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Do you test for hypochlorhydria and pancreatic enzyme insufficiency? Is stool testing of pancreatic elastase a reliable method?

Chris Kresser: Starting again with Ariel, “Do you test for hypochlorhydria and pancreatic enzyme insufficiency? Is stool testing of pancreatic elastase a reliable method?”

Starting with that, I think it is helpful. I don’t know how reliable it is, but we definitely see a strong correlation between people with digestive issues, and we scored low on the elastase. I don’t test for hypochlorhydria. The only way of really doing that reliably is doing it in [the] office, and we’re not set up with that technology. Again, I’m not sure how useful that would be. I’ve had patients who’ve had the Heidelberg test, and it doesn’t really change [the] approach very much, so I have not been impressed with it.

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