#141 | Your Blood Test Results May Vary | Austin Baraki MD

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"In science and engineering, convention dictates that unless a margin of error is explicitly stated, the number of significant figures used in the presentation of data should be limited to what is warranted by the precision of those data."

Why don't I see error bars on my blood test results...?

We love to say that what is measured, improves. It is a fine idea that applies to many walks of life including athletic performance. Starting with Inside Tracker in 2009, an industry has emerged to help wise athletes and longevity seekers alike to measure, track changes over time, and even optimize lifestyle behaviors, supplements and pharmaceuticals to target “low all cause mortality” levels for blood based bio markers. And since the human body relies on many organs and biological processes to survive and thrive, scientists have developed biological age calculators that combine a set of the actual vs optimal blood markers to assess overall health status relative to “normal” to calculate a biological age or rate of aging. In longevity circles, a biological age lower than chronological age is a badge of honor. And it’s a booming business.

But just how accurate are these blood tests that all of this science and my own blood test results are based on? It’s a question that has been haunting my thoughts over the last year as I have aggressively measured my blood markers and calculated my biological age every 3 months in an effort to fine tune my longevity interventions.

So, today on episode 141 I am joined by Dr Austin Baraki who argues that blood testing is an important but challenging area of medicine. He argues that people should not put too much faith in imprecise technology measuring indirect markers of biological function. False precision can lead to over confidence, and distract people from the lifestyle improvements that would really make a difference. And he also shares his tips on reducing the variability and error in your own blood test results.

British Medical Journal: your results may vary: the imprecision of medical measurements (20 February 2020)

Dr Austin Baraki Bio

Dr. Austin Baraki is a practicing Internal Medicine Physician, competitive lifter, and strength coach located in San Antonio, Texas. Originally from Virginia Beach, Virginia, he completed his undergraduate degree in Chemistry at the College of William & Mary, his doctorate in medicine at Eastern Virginia Medical School, and Internal Medicine Residency at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio.

After a 15 year career as a competitive swimmer through the collegiate level, he discovered the barbell and began training for strength and competitive powerlifting. He also coaches individuals ranging from beginners of all ages to national and internationally competitive athletes.

His interests include the application of strength training in the context of complex medical conditions, sarcopenia, pain neuroscience & rehabilitation, as well as cognitive and sport psychology.

Related Episodes

• Episode 35 Inside Tracker

More Dr Baraki info:

• barbellmedicine.com
• Dr Baraki Article: Where-should-my-priorities-be-to-improve-my-health/

Your Results May Vary website...see if your blood test result variations are significant (click photo)

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