Pillar 3: Clinical Advocacy and Diagnostic Testing

Protecting your nutritional health requires active collaboration with healthcare providers who understand geriatric medicine.

Request an expanded nutritional blood panel during your annual physical rather than settling for standard metabolic testing.

Ask your primary care physician to assess your serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D, total B12, and methylmalonic acid levels.

Evaluating methylmalonic acid provides an exceptionally sensitive marker, detecting functional tissue-level B12 deficiencies that standard tests miss.

Review your medications with a doctor or pharmacist, as proton pump inhibitors and metformin frequently impair nutrient absorption.

Consulting a credentialed professional through the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics helps you customize a safe, effective nutritional strategy.