Richard Lord - Individual CRonie Metametrix Test Report Session
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In this session, Dr. Lord shared discussed with individual CRonie results
on the blood/urine tests he conducted on 11 of us as part of the human CR
study we've been involved in.

The session was open to the public, but I'm not sure everyone whose data
was discussed would want to have their test result publicized. So I'm
reporting below some apparent trends in us CRonies, as well some
idiosyncracies from my own test.

Test subject: Dean Pomerleau

Elevated Lp(a) - 60 (reference is < 37). Lp(a) is cardiovascular risk factors.
May be modifiable via cholesterol lowering drugs or niacin. If everything else
looks good, it is hard to say what it means. Lp(b) may be important. May be
ratio of Lp(a) and Lp(b)

C reactive protein - very low - good - typical of other CRonies.

Ferittin - low normal - Pretty good - anemia basically gone. Looks like other CRonies.

Insulin - low - Probably good. Typical of other CRonies.

Testosterone - low - Probably good. Typical of other CRonies.

Essential Amino Acids:
o     Arginine low - In general population, this is not good - cardiac risk
factor. But he doesnt think it is bad. Hell be measuring ADMA to counteract
low arginine, which will produce adequate nitrous oxide. But this was seen 
in virtually all the CRonies he tested. No explanation, except that it may 
be a marker of higher protein turnover.

o     Amino acids borderline across the board. Pretty typical of other CRonies 
tested. These limits arent necessarily appropriate. These lower limits are 
conservative (being a bit on the low side probably ok). Most CRonies were 
in this range (slightly low or low normal). May reflect higher protein 
turnover rate.

Homocysteine - 6 - not bad. Several CRonies tested had relatively high levels 
of Homocysteine.

Trace elements - slightly low (in lower 20% of population) - not so bad. Most 
CRonies were in this ballpark also.

Lipid Peroxides (TBARS) and dna repair/"damage" marker (8-hydroxy-2- deoxyguanosine) 
- Both Elevated. Seen in nearly all CRonies tested. No good explanation. TBARS 
not a great test marker. In normal population, this would definitely suggest 
oxidative stress. [My discussion w/ Dr. Lord about it: This *could* actually 
reflect increased DNA repair - perhaps we're just more "vigilant" about fixing 
damaged DNA. This idea is somewhat corroborated by Luigi Fontana's test showing 
lymphocytes cultured in our plasma do more apopotosis - suggesting more vigilant 
damage detection and remediation. Even more speculatively (in speaking w/ Michael 
Rae after conference) in accordance with Aubrey De Grey's theory, these markers 
*could* (stress ***could***) be a result of increase export of electrons outside 
the cell via PMOR (and therefore less remaining inside to damage the all important
mitochondria). The exported electrons *could* cause extra ROS formation in the 
blood, and result in the oxidative stress markers observed in our blood. *Very* 
speculative).

Further possible speculation in my case on these elevated oxidative stress markers. 
See below, but he thinks there may be a war going on in my gut, and the guts of a 
number of other CRonies, with us pitted against Yeast and/or Bacteria. This 
*could* result in increased oxidative stress.

For other CRonies (but not me, see below), he speculated that their high level 
of long-chain omega-3's may explain high oxidative stress markers - too much 
fatty fish / fish oil.

Fatty acids - ALA high normal, DHA low, EPA borderline low. This is as expected, 
since I supplement w/ flax oil (3g/day), and very little long chain omega-3s.  
A number of other CRonies were much higher in long-chain omega-3s (DHA/EPA) 
- particularly those eating fatty fish / fish oil. Again, too much of these may 
not be so good - due to oxidative stress.

Mercury - Mine was good (low) but I believe every other CRonie who reported 
consuming much fish oil or fish at all (not just fatty fish, but low fat species 
like cod, orange roughy and low fat tuna) had high mercury levels. What is 
interesting about my low level, is that I had been eating lean fish once daily 
up until about 4.5 months prior to the test, when I became a vegan and cut out 
fish entirely. One other CRonie, with a diet nearly identical to mine at the 
time of testing, with the exception of he was still eating lean fish, had a 
high serum mercury level.  This, coupled with the oxidative stress markers, 
could be a significant issue for CRonies eating fish/fish oil...  Selenium may 
reduce mercury's impact, but it still is not good stuff to have in your system. 
And once it gets into tissue (not just serum, where it disappears quickly as 
my tests suggest), it can take a long time to flush out.

D-Arabinitol - high - marker for overgrowth of yeast in gut. Actively 
proliferating yeast in my digestive system. Most of the other CRonies 
appeared to exhibit excessive yeast and/or bacteria activity in the gut. They 
may be absorbing or blocking our absorption of calories, vitamins 
(particularly antioxidants, minerals, amino acids, creating toxins (stressing 
liver and kidney).  He said if he saw my numbers for a patient in a hospital, 
he would be *seriously* concerned, as it is typically a sign the patient has 
picked up a nasty gut yeast infestation, that can lead to nasty consequences. 
But I appear to him to be quite healthy, and have probably been living with 
whatever it is in my gut for quite some time...

He thinks the excess level of gut bacteria in my case may be in large part 
due to my consumption of sprouts (which *could* have yeast growth, although 
I cut off the roots where this might be an issue), kefir grains (which have 
probiotic yeast/bacteria) and/or my very high fiber diet (which feeds the 
buggers). Interestingly, several other CRonies tested who don't eat sprouts, 
kefir or yogurt, showed elevated markers for excessive gut activity 
- suggesting the common demoninator may be the high fiber diet we commonly 
follow.  Very interesting... I'm not entirely convinced it is a problem, 
but who knows.  See below for what I'm thinking of doing about it.

Here is what I'm personally going to do as a result of these tests:

Lp(a) - not much I really can do. Niacin *might* help, but I'm not comfortable 
with the required dose. Need to think / look into this one more.

Amino Acids - Increase protein a bit, but not much (couple/few grams per day).

Fatty acids - nothing. I think I'm pretty good with high normal ALA and low 
to low normal EPA/DHA.

"Overgrowth" of gut flora/fauna - I'm not clear this is a real problem, but 
Dr. Lord seems to think so. Being an experimentalist, I'm willing to try his 
advice. So I'm going to cut out sprouts and kefir grains for a while, and 
cut back on my fiber intake (from 102g/day to 85g/day) to see if this makes 
any difference.  Hopefully through my experiments and those of other tested 
CRonies, we'll be able to get to the bottom of this.

Overall, Dr. Lord honestly said in many instances, he isn't sure what to 
make of some of the odd results us CRonies are exhibiting. It may very well 
be that the values considered to be "normal" in his tests (based on data 
from about 5000 "average" or in some instances, poor health Americans) aren't 
normal or good. We may be defining what "good" really is.  But then again, 
maybe not. We just don't know (yet).

Interestingly, but perhaps not surprisingly, Dr. Lord said the CRonie who 
looked the most like "normal" in our group (who shall remain nameless), ate 
a diet closest to a normal American diet, although even he was eating a 
whole lot better than virtually anyone he's tested previously.

Ironically, in talking with this particular CRonie afterwards, he expressed 
relief that his markers for oxidative stress were high like the rest of us. 
In his mind, some of his results could be interpreted as an indicator his 
version of CR wasn't "working", and he was actually relieved to be like our 
group on that particular (potentially negative) measurement.