When you think about advances in the field of medicine, your mind might understandably first go to the latest surgery techniques, upgrades in medical testing and diagnosis, and the newest drugs on the market to deal with symptoms and diseases. Each year, there are a number of discoveries and technologies that are important and take our skills toward fighting and curing illness and disease a step further.

But there is another area of health and research that is often overlooked in the fight for better health.

Preventative health research is the cutting edge of managing and hopefully eliminating some of the prevalent conditions known today. Because this research is most focused on making lifestyle changes to avoid or manage chronic health conditions, it sometimes falls below the radar, as new medical interventions and advanced devices and technologies often take the spotlight.
But as medical costs continue to skyrocket, as fewer medical professionals and appointments are available1, and as more people want to do their best to remain healthy, preventative health research becomes even more important.

Members of health shares like Altrua HealthShare make a commitment when joining the health share to take care of their health through lifestyle measures and to have consistent preventative care screenings, which are pap smear and mammography or breast ultrasound for females age 40 and above and a prostate cancer blood screening for males age 50 and above. Altrua HealthShare Members are required to have these tests on file every twenty-four months in order for eligible medical needs to be shared in, should issues in these health areas arise.

Current research shows even more ways to keep your health in tip top shape, which can help make your life, pocket book, and calendar even healthier in feeling your best and staying out of the hospital. Here’s what’s new in preventative health and how these findings can help you take charge of your health.

Go with Your Gut: The more we learn, the more we can’t deny. There’s a unique link between the health of your gut and your overall health. You may be seeing the phrase “gut biome” showing up in articles and information about your health. The gut biome is the bacteria that lives in your interstitial system. Scientists believe there are over 1,000 types of bacteria found in the gastrointestinal system. Many of these bacteria are helpful to the body, helping break down and process food and fight off infection and toxins. Good bacteria can even play a role in preventing heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.

Problems can crop up when bad forms of bacteria overwhelm good bacteria or when the ratios of bacteria are thrown off from antibiotic use or other issues. “What happens is, from birth onto death, our microbiome actually helps to shape our immune system,” says Dr. Shilpa Ravella, a gastroenterologist at Columbia University Medical Center. “This is important because we know today that inflammation is very relevant to our health. Low-level inflammation or chronic inflammation is tied to nearly all of our modern disorders. So when you have a gut microbiome that is in imbalance or dysbiosis, you tend to have more of this inflammation coursing through your body.”2

Fortunately, developing and maintaining a healthy gut biome is very much within your reach.
Fermented foods like yogurt, kimchi, or kombucha in your diet provide probiotics, a mainstay of good gut bacteria. You can also talk to your medical provider about adding probiotic supplements to your routine.

Personalized Medicine, Customized to You: It’s true: you are one of a kind. From your genetics to your life experiences to the stressors of your day-to-day, you have unique needs when it comes to your health. That’s why a personalized approach to your health is a big deal today and advancements in personalized medicine are growing.

Your wearable device that transmits your heart health, sleep, and activity levels, genetics testing that reveals your DNA makeup and predispositions for certain health conditions, it all helps your health provider customize with you the best approach for your optimal health.

“We truly now have the opportunity to reap the full potential of individualized medicine,” said Dr. Gianrico Farrugia, president and CEO of Mayo Clinic. “The road ahead must be focused on expanding our genomic tools and further integrating individualized medicine. We’ve only just begun to glimpse what is possible.”3 As personalized medicine becomes more and more customized, look for a primary health care provider who embraces these advances and works to make sure preventative care specific to your needs is a priority.

For Members of Altrua HealthShare on certain memberships, you can search for care providers on the Altrua HealthShare App, a convenient way to find a provider who is a good fit for your needs. The Altrua HealthShare is also a great way to find insights and data on your personal health, with options to sync data from your wearable devices to your Altrua HealthShare App. You can also add all your health care records to your Altrua HealthShare App for greater convenience.

Get Moving: Sure, you already know that getting exercise is an important part of your health journey. That’s not exactly new news. What is new is the research now showing what a powerful preventative consistent physical activity actually is. Getting in daily movement, even a simple walk through your neighborhood, can significantly reduce your risk of chronic disease and debilitating conditions. Additionally, research now also shows that movement improves your cognitive function, an important finding in the fight against dementia and Alzheimer. And your daily dose of exercise also pays big dividends in your emotional health, reducing stress and enhancing your mental outlook.

The Centers for Disease Control (the CDC) has released new research that shows that walking between 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day reduces the chance of premature death. For individuals age 60 and over, it takes even fewer steps to stave off premature death, just 6,000 to 8,000 steps a day.4 These findings show that simple movement has a big impact on the leading causes of premature death.

If you’re a Member of Altrua HealthShare on a membership that includes the Altrua HealthShare App, you can sign up for fitness challenges that can bring you motivation and rewards for your efforts. Call a friend and make a date to walk together once a week. Challenge yourself to life weights twice a week, with a promise to get yourself that book or those new jeans you’ve been wanting when you hit a certain goal. Staying consistent and motivated can help you keep movement as part of your overall lifestyle, not just a focus when you’ve got a wedding or reunion on the calendar.

Eating for a Lifetime: Protein, healthy fats, whole foods, veggies, fruit. It’s simple…and it’s a challenge in a culture in which all manner of processed foods, heavy carbs, and loads of sugar are readily available at every turn. And yet, what we eat has one of the biggest preventative impacts on our health. We can’t out-medicine or out-surgery what we’re eating.

Adequate protein intake is the latest hot topic in preventative health research. Even though we tend to be a culture today that is battling excess weight and highly processed foods, we tend to not have enough protein in our diets. The impact of making sure you’re getting enough protein can lead to better weight management, healthier bones, better muscle growth, increased metabolism, and faster healing when you’re injured.5

To learn more about how much protein you should aim for each day, check out this recent article from Altrua HealthShare. You can also work with your care provider to develop an eating strategy to optimize your health.

The newest advancements in preventative health are a combination of old truths and new technologies, exciting discoveries and a re -emphasis on healthy living habits like good quality sleep, solid relationships, and healthy eating. The easiest way to enjoy continued good health is to take care of the good health you have today.

(If you’re not yet a Member of Altrua HealthShare, an affordable, flexible, customizable approach to your healthcare needs, you can join now and your first month is free. You must enroll by March 31, 2025 for this offer. You can call a Member Services Representative at 1.888.244.3839 to learn more. Altrua HeathShare is NOT insurance; eligible medical needs are shared in from the Member Escrow. Review the Membership Guidelines for details about being part of the Membership. All Altrua HealthShare Members must agree to the Statement of Standards.)

1 https://www.ama-assn.org/press-center/press-releases/ama-president-sounds-alarm-national-physician-shortage
2 https://www.cbsnews.com/news/gut-microbiome-what-is-it-health-impact/#:~:text=One%20of%20the%20most%20important,very%20relevant%20to%20our%20health.
3 https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/weve-only-just-begun-to-glimpse-what-is-possible-and-more-thought-provoking-quotes-from-mayo-clinics-10th-annual-individualizing-medicine-conference/
4 https://www.cdc.gov/physical-activity-basics/benefits/index.html#:~:text=Taking%20more%20steps%20a%20day,to%208%2C000%20steps%20per%20day.
5 https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-reasons-to-eat-more-protein#TOC_TITLE_HDR_10