Snehpatel1

>> This! x100! >You can't turn N=1 into N=100 just like that ...

You're right - I probably shouldn't have used the language I did. In retrospect I see how it was confusing. I just meant to express how happy I was that healthy lifestyle changes were helping someone. :)

> I do hope someone will keep an independent scientific record of how this approach actually helps people (if at all).

Yes! We want to contribute to the scientific literature (e.g., by identifying new lifestyle interventions that help reduce inflammation levels) and do so in a validated way!

In the meantime, we base our service on existing scientific literature regarding which lifestyle interventions are associated with decreased inflammation levels: https://www.begolden.online/post/lifestyle-interventions-ass...

BE GOLDEN DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL SERVICES OR ADVICE. The information, including but not limited to text, graphics, images and other material contained on Be Golden's website and provided through Be Golden's services are for informational purposes only and do not contain or constitute, and should not be interpreted as, medical advice or opinion. No material on Be Golden's website or provided through Be Golden's services are a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment, and your use of Be Golden’s services does not create any provider-patient relationship. Always seek the advice of your physician or another licensed health care provider with any questions you may have regarding your health and before undertaking a new regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on Be Golden's website or through Be Golden's services. If you think you have a medical emergency, call 911.

Hi! Yes, you can test more frequently. Once you choose a plan, you can add as many more tests as you like at that same cost per test.

thank you!

We made it optional to auto-renew the subscription. Hope you give us a try!

Yes! Our plan is to expand into additional biomarkers in the future

I also thought I would share our blog on lifestyle interventions associated with decreased inflammation levels:

https://www.begolden.online/post/lifestyle-interventions-ass...

Thank you!!

Based on an initial scan of the publications below it seems like it would but I haven't had a chance to review the robustness of these publications yet so don't want to officially claim this yet :)

vegan diet: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33303765/

intermittent fasting: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S08999...

Lifestyle changes including those related to nutrition, exercise, stress, and sleep can all improve inflammation levels. See our blog for a list of lifestyle interventions associated with decreased inflammation levels: https://www.begolden.online/post/lifestyle-interventions-ass...

Each person will respond differently so we suggest testing what works best for you.

Great comment! We believe there is a future where continuous inflammation testing will be possible. Here's a team already working on building it: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/admt.2021013...

To your point, we see it as a potentially tighter feedback loop for seeing the impact of lifestyle changes.

We think so! We have started to see teams working on this and couldn't be more excited: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/admt.2021013...

The frequency of measurement is up to you. The more you test, the more detailed your data and insights are. Based on the data from clinical studies, some interventions can change inflammation levels (as measured by hsCRP) within weeks and others show within months. As such, we recommend testing every 1-2 months to likely provide adequate time for change to your levels. Each person’s needs and time to impact will vary, so adjust this frequency up or down, depending on what works best for you. See our blog to see how our CEO’s levels have changed over time: https://www.begolden.online/post/our-ceo-s-hscrp-scores-over...

Yes. Email me at founders@begolden.io

Unfortunately, regulatory reasons but I believe we should be able to ship to NY by next year!

I'm sharing my personal results here, where you can see changes over time: https://www.begolden.online/post/our-ceo-s-hscrp-scores-over....

Apologies for the delay. There were a lot of questions so wanted to answer all of them in one shot.

>Why do you test for hsCRP and not CRP? What exactly can I learn from my hsCRP values? What can I learn from hsCRP that I can't learn from CRP?

hsCRP stands for high-sensitivity C-Reactive Protein, while CRP stands for C-Reactive Protein. Both tests measure the same protein, but hsCRP tests are more sensitive to lower inflammation levels and can therefore let you measure these lower levels.

See the 'Defining hs-CRP' section in this link for additional details: https://www.uspharmacist.com/article/the-application-of-high...

>hsCRP is a very sensitive marker. If I'd exercise the day before the test and my values would be elevated? What would I learn from my result in this case?

Experts recommend avoiding testing when you might be experiencing an acute (short term) elevation in hsCRP. Some instances that cause short term elevation include bacterial or viral infections and strenuous exercise (like running a marathon). These cause short term elevations in hsCRP because acute inflammation (short term spikes in inflammation) can help the body clear pathogens and heal tissues. Here is some related scientific literature you may enjoy: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S073510970...

>Will your provide explanations of what influences my individual hsCRP levels and what specific interventions I should take in case they are elevated?

Yes, we focus on lifestyle interventions that help lower inflammation levels. You can find more info here: https://www.begolden.online/post/lifestyle-interventions-ass...

We plan to continue to build on this list

>What is your process if you detect abnormally high hsCRP values? How do you alert your customers of their possibly lethal condition?

The lab results should indicate if your levels are above normal. If you have any questions regarding your health, we encourage you to always seek the advice of your physician or another licensed health care provider

>How does your service provide value to me as a customer apart from me not needing to go to a lab/doctor to get tested?

We provide you the information to take action once you receive your lab results

>Anyways, I don't see much value in getting just hsCRP tested standalone without any other meaningful context. What about my iron levels? Vitamins? Lipid profile? IgG, IgA? HBa1c. On and on it goes. There is a reason that medical doctors collect a host of lab data to make informed decisions about their patients health and which possible interventions induce postive change without interdicting harmful side effects.

We plan to expand our list of biomarkers in the future, as we learn more about our customers

Thanks for this info, particularly as we look to expand internationally :)

Our price includes lab costs but also the cost of the packaging, shipping, ordering physician, etc. which all starts to add up!

We decided to start with at home kits for the convenience but are planning to explore other methods of measuring levels (e.g., partnering with physical labs)

Edit: I should also add that costs/prices typically start higher with startups and we fully expect them to come down as we scale.

:) I love the questions - they help us improve!

You are correct that there are sources of inflammation that are not lifestyle related, but many of the drivers of inflammation are indeed lifestyle related.

I really like this article on the drivers of inflammation: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-019-0675-0

I particularly like Figure 1

This! x100! Thank you for sharing your journey

Thanks! Just fixed.

If helpful, we just created a new link where you can order without the subscription here: https://shop.begolden.online/products/2-tests

Hope you will give us a try!

Very understandable. We just created a new link where you can order without the subscription here: https://shop.begolden.online/products/2-tests

Hope you will give us a try!

thanks for the kind message!

We believe it will be possible to start doing a more "continuous" monitor for inflammation in the future and are looking forward to that day! If it is possible, we plan to offer it as part of Be Golden

thank you!

We are excited to potentially use our platform to research more in this area - for example, do people with higher baseline hsCRP levels have higher likelihood of long COVID?

This is helpful to know as we look into international expansion.

Our current pricing is in the US market. Hopefully, costs decrease over here over time!

The idea is that by testing multiple times per year, you get more insight into what may be driving your levels and be able to intervene sooner

This hits perfectly on an FAQ we have:

Are there any times I should avoid testing?

Experts recommend avoiding testing when you might be experiencing an acute (short term) elevation in hsCRP. Some instances that cause short term elevation include bacterial or viral infections and strenuous exercise (like running a marathon). These cause short term elevations in hsCRP because acute inflammation (short term spikes in inflammation) can help the body clear pathogens and heal tissues.

Here is some related scientific literature you may enjoy: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S073510970...

I will now apologize in advance if I am not answering the question :)

Overall, we recommend healthy lifestyle habits versus drugs to manage inflammation levels.