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I recently had a physical exam.
Unlike with President Trump’s physical, there was no media coverage on what my doctor found, but I’m here to rectify that situation.
You’ll be pleased to know that my results were OK, given my age and love of red meats, cakes and cookies, but I certainly did not receive an excellent assessment, as was given the president.
For starters, my weight is not ideal. Also, I’ve lost an inch of height somewhere, my blood pressure blows up whenever I see a white coat, and I need to exercise more. My cholesterol readings are in the average range for a guy my age, more a factor of good genes (thanks, Mom and Dad!) than to my diet.
One thing missing from my report was an assessment of mental acuity, something the president requested, and on which his doctor said he performed “exceedingly well.”
My doctor didn’t order that particular test, and I didn’t request one at the time. But now I wonder, would I perform exceedingly well on such an assessment?
You, too, may be wondering how you would perform. Fortunately, there are several options available without the expense of going back to the doctor for a supplemental physical.
I found several free tests online that give you an idea of where you stand, cognitively speaking, and some other interesting health assessments as well. They’re not, of course, gospel, and you should always consult your doctor, but you know that already.
Mr. Trump was given a test known as the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. It asks you to perform tasks such as naming as many different fruits as you can within a minute, how many of five words you can remember after they are said to you and to identify images of a variety of objects hidden in a larger picture.
It’s free, but you have to register on the site, providing your name, email and work affiliation.
There’s another assessment out there called SAGE, a test from Ohio State University that says it’s useful in early detection of memory problems such as Alzheimer’s and dementia.
The basic assessment is, indeed, basic, and, as with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, you're asked to answer several simple questions:
- How many nickels are in 60 cents?
- Write down the names of 12 animals.
- What is today’s date? (with a prompt not to cheat)
If you feel like you’re not as sharp as you once were and your repartee has lost its wit, there’s a free app to check your mental speed through Psychology Today. The goal is to see how fast and accurate you are in assessing how various pictures, numbers and words are alike or different.
Psychology Today also offers a mental health assessment online that may give you insights on how such factors as panic attacks, traumatic events or sadness are impacting your life.
If you're concerned about heart health, there's the Check.Change.Control. calculator from the American Heart Association. You provide them with some basics like your blood pressure and cholesterol numbers, and the calculator will show you your risk factor on a number scale for a heart attack or stroke in the next decade of your life.
And finally, HCA Virginia offers an online assessment of your overall health that compares your actual age in years with your “real” age in terms of health, fitness and lifestyle. It's a fairly extensive checklist and it saves your answers so you can see how your self-assessment changes over time.
Top Docs Voting Deadline Approaches
Our annual Top Docs survey is underway, and winners will be announced in April. The survey is open to select health professionals in the metro area, who are asked which local care providers in various specialty areas they would visit themselves or recommend to family members. Email tharong [at] richmag [dot] com if you are a local medical professional who would like to participate in the survey.
The voting is online and continues through Jan. 31. Invitations were mailed to 3,700 licensed professionals and sent via email. We also asked for help in identifying candidates for several special honors categories: Best Physician's Assistant; Best Medical Imaging Tech; Best Occupational, Physical, Respiratory or Speech Therapist; Top Administrator; Best Pharmacy Tech; and Volunteer of the Year. Check out last year's winners.
CAPSULES
A roundup of the week’s health and medicine news
- An advanced digital X-ray imaging system is available at Southside Regional Medical Center in Petersburg. The equipment is part of an electrophysiology laboratory that opened in December and will provide detailed imaging for use in balloon angioplasty and other delicate procedures, according to a release.
- A study is underway at the Sarah Cannon Cancer Institute at HCA Johnston-Willis and Henrico Doctors' hospitals to determine the efficacy of giving a blood test to screen for genetic material from tumors simultaneously when a woman receives a regular mammogram. It’s part of a national study called STRIVE that is seeking to enroll 120,000 participants. The goal is to discover any potential breast cancer at the earliest possible stage, according to a release. Participants will give a blood sample and fill out a questionnaire as part of their screening mammogram, and will be followed for five years.
- The 10th anniversary of the A Celebration of the Power to Overcome fundraiser raised $120,397 for Sheltering Arms Hospitals and Physical Rehabilitation Centers. The event was held Nov. 15 at the Short Pump Hilton, and Katie Dupree, a meteorologist with television station WRIC Channel 8, served as emcee. Here are some of the images from the event:
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From left: Logan Shuping, Jessi Vaught, Christina Smith and Charisma Jamison (Photo courtesy Sheltering Arms)
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From left: John L. McElroy III, Cole Sydnor and Dr. David Cifu (Photo courtesy Sheltering Arms)
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From left: Tripp Dawdry, Mary Zweifel and Sulaimon Sulaimon (Photo courtesy Sheltering Arms)
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From left: Kelly Sydnor, Quint Sydnor and Anna Read Barth (Photo courtesy Sheltering Arms)
