Hair mineral analysis

[mellivora]

Reliability on Intra-Laboratory and Inter-Laboratory Data of Hair Mineral Analysis Comparing with Blood Analysis

There has been a lot of discussion on NSF referring to hair mineral analysis. Here's a post I wrote there with a link to  a recent (2013) Korean study that looked at variations in hair testing results at 3 different labs.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3582931/#__ffn_sectitle

One of its conclusions is that the interpretation of hair mineral analysis results is challenging because there do not seem to be  well established, standardised 'normal' reference ranges for the tests. The ranges vary from lab to lab and so do the interpretations of results.

(Of course sometimes we run into trouble with the more established normal ranges for blood tests too. I once had a cortisol test where my cortisol was at the very top of the 'normal' range. The doctor was adamant that my cortisol was therefore normal. But a change of less than half of one per cent would have put me out of normal range and I wonder what the doctor's conclusion would have been then! Personally, I think that my result at least warranted further investigation...)

[Daveman]

I'm an engineer, and there are bad engineers too.

It really does seem though that some professions must be more heavily controlled. I understand that there are algorithms and procedures that say that "normal ranges" are normal ranges for a reason, but they always need to be taken in context, based on other measurements AND patients' description of their problem.

the focus is so much on "business". "If I turn 5 patients in an hour I make 20% more. If I can sell a certain medicine, I make a comission, if I can convince the patient to operate, I gain much more in fees. They probably don't  even know they are doing it, it is all so normal in the industry.

As with so many other professions, the good ones are part of the top 20%.... it really should be the other way around, especially when it comes to health and welfare.

Unfortunately the WEB services and quick analysis services (Blood/hair/DNA) that were probably created as a result of the deficiency in response by doctors to do these things for us, falls basically into the same trap. They are fast turn businesses, and don't REALLY care about the patient. They just see an opportunity.

The funny thing is, that we want to believe that health care-givers really care about us.

(Sigh)

[Stef]

I'm an engineer, and there are bad engineers too.

It really does seem though that some professions must be more heavily controlled. I understand that there are algorithms and procedures that say that "normal ranges" are normal ranges for a reason, but they always need to be taken in context, based on other measurements AND patients' description of their problem.

the focus is so much on "business". "If I turn 5 patients in an hour I make 20% more. If I can sell a certain medicine, I make a comission, if I can convince the patient to operate, I gain much more in fees. They probably don't  even know they are doing it, it is all so normal in the industry.

As with so many other professions, the good ones are part of the top 20%.... it really should be the other way around, especially when it comes to health and welfare.

Unfortunately the WEB services and quick analysis services (Blood/hair/DNA) that were probably created as a result of the deficiency in response by doctors to do these things for us, falls basically into the same trap. They are fast turn businesses, and don't REALLY care about the patient. They just see an opportunity.

The funny thing is, that we want to believe that health care-givers really care about us.

(Sigh)

Hi Daveman!

There are definitely a few rotten apples in the health care barrel.

But from my perspective at NORD -- when it comes to rare disorders -- rare disease specialists really, seriously, genuinely and passionately care about patients.  It's absolutely not about the money (although money to fund studies is extremely important to them).

There are probably some exceptions, but in fact, I cannot recall ever speaking with or being in contact with a rare disease specialist who didn't care about the patient, first and foremost --

http://blog.rarediseases.org/rare-disease-researchers-they-really-do-care/

Stef