good health. Most “normal” ranges are too broad to adequately detect health problems before they become pathology and are not useful for detecting the emergence of dysfunction.
THE FUNCTIONAL APPROACH
The functional approach to chem screen and CBC analysis is oriented around changes in physiology and not pathology. We use ranges that are based on optimal physiology and not the “normal” population. This results in a tighter “Functional Physiological Range”, which allows us to evaluate the area within the “Normal” range that indicates that something is not quite right in the physiological systems associated with this biomarker. This gives us the ability to detect patients with changes in physiological “function”. We can identify the factors that obstruct the patient from achieving optimal physiological, biochemical, and metabolic functioning in their body.
Another thing that separates the Functional Blood Chemistry Analysis from the Traditional approach is we are not simply looking at one individual biomarker at a time in a linear report of the data. Rather, we use trend analysis between the individual biomarkers to establish a client’s otherwise hidden trend towards or away from a functional health optimal.
THE FUNCTIONAL HEALTH REPORT
The Functional Health Report is the result of a detailed algorithmic analysis of your blood test results. Our analytical and interpretive software analyzes the blood test data for its hidden meaning and reveals the subtle, web-like patterns hidden within the numbers that signal the first stages of functional change in the body.
SUMMARY
In closing, Blood testing is no longer simply a part of disease or injury management. It’s a vital component of a comprehensive Functional Medicine work up and plays a vital role in uncovering hidden health trends, comprehensive health promotion and disease prevention.