How to Measure Immune Balance Using Blood Testing

July 24, 2018

We launched the Blood Chemistry Calculator six months ago and have come to rely on it for our Elite Performance Program clients as an initial screening tool and measure of ongoing progress. With the input of 39 basic blood chemistry markers, the calculator uses a machine-learning algorithm to predict health status in 6 specific areas: immune balance, toxicity, metabolic health, nutrition, oxidative balance, and a general 5-year wellness score.

On this podcast, Tommy and I are talking specifically about the Immune Balance Score, the domain that forecasts immune system health and inflammation from 13 out of the 39 input markers and one forecasted value (CRP). Tommy discusses these markers in detail, citing research that supports using them to predict health outcomes. He also shares ideas for next steps to improve functioning in the area of immune balance.

You can now try some features of the Blood Chemistry Calculator for free by visiting bloodcalculator.com and clicking “Free Report”.

Here’s the outline of this interview with Tommy Wood:

[00:00:30] Florida Institute for Human & Machine Cognition (IHMC); Podcast: Optimal Diet and Movement for Healthspan, Amplified Intelligence and More with Ken Ford.

[00:00:49] Blood Chemistry Calculator.

[00:01:03] Peer Review.

[00:02:32] Immune Balance Score.

[00:04:00] Dashboard of Blood Chemistry Calculator scores (example).

[00:04:08] Predicted Age Score.

[00:05:12] Who is the calculator for?

[00:06:09] Building a health coach referral network.

[00:07:05] Podcast: How to Measure Hormones, with Mark Newman.

[00:08:31] Combining 2+ reports for longitudinal tracking.

[00:09:08] Markers that make up the Immune Balance Score.

[00:10:49] Sensitivity and specificity.

[00:13:40] All-cause mortality: dying from any cause.

[00:17:05] Evaluating scientific research: PubMed + Google.

[00:19:53] C-Reactive Protein (CRP) > 0.5 associated with 75% increase in all-cause mortality; Study: Li, Yunwei, et al. "Hs-CRP and all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality risk: a meta-analysis." Atherosclerosis 259 (2017): 75-82.

[00:21:10] Jeremy Powers; Podcast: National Cyclocross Champion Jeremy Powers on Racing, Training and the Ketogenic Diet.

[00:22:30] Dr. Bryan Walsh - Timing of blood testing for athletes.

[00:24:49] Albumin: less than 4 g/dL = increased risk of all-cause mortality; Studies: 1. Fulks, Michael, Robert L. Stout, and Vera F. Dolan. "Albumin and all-cause mortality risk in insurance applicants." J Insur Med 42.1 (2010): 11-17; 2. Proctor, Michael J., et al. "Systemic inflammation predicts all-cause mortality: a glasgow inflammation outcome study." PloS one 10.3 (2015): e0116206; 3. Lee, Won-Suk, et al. "Population Specific Biomarkers of Human Aging: A Big Data Study Using South Korean, Canadian, and Eastern European Patient Populations." (2018).

[00:27:25] Gamma Gap (globulins): > 3 g/dL = increase in all-cause mortality; Studies: 1. Juraschek, Stephen P., et al. "The gamma gap and all-cause mortality." PloS one 10.12 (2015): e0143494; 2. Yang, Ming, et al. "The gamma gap predicts 4-year all-cause mortality among nonagenarians and centenarians." Scientific reports 8.1 (2018): 1046.

[00:29:58] Table that shows reference ranges, scores assigned.

[00:30:39] Ferritin - iron overload vs. indicator of inflammation; >200 ng/mL = 50% increase risk of all-cause mortality; Study: Kadoglou, Nikolaos PE, et al. "The association of ferritin with cardiovascular and all-cause mortality in community-dwellers: The English longitudinal study of ageing." PloS one 12.6 (2017): e0178994.

[00:34:20] Iron overload podcast: Iron overload and the impact it can have on performance and health, with Dr. Tommy Wood; Blood donation.

[00:34:37] Podcast: Rethinking Positive Thinking, with Gabriele Oettingen.

[00:36:31] Hemoglobin - higher = more aerobic power; Lower = chronic inflammation or nutritional deficiency.  

[00:37:27] Hemoglobin has U-shaped curve - increased all-cause mortality if too low or too high. Optimal: from 14.5 g/dL (13 for women) + 1.5-2 g/dL; Study: Fulks, Michael, Vera F. Dolan, and Robert L. Stout. "Hemoglobin Screening Independently Predicts All-Cause Mortality." (2015): 75-80.

[00:39:02] Christopher Kelly’s combined report.

[00:39:18] Fasting blood glucose: >100 mg/dL = higher all-cause mortality. Study: Bjørnholt, JØRGEN V., et al. "Fasting blood glucose: an underestimated risk factor for cardiovascular death. Results from a 22-year follow-up of healthy nondiabetic men." Diabetes care 22.1 (1999): 45-49.

[00:40:57] Red Cell Distribution Width (RDW): ideal is below 12%; Study: Al-Kindi, Sadeer G., et al. "Red Cell Distribution Width Is Associated with All-Cause and Cardiovascular Mortality in Patients with Diabetes." BioMed research international 2017 (2017).

[00:41:17] White Blood Cells.

[00:41:28] Eosinophils >0.275 x10E3/uL= increased risk of 30-year all-cause mortality; Study: Hospers, Jeannette J., et al. "Eosinophilia is associated with increased all-cause mortality after a follow-up of 30 years in a general population sample." Epidemiology (2000): 261-268.

[00:42:21] Ratios between markers.

[00:43:20] Platelets - High is associated with increased risk of mortality after heart attack; Study: Tsai, Ming-Tsun, et al. "U-shaped mortality curve associated with platelet count among older people: a community-based cohort study." Blood 126.13 (2015): 1633-1635.

[00:43:39] Lymphocyte:Monocyte ratio; Study: Xiang, Fangfang, et al. "Monocyte/lymphocyte ratio as a better predictor of cardiovascular and all‐cause mortality in hemodialysis patients: A prospective cohort study." Hemodialysis International 22.1 (2018): 82-92.

[00:45:23] Where to go from here?  

[00:45:40] Acute vs. chronic inflammation.

[00:47:07] Antimicrobials: Monolaurin, Lauricidin, Selenomethionine; antibody testing.

[00:47:40] Malcolm Kendrick Podcast: Why Cholesterol Levels Have No Effect on Cardiovascular Disease (And Things to Think about Instead).

[00:48:51] bloodcalculator.com; Quest lab locator.

[00:49:11] UK: Fibrhealth.

[00:49:15] Australia: https://stephenanderson.com.au/nbt/; Podcast: How to Get Help and Feel Great in Australia Using Advanced Blood Interpretation, with Stephen Anderson.  

[00:49:38] support@nourishbalancethrive.com