Our Personal Health

Personal In-Home Gathered Statistics - 6/1/10

The parameters in the table above are ones that every serious life-extensionist should be measuring on at least a monthly basis (except for height and frame size), keeping a record for his/her own review and available when consulting health care providers. The information on equipment we use, given below, is provided for the purpose of completeness. To depend only on blood tests even every 6 to 8 months is unwise if one wants to truly be cognizant of changes in one's health.

Specific Notes for above statistics:

* As measured first thing upon awakening (basal) using a Tanita Duo Body Fat Monitor/Scale Model TBF-622 in the athlete mode. We have been using only the athlete mode because the literature states that it is appropriate for those who exercise regularly and have a resting pulse below 60. An approximate 6% point difference exists between the adult "standard" and "athlete" modes due to the regression method formula difference used in the bioelectrical impedance analysis programing, described at the Tanita website. (When we were eating 1 meal every day, later in the day when Paul was more hydrated, he registered an error for fat % in the athlete mode - which means that it is essentially too low to measure! Now with our fast every 3rd day, he often measures error for fat% with early morning measurement.) We suspect that the formula does not take into account the body makeup of someone on calorie restriction. Interestingly, the company does not recommend the monitor for body builders or professional athletes, who will presumably show incorrect body fat % measurement. We suggested by e-mail to Tanita, soon after buying the scale, that they review their formulas for those with extremely low body fat through calorie restriction. In the meantime, we have continued to monitor ourselves primarily for comparison purposes over time and have included for Paul, starting in October 2008, a non-athlete mode fat percentage measurement for information.
The 6 day weight range is provided to show the variation that does exist with our eating arrangement; the low occurs on the morning of our first eating day.

** As of 6/2/09 in Ontario: as measured upon awakening before any activity using an Omron Blood Pressure Monitor Model HEM-431CAN purchased in Wal-Mart; using ReliOn Manual Inflation Blood Pressure Monitor model HEM-412CREL while in AZ also purchased at Wal-Mart.
Prior to 10/1/08 in Ontario (when approximately 13 year old equipment was malfunctiong for both of us & pulse taken manually) as measured upon awakening before any activity using an AND Medical Digital Blood Pressure Monitor model UA-702. Kitty's upper left arm circumfrence is just below the minimum of 22cm and often results in unobtainable blood pressure measurement. Since 6/2/09 her measurements are always taken on her right arm; we continue to search for a source of a cuff for small arms that can be used with our existing equipment.

*** In January 2010, after comparing online numerous blood glucose meters for accuracy and cost (including strips), WalMart's Reli-On was purchased locally in Arizona. Calibration with LabCorp venous blood sample (serum as compared to fingerstick whole blood) will be done with next multi-test blood draw in late March or early April.
From mid-2008 to late July 2009, measurements were with Accu-Chek Advantage Blood Glucose Monitor. Having depleted these strips, measurements in Sept 2009 were with (expired) SideKick, which were used for most of 2007 and the beginning of 2008 - the SideKick All-in-One Blood Glucose Testing System (disposable meter with 50 strips) available online at American Diabetes Wholesale at a price comparable to other systems when also considering the strips. In the past we exclusively used an Accu-Chek Advantage Blood Glucose Monitor carried by most pharmacies and many online websites, including this one for Accu-Chek itself.
HISTORICAL NOTE 3/7/09: Accuracy of the SideKick, or at least those we purchased, is in question and also even Accu-Check Advantage. LabCorp results for fasting blood glucose on 7/19/07 were 75 and 64 mg/dL for Paul and Kitty, respectively; additional measurements of 70, 78, and 85mg/dL for Paul on 11/30/07, 1/7/08 and 2/18/08, respectively. Kitty's LabCorp result for 12/5/07 is 84 mg/dL. Interestingly, venous blood for Kitty tested 1/27/09 on Accu-Chek meter measured 74 (LabCorp result = 74) while fingerstick result was 87. Additionally on 7/29/09, LabCorp result for Paul was 87 while Accumeter on venous blood was 95 and SideKick fingerstick was 102; for Kitty the LabCorp result was 85 while Accumeter on venous blood was 102 and SideKick fingerstick was 108.

Begininning with the October 2008 reported results, these are at the end of our 40 hour fast (unless otherwise stated), which comes just prior to our meal (before pre-meal pills). Exercise-related measurements are taken during the day while still fasting (except for water and tea) and sometimes post-prandial (after our meal).

^ As measured using wrist measurement per the instructions at MedlinePlus Health Info - Height and Weight.

^^ Exercise - Blood pressure and pulse are taken with same equipment as described for Note **.

"Stair/Step Climbing":

• In Arizona - on our staircase from ground level to finished basement and consists of 14 steps to the landing (a turn and 2 more to the floor are not typically used). For Kitty this is done 2 steps at a time without any rest between roundtrips (RT). Since mid-February 2010 Paul's roundtrips have been single steps because he carries 30 pounds distributed evenly between 2 packs, one worn in the front and the other on the back. Additionally he wears 4 pounds on each wrist. This is part of a 2 hours per day regimen of weight bearing "exercise", the remaining time while performing standing/moving daily activities in the house and outside.
• In Ontario - the location is our outdoor natural steps and also our neighbor Susan's steps, when she or her family is not present; when this latter occurs more roundtrips are made on our own steps. The rise of some of our steps are short enough to enable double steps and all the wooden steps on Susan's longer climb are also suitable for taking them double on the upward climb. Some yard excursion at the top and bottom of our steps at a brisk pace is included. Paul adds upper body work by way of log carrying, sawing and chopping on many days as the need for and opportunity for such tasks are present. See photos.

"Ontario Outdoor Exercise" being used for these measurements, other than steps described above, is varied:

• Hiking along dirt roads, rough paths, and cross country in woods of various duration often combined with berry or mushroom picking (much bending, stretching and squatting); includes a fast walk for the last 1/2 mile.
• A 3.4 miles fast walk/jog over winding moderately hilly (some quite steep) dirt road around the lake on which our cottage is located. Conversation, while not constant during this exercise, is done without effort except on the steepest longest hill. Photos of this "course"

"Arizona Outside Exercise" being used for these measurements is one of two types. A short one is just under 2.5 miles paved street and some dirt road in the immediate neighborhood, done at a fast walk interspersed with runs. The longer is estimated at ~4.2 miles, relatively flat uneven terrain, done as a fast walk/jog. The latter is the "course" shown in these photos was done without any pauses for trash picking or nature observing. Conversation, however, while not constant during this exercise is done without effort. On 2/1/05 the time for completion was 57 minutes, without pauses for garbage pick-up. Blood pressure and pulse are taken with same equipment as described for Note **.

"High energy dance" exercise being used is at least for the period of time stated non-stop energetic dancing with much whole body movement at public venue to house or trance music in Arizona unless otherwise stated. Typically at Switch Wednesdays when blood pressure and pulse are taken in our car - about 5 min walk - prior to and after leaving with same equipment as described for Note **. Secondary post measurements are taken after period of time driving home, usually at a late night errand stop. (We do our weekly grocery shopping on Wednesdays prior to dancing; 2 stores sometimes on the list are open 24 hours.)

"High energy home dancing/exercise" being used for these measurements is a 45 to 60 minute non-stop combination of energetic dance and full body exercise moves to streaming audio on the Eurodance, Trance or Hard Dance channels available from DI.fm. In Arizona this takes place in our large finished basement that has mirrors on 2 walls providing an opportunity to check our body technique. (Explanation with a few photos) Blood pressure and pulse are taken with same equipment as described for Note **.

Our lower BP post exercise than pre-exercise shows that our arteries are still dilated.
An interesting difference between us is that Paul's post-exercise glucose is elevated, likely because he has little stored muscle glycogen and his liver is into heavy gluconeogenesis (turning amino acids into glucose in order to transport it through his blood to his muscles), whereas Kitty's post-exercise blood glucose is often decreased which likely indicates that at those times her muscles are still operating on stored glycogen. Unfortunately, this last may also mean that she is not yet recycling proteins at a high rate.

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