Plan Post-Experiment Decision Router

Abstract

After the clean month, use one decision router: the end results improved in paired fashion (ferritin 61.60, TSAT 33.4%, WBC 7.7, platelets 444 borderline/high by lab range, FOB negative, stool RBC absent), which supports alcohol/smoking abstinence as a high-value stabilizer and cools the April occult-blood branch. Old RPPH papers now add mild right common-femoral plaque/PAD from 2024, so BP, echo/CAC/CCTA, lipid-target review, and smoking/alcohol abstinence remain the highest outcome-yield cardiovascular moves; recurrent stool blood/iron drift and persistent CBC abnormalities trigger GI/hematology branches; bloating/SUDD-SIBO is handled separately from bleeding; low-yield novelty testing stays parked.

thirty-day-experiment · post-experiment-router · stool-blood · iron · thrombocytosis · bloating · lp(a) · bp · imaging · treatment-priority

Post-Experiment Decision Router

This is the single current router for post-experiment decisions. The older exam-plan, treatment-priority, and knowledge-roadmap material has been consolidated here so the reader does not have to cross-check multiple planning pages.

Current conclusion

Do not decide from one symptom day or order a broad “Round 2” panel. The completed clean-month result is encouraging — ferritin/TSAT recovered, WBC normalized, platelets improved to 444, and repeat stool FOB/RBC cleared — but the next branch still depends on objective persistence/recurrence:

  1. red flags override everything;
  2. final blood + stool now cool the GI/iron branch; logs/BP/wearables define the remaining branch weights;
  3. cardiac risk gets BP + echo/CAC/CCTA anchoring regardless of GI symptom noise, especially now that old papers document mild peripheral plaque;
  4. recurrent stool blood/iron drift drives GI-source planning;
  5. persistent platelets/WBC drive CBC differential/smear then hematology logic;
  6. bloating/motility is treated as a symptom branch, not as proof for or against bleeding;
  7. low-yield novelty tests stay parked unless a branch activates them.

What changes the decision

Result after clean month Meaning Next move
Recurrent severe chest/epigastric/arm/autonomic symptoms Possible cardiac/ACS-type recurrence Same-day ECG + high-sensitivity troponin route; see recurrence owner.
Visible red/maroon stool, melena, clots, faintness, tachycardia, rapid weakness, or rapid Hb fall Active bleeding concern Urgent GI-bleed assessment.
FOB/direct exam negative, Hb/MCV/RDW stable, ferritin stable/rising, TSAT >=20-ish, WBC/platelets improve GI bleeding branch cools No default endoscopy. Continue monitoring; focus on BP/cardiac imaging and symptom management.
Ferritin/TSAT and WBC improve after abstinence, but stool blood is missing/not repeated Exposure-cleanup signal improved, bleeding branch unanswered Superseded for this round: stool follow-up was completed negative on 2026-05-28.
Stool blood/RBC persists but Hb/ferritin/TSAT stable Occult blood unresolved but not clearly depleting GI-source discussion if repeat positivity persists. High-quality 2024 colonoscopy prevents reflex repeat colonoscopy, but does not erase persistent blood.
Ferritin falls toward <45-50, TSAT stays <20, MCV/RDW drifts, or Hb drops Possible ongoing loss/iron restriction GI-source planning becomes stronger; endoscopy threshold lowers. Iron is a bridge, not a diagnostic substitute.
Platelets remain >=450 or WBC remains high Reactive explanation still possible but unclosed CBC differential + peripheral smear if available; JAK2/CALR/MPL or hematology only if persistent unexplained or clinician wants early uncertainty reduction.
Bloating persists but stool/iron/Hb are clean Symptom branch, not bleeding proof Meal-spacing/diet/SIBO-SUDD clinician logic; no routine CT/endoscopy solely for bloating absent alarm features.
7-day BP average elevated or morning BP high Major modifiable CVD risk variable becomes actionable Clinician discussion, ABPM if uncertain, BP treatment if confirmed.
Known mild right common-femoral plaque/PAD from 2024 Cardiovascular disease burden is not zero, but coronary/valve staging is still missing Cardiology/prevention discussion; keep BP/echo/CAC/CCTA high priority; antiplatelet only with GI-risk review.
CAC >0, CCTA coronary plaque, or echo valve disease Risk tier changes from peripheral-only/subclinical evidence to heart/valve-burden-documented disease Lower ApoB/LDL targets, ezetimibe/PCSK9 discussion, antiplatelet only with GI-risk review.
IgA remains high but true SPEP-style protein electrophoresis shows no obvious narrow spike IgA branch cools from “missing pattern test” to trend/formal-interpretation watch Repeat quantitative immunoglobulins later or escalate only if clinician/lab reads SPEP as suspicious, IgA rises, or red flags appear.

What to do now

Bucket Concrete action Owner
Core repeat dataset Completed 2026-05-27/28 for blood/stool. Next repeat is trigger-based: CBC/platelets/fibrinogen if persistence matters; stool/iron only if symptoms, visible blood, or iron drift recur. 30-Day Experiment / Lab Dashboard
Logs Summarize Tracker meals/symptoms/circumference/exercise, stool photos, Apple Health, and exposure slips 30-Day Experiment
BP 7-day validated upper-arm home BP protocol; average days 2-7 Blood Pressure Profile
Cardiac baseline Echo for valve/LV; CAC as low-friction coronary plaque anchor; CCTA if symptoms/CAC/specialist threshold or known peripheral plaque makes direct anatomy useful LDNCP/Cardiac Imaging owner
IgA clarification True protein electrophoresis now completed; preserve graph/quantitation and trend IgA unless formal read or future markers trigger IFE/FLC Elevated IgA Workup
Clinician review Bring one-page timeline, repeat labs/stool results, 2024 colonoscopy report, and selected stool photos if useful Whole-profile / GI owners

Treatment priority after results

Priority Move Trigger / boundary
0 Red-flag response Cardiac-type recurrence or active bleeding overrides routine planning.
1 Durable smoking abstinence Always highest modifiable ASCVD/thrombotic lever with very high Lp(a).
2 Alcohol abstinence / strict low-use rule Keep while stool-blood, BP, sleep, gut, and experiment-quality questions are live.
3 BP diagnosis and control Elevated home/ABPM or repeated morning BP.
4 Lipid/plaque-prevention escalation Mild peripheral plaque already exists; CAC/CCTA plaque, valve disease, or clinician-selected lower target would further intensify the case. Current ApoB is good but burden changes intensity.
5 Stool-blood/iron source plan Persistent FOB/RBC, iron drift, Hb/MCV/RDW worsening, visible blood, or clinician concern.
6 Iron repletion bridge Falling ferritin/TSAT or symptoms, while source question is not ignored.
7 CBC/platelet-WBC pathway Persistent platelets >=450, high WBC, abnormal differential/smear, or reactive causes fade.
8 Bloating/SUDD/SIBO symptom strategy Symptom burden persists after bleeding/iron branch is separately handled.
9 Skin/dental/infection source cleanup Active eczema/psoriasis, oral inflammation, infection clues, or persistent inflammatory markers.
10 Fear/anxiety support Monitoring causes rumination, avoidance, reassurance loops, or quality-of-life loss.

What not to do

Avoid Reason
Routine endoscopy for bloating alone Bloating/SIBO does not explain positive FOB/stool RBC and does not itself mandate invasive workup.
Routine abdominal CT or full-body CT Low value without acute pain, fever, obstruction, mass, weight loss, abnormal exam/labs, or clinician-directed structural concern.
Broad tumor markers Poor screening strategy; CEA is clinician-directed only, not a reflex FOB add-on.
Broad autoimmune/microbiome/SCFA/TMAO panels Too many false trails unless a defined branch creates a target.
Aspirin/NSAID prevention logic No self-directed aspirin or NSAIDs while stool-blood/GI bleeding risk is live.
Immunofixation/FLC by default Second-line only if SPEP or clinical red flags make monoclonal gammopathy plausible.
48-72h fasts during the clean month Adds lean-mass, sleep, lipid/ApoB, inflammatory/platelet, bowel-output, and refeeding confounding; optional 24h fast is symptom/motility-only and low priority.

Research anchors retained here include AGA/BSG iron-deficiency guidance, AGA bloating guidance, AHA/ACC chest-pain guidance, EAS Lp(a) consensus, thrombocytosis reviews, ACG celiac/H. pylori guidance, BP/LDL/smoking/alcohol outcome evidence, MASLD FIB-4/VCTE thresholds, CAP monoclonal-gammopathy lab guidance, KDIGO CKD baseline logic, AUA/SUO PSA repeat-test principle, and prolonged-fasting safety/noise evidence. The migration manifest tracks provenance/checksums.