Discussion of a Functional Reference Range v.s. a Pathological Reference Range
Dr. E. M. Olkkola
To more clearly understand your blood chemistry markers, realize there are 2 main types of reference ranges in healthcare: a pathological range and a functional range.
The pathological range is used to diagnose disease.
The functional range is used to assess risk for disease before disease develops.
The reference ranges that are provided with your blood chemistries are the pathological range. If these test results are out of that range it usually indicates potential for pathology and disease.
Conventional medical training is concerned with the diagnosis of disease and less inclined or trained to incorporate preventive, evidenced-based wellness strategies; therefore patients are usually not informed of the parameters of the functional range.
If biomarkers can be managed functionally before they fall into the pathological range, less dangerous, more vital protocols can be prescribed.
When lab results fall outside the functional range, and not yet into possible disease ranges; uniquely tailored nutritional, lifestyle and dietary protocols may predictably improve outcomes.
Many traditional healthcare providers do not embrace the concept of a functional range. Healthcare should only be provided if disease is present. This view is generally arrived at through conventional medical education.
*July 26, 2000- Journal of the American Medical Association
Iatrogenic (medically caused) interventions are the third largest cause of death, in the US.
Published in JAMA, which is the most widely circulated medical periodical in the world. The author is Dr. Barbara Starfield of the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health and she describes how the US health care system may contribute to poor health.
The rapidly increasing scientific knowledge underlying the process of chronic disease and health are not being appreciated by the majority of mainstream pharmaceutically oriented practitioners and outcomes of current standards of practice has been lacking.
The physiological mechanisms of disease and aging are being understood with greater depth and detail every year.
Functional ranges have been determined by applying the enhanced scientific understandings of the biochemical processes necessary for healthy function and interfacing this science clinically to the patient through lifestyle modulations that may improve blood chemistry markers to more ideal ranges. Also the American Association of Clinical Chemists has contributed to the integrity of functional ranges.
Maintaining bio-markers within functional ranges may well improve ones health-span and state of well being. Blood chemistry is based on looking for patterns and assessing probabilities.