I am 25, male, with poor health. What does my report suggest?

Question

Hi doctor,

I am a 25-year-old male. I had gastric sleeve surgery around two years ago. I have lost around 121 pounds till now, and now, my weight is 149 pounds. I have not followed the dietary recommendations and vitamin and calcium supplements prescribed by the doctor for quite a long time. Now, I am in poor health. I have attached my CBC report. It shows vitamin D and folic acid deficiency along with a high lymphocyte count.

I have been suffering from scalp folliculitis for a few years. There is no other recent infection or disease that could cause the high lymphocyte count. My diet is extremely poor, and I am taking very little water. A preliminary detailed analysis of the report would be appreciated before my scheduled visit to the hospital later this week.

Please help.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

My first step is to congratulate you for a definite action towards your health, such as the bariatric surgery. Also, you have achieved a great weight reduction with it, which needs appreciation too. I understand that you have not been following the diet, and just accept the fact and move forward in life. But I could not understand the term poor health. Is it low, lean muscle mass, weakness, fever, or not achieving the desirable body shape?

I did analyze your blood report (attachment removed to protect patient identity), which does show vitamin D and folic acid deficiency, with apolipoprotein-A and lymphocytes being high. With poor compliance to diet, vitamin A, D, E, and K deficiency are expected. So, the same for folic acid. It can be easily corrected with supplementation. High apolipoprotein-A is a surrogate of a cardiac disease marker and can be raised in inflammatory stress to the body, such as your current state. For the lymphocyte being high, I will not worry at present, as the absolute value is less than 5000.

I suggest repeating a CBC (complete blood count) after two to three weeks. If it is still high or increasing, then we will evaluate. Scalp folliculitis can be an indirect representation of your body's inflammatory state and can reflect vitamin A and D deficiency. Though, depending on the state, you may need antibiotics. You will do well with dietary supplementation and regular exercise. Take the help of a dietician who can incorporate healthy food choices according to your preference. Yes, adequate water is highly recommended.

Thank you and take care.

Regards.

Answer 2

Hi,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern.

The report is quite expected for your age. Rather, I will motivate you to do better than many of your age. High chloride levels could be due to high salt-containing food intake, and it is only borderline high; it will normalize with healthy eating. The same goes for uric acid. A non-vegetarian diet also increases the uric acid, but it is not significantly higher, and do not worry about it.

Your hair loss is likely due to male pattern, because it manifests at your age. I suggest that you start the application of Minoxidil 5 percent twice or 10 percent once. You should add multivitamins to your diet. Also, you can do DHT level (dihydrotestosterone). If high, then specific inhibitors can be added. This is a very powerful way to reduce male pattern baldness. Also, a monthly session of PRP can be tried (platelet-rich plasma). Also, take a professional trainer's advice to achieve your health goal.

I hope this helps.

Thank you and take care.

Regards.