Maintaining good health is a continuous process that requires regular check-ups and diagnostic tests. One of the most important tests that you can take advantage of is routine blood work. It provides critical information about your health and helps identify any issues early on.
Blood work provides a comprehensive picture of your overall health, including information about your cells, organ function, hormones and nutrient levels. It is an excellent way to monitor any changes in your health and identify any issues early on. For example, blood tests can detect anemia, nutrient deficiencies, high cholesterol, high blood sugar, liver problems, and underlying causes of other health issues.
One of the best things about blood work is that is can be a quick and relatively easy method for achieving a diagnosis. Most often in our practice, we utilize blood work to confirm or deny a diagnosis in order to get you started on the ideal protocol to treat the condition. Sometimes that may mean taking certain Chinese Herbal Formulas, dietary supplements, or referring you to the most appropriate practitioner to support you.
We recommend that you receive an annual:
Complete blood count (CBC): checks components of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets to find deficiencies, infection, anemia, clotting problems, or cancer
Metabolic panel: provides information about the body & fluid balance, levels of electrolytes like sodium and potassium, and how well the kidneys and liver are working.
Lipid panel: used to check cholesterol levels to determine risk of related conditions like cardiovascular disease, stroke, and hypertension
Thyroid panel: checks for proper thyroid function and hormone production and screens for problems like low protein levels, thyroid disorders, and abnormal hormone levels
Coagulation panel: this screens for problems with blood clotting, and is used to screen for leukemia, hemophilia, liver problems and vitamin K deficiencies metabolic syndromes, monitoring your fasting glucose levels is as important as knowing your cholesterol level
Fibrinogen: an important contributor to blood clotting, fibrinogen levels increase in response to tissue inflammation. Since the development of atherosclerosis and heart disease are essentially inflammatory processes, increased levels can help predict the risk of heart disease and stroke, rheumatoid arthritis and glomerulonephritis (inflammation of the kidney).
Hemoglobin AIC: One of the best ways to assess your glucose status is testing hemoglobin AIC. This test measures a person’s blood sugar control over the last two to three months and is an independent predictor of heart disease risk in persons with or without diabetes. Maintaining healthy hemoglobin AIC levels may also help patients with diabetes to prevent some of the complications of the disease.
DHEA: a hormone produced by the adrenal glands, is a precursor to the sex hormones estrogen and testosterone. Blood levels of DHEA peak in one’s twenties and then decline dramatically with age, decreasing to 20-30% of peak youthful levels between the ages of 70 and 80. DHEA is frequently referred to as an “anti-aging” hormone.
Vitamin D: Vitamin D is both a nutrient you eat as well as a hormone that is produced by your skin in response to sunlight exposure. It plays a significant role in bone health by helping regulate calcium and phosphorus, which are essential minerals that work together to build strong bones. Vitamin D also has a role in your nerve, muscle and immune systems, as well as your mental health.
Anemia panel: tests for key nutrients such as iron, ferritin, folate and vitamin B12. Low vitamin B12 is more common among vegans and vegetarians. People with malabsorption issues due to antibiotic overuse, celiac or Crohn’s disease may also have low B12 levels. Folate is important in people that are pregnant or trying to conceive as it helps protect against congenital disabilities. Menstruating people, especially those with heavy periods, may be at risk for low iron levels. It’s also interesting to note that you can still have low iron levels even if you’re not anemic.
C-reactive Protien: increasingly it is being recognized that inflammation within the body can lead to a range of degenerative diseases such as coronary heart disease, diabetes, macular degeneration, and cognitive decline.
Different health conditions often cause similar symptoms. For example, fatigue is a symptom that can be caused by anemia, depression, heart disease, thyroid disease, sleep disorders, and many other conditions. It’s important not to just chase symptoms with inappropriate diagnosis’s or supplements. In the age of Dr. Google & instagram supplements- dont wast your energy, time or money- instead take advantage of relatively accessible diagnostic testing and the opportunity to review your results with a healthcare provider. Make sure to update your blood work annually and feel free to ask us to review it during your next appointment!