Current:Home > InvestI got 14 medical tests done at this fancy resort. I didn't need most of them. -GlobalInvest
I got 14 medical tests done at this fancy resort. I didn't need most of them.
View
Date:2025-04-16 01:08:27
TUCSON, Ariz. – You know the drill. You go to the doctor's office for your annual physical. Everything looks OK, but they recommend some routine bloodwork to check a couple of things to be safe.
Imagine doing that – plus more than a dozen other tests – and you'll understand what I experienced at Canyon Ranch, a wellness resort offering a new longevity program called "Longevity8" with eight health pillars: integrative medicine, mental and emotional health, strength and endurance, sleep, flexibility and fitness, spiritual wellness, nutrition and outdoor experiences. It will cost a pricey $20,000 for single people and $36,000 for couples.
Here's a look at all the tests I had done as part of the program – and what outside medical professionals actually thought was worth it.
- Extensive bloodwork (beyond what a doctor would typically prescribe)
- Galleri cancer screening
- EKG
- Carotid doppler
- Pulmonary function test
- Diet intake and consultation
- Continuous glucose monitoring
- Therapy session
- Spirituality session
- Joint assessment
- DEXA body composition and bone density analysis
- Genetic testing
- VO2 max assessment
- Sleep study
What is the average life expectancy?And how to improve your longevity.
What medical tests does the average person need? Not many.
Overall, outside medical experts I spoke to thought most of the testing I had done was highly specialized and unnecessary for the average person. Multiple doctors recommended people check out the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force for guidance on any kind of preventive care.
Looking at the Canyon Ranch protocol specifically: The most reasonable tests were the bloodwork and diet intake and consultation, according to Dr. Douglas E. Vaughan, professor of medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and the director of the Potocsnak Longevity Institute. Specific patient populations might benefit from specialized tests, like the DEXA body composition (i.e. women after menopause who typically lose bone density). Certain symptoms might prompt some of these assessments as well. Asthmatic patients, for example, might want a pulmonary function test after chatting with their doctor.
The VO2 max assessment is "usually performed for athletes or individuals interested in cardiovascular fitness," says Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, associate professor of medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. "Not standard for routine screening." Ditto for the continuous glucose monitoring: It's "primarily used for individuals with diabetes or prediabetes to manage and monitor glucose levels."
The short answer: No need to break the bank, and if you want to do some additional testing, blood work is probably your best bet. Still, if you'd like to take it a step further, you can easily find specialty facilities and doctors who will be happy to take your check.
The reporter on this story received access to these services from Canyon Ranch. USA TODAY maintains editorial control of content.
veryGood! (6653)
Related
- Bodycam footage shows high
- Man pleads guilty to Michigan killing that stoked anti-immigrant campaign rhetoric
- Mick Jagger's girlfriend Melanie Hamrick doesn't 'think about' their 44-year age gap
- St. Johnsbury police officer pleads not guilty to aggravated assault
- Mets have visions of grandeur, and a dynasty, with Juan Soto as major catalyst
- There are 5 executions set over a week’s span in the US. That’s the most in decades
- Online overseas ballots for Montana voters briefly didn’t include Harris as a candidate
- The NYPD often shows leniency to officers involved in illegal stop and frisks, report finds
- The Super Bowl could end in a 'three
- Damar Hamlin gets first career interception in Bills' MNF game vs. Jaguars
Ranking
- Nearly half of US teens are online ‘constantly,’ Pew report finds
- New Lululemon We Made Too Much Drop Has Arrived—Score $49 Align Leggings, $29 Bodysuits & More Under $99
- You can't control how Social Security is calculated, but you can boost your benefits
- Feds bust Connecticut dealers accused of selling counterfeit pills throughout the US
- North Carolina trustees approve Bill Belichick’s deal ahead of introductory news conference
- Police: Father arrested in shooting at Kansas elementary school after child drop off
- When does 'The Masked Singer' Season 12 start? Premiere date, time, where to watch and stream
- Review: Zachary Quinto medical drama 'Brilliant Minds' is just mind-numbing
Recommendation
Kylie Jenner Shows Off Sweet Notes From Nieces Dream Kardashian & Chicago West
As he welcomes Gotham FC, Biden says “a woman can do anything a man can do,” including be president
Review: Zachary Quinto medical drama 'Brilliant Minds' is just mind-numbing
Man serving life for Alabama murder also sentenced in Wisconsin killing
In ‘Nickel Boys,’ striving for a new way to see
Coach accused of offering $5,000 to buy children from parents, refusing to return kids
Colorado men tortured their housemate for 14 hours, police say
3 Tufts men’s lacrosse players remain hospitalized with rare muscle injury