Our Process

The Baza Medical Process

Your comprehensive program for optimal health and vitality starts with an initial consultation to understand your goals and desires, and provide a complete overview of the program. Following that, you'll:

1. Undergo extensive diagnostic testing

Your complete workup identifies issues and the potential for specific conditions through extensive testing and measurement: advanced blood tests, precise body composition and bone densitometry. For selected patients, aerobic capacity and anaerobic threshold analyses may be added.

  • Advanced blood testing collects and analyzes 107 data points to provide detailed health evaluation insights and detect the presence of problems, such as advanced cardiovascular, pre-diabetic and inflammatory markers--measures that aren't typically approved to examine until after you're diagnosed with a disease. As a non-insurance medical practice [link to "invest in your health" in Section 2], Baza Medical doesn't need pre-approval to obtain these advanced blood tests.
  • Our specialized DEXA (Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry) scanner is the most accurate way to measure lean muscle mass and body fat composition, bone density in all the critical areas, and nutritional deficiencies. More accurate than water testing, electrical impedance or skin calipers, the DEXA scan is used in research centers around the globe, and is considered the gold standard for measuring body composition.The ability to measure body composition and bone density, to the gram, helps determine the risk of developing metabolic diseases, accurately measures reduction in body fat, and detects the presence of osteoporosis or its precursor, osteopenia. The DEXA Scan provides focused views of the hips and lumbar spine bone density to reveal the most vulnerable areas, allowing you to combat bone deterioration before it limits your lifestyle, mobility and independence.
  • Aerobic capacity and anaerobic threshold measurement allows us to prescribe a precise exercise regimen that's appropriate for you and provides results in the most efficient way possible. Follow-up testing allows for modification of your program as your fitness improves.
  • Ultrasound and advanced imaging diagnostics may also be employed where the need is indicated

2. Be presented your "State of Your Health" personal profile and optimal health blueprint

Unlike typical doctors' visits, where you're lucky if you get eight minutes with the doctor, Dr. Baza engages in a two-hour discussion with you to share your results, present your program and instill the understanding and motivation necessary to follow it. During this consultation, multiple teaching tools, including presentations using animations and graphs, are used to:

  • Evaluate your current health status
  • Review your risk of disease and other degenerative conditions
  • Help you understand the implications of the diagnostic results
  • Present your comprehensive, individualized blueprint for optimal health, performance and prevention strategy
  • Provide detailed guidance and instruction for carrying out your program and adhering to your health regimen
  • Convey the importance of complying with your personalized program to achieve your goals for optimizing your health, vitality, performance, state of mind, physical appearance and fitness

3. Follow your prescribed program for optimal health

Your personal blueprint for optimal health is a complete, rigorous medical program and regimen to achieve robust health and well-being, and prevent most chronic disease-- with scientifically sound, cutting-edge interventions that control damaging inflammation and free radicals, balance and optimize hormone levels, fine tune heart and vascular health, establish healthy muscle-to-body fat ratios, reduce toxins, adjust metabolism and ensure cognitive acuity. Your action plan represents a systematic approach to healthy living incorporating the very best of conventional and preventive medicine. It is completely individualized for your unique profile, and typically includes the following tailored components:

Hormone optimization

We age in large part because our hormones decline. It is vital to restore hormone levels to their more youthful levels in order to maintain health and vigor. While hormone replacement for women has been a standard medical practice for decades, it is equally important for men.

Hormone optimization is prescribed to address specific, clinically indicated deficiencies or harmful excess levels, for hormones including testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, human growth hormone, thyroid hormone, melatonin, DHEA, cortisol and insulin.

Hormones used are natural and safe "bioidentical" formulations, matching exactly the chemical composition of human hormones (not derived from horse urine as were the widely prescribed Estrogen Replacement Therapy (ERT) drugs). Dosages are individualized, not "one size fits all" to ensure levels are precisely calculated for each individual.

Optimized hormone levels are not always achieved through their direct administration. For example, human growth hormone (hGH) is produced in our bodies in greater amounts when we lead a healthy lifestyle that includes sound, restful sleep. Unless a definitive deficiency is exhibited, it's much better to allow your body's natural healing processes to work for you to derive the benefits of hGH.

Dietary restructuring

Dietary recommendations are very important in reducing body fat, encouraging lean mass development, reducing oxidative stress, and sustaining good health overall. Your individualized dietary program is based on the accurate measurement of resting metabolic rate, laboratory analysis to detect nutritional deficiencies, and DEXA scan lean mass, body fat and bone density analyses. Dr. Baza assesses your dietary habits and recommends a healthy, balanced diet with the foods you enjoy, rather than a one-size-fits-all diet program.

Precise, goal-directed exercise protocols

"Exercise is often recommended as a means of obtaining better health, managing weight, developing strength and improving cardiovascular fitness. While the generic recommendation to exercise is commonplace, guidance on how to exercise, how hard and what kind is offered less often." J. Michael Baza, M.D.

Your personalized exercise program is highly specific, based on your individual needs, risks and desired goals in addition to the body composition and bone density measurements obtained. We strive to develop the most productive and efficient exercise program possible to achieve success. This approach:

  • Yields superior results
  • Reduces body fat more efficiently
  • Maximizes muscle mass
  • Reduces the risk of injury and overtraining
  • Increases performance
  • Demonstrates success that leads to sustained compliance
  • Allows for modification with re-testing as fitness improves

Targeted supplementation

Because traditional medicine has never walked on the side of the equation of optimal health, many people attempt to address that gap by taking nutritional supplements or pursuing alternative therapies on their own. In fact, millions are spending billions out of their own pockets to do just that. You may have noticed vitamin aisles have tripled in size over the past decade, offering a confusing array of hundreds of products. Yet our situations are each so unique, it's critical that we understand exactly what we really need for supplementation. Unfortunately most doctors have little or no training in nutrition, and the lab work of routine physicals do not even look at most of the key biochemical levels necessary to determine what those needs are.

Dr. Baza is expert in recommending "nutraceutical" supplementation that is completely individualized, based on lab results--to address factors such as inflammation, zinc levels, blood sugar/glycemic levels, heart health, thyroid, sex hormones, oxidation stress, and pre- and post-workout supplementation needs. Our supplements are exclusively pharmacy-grade vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, amino acids, and antioxidants--ensuring consistently high quality ingredients and accurate standardized doses.

Nutraceuticals can be effective independently or can work synergistically with pharmaceuticals to enhance results. The role these molecules play in cellular function and metabolism is complex--they can function as antioxidants, free radical scavengers, prevent cross-linking of proteins, modulate gene expression, reduce silent inflammation and decelerate aging. For example, homocystine, a potent oxidizer of LDL cholesterol and pro-generator of arterial inflammation, is reduced by the synergistic effects of vitamin B6, B12, folic acid, trimethyl glycine and n-acetylcystine. Silent inflammation can be quelled by omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil and most recently the highly effective krill oil. L-arginine is the precursor to the potent nitric oxide (NO2), the ubiquitous vasodilator that lowers blood pressure and drives erectile function. Targeted supplementation provides powerful tools in preserving our health, energy and potency.

Aggressive disease surveillance and prevention

The comprehensive nature of our diagnostics and ongoing, vigilant monitoring allows for early detection and preemptive preventive interventions to markedly decrease your risk of age-related disease and chronic conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, dementia, cancer and osteoporosis. Our prevention protocols are based on the latest scientific advancements, and are focused on catching issues early enough while they are still reversible.

4. Receive ongoing mentoring, re-measurement and monitoring

Throughout the program, Dr. Baza provides you with ongoing mentoring and support, as well as diagnostic retesting, as needed. Since Dr. Baza personally manages every patient, Baza Medical is limited to 250 active patients, helping to ensure high quality supervision and physician access.