What Labs Should I Get?

Have you ever gone to your provider and had a few labs ordered that don’t give much insight? Have you then wondered: What labs should I get? You are not alone. Oftentimes patients aren’t sure what labs are getting ordered or what labs they should be asking for. Today, I’m going to share with you the labs I think everyone should have done yearly as well as some additional lab testing that may be helpful in certain cases. Let’s dive in!

Why get routine lab testing

Before we get into, what labs you should get done, let’s talk about why routine lab testing is helpful. Routine lab testing – at least yearly – is the cornerstone of preventive medicine. If we don’t know what’s going on inside, how can we truly optimize your health or figure out what might be going awry? Many times, we may see insidious symptoms – fatigue, difficulty recovering from exercise, PMS, etc… – that we just brush off as a normal part of aging, but oftentimes these are cues that something is off and it’s better to identify this early. Yearly testing allows us to compare results to where you were last year and assess for any changes. 

Essential tests and biomarkers you should get

There are endless amounts of labs and even direct to consumer labs that you don’t even need to see a provider for like Function Health. It is good to keep in mind that while things may be normal, that doesn’t always mean they are optimal. (More on this next week!). Have you ever wondered though, “what labs should I get?” These are the tests I believe every patient should have done at least yearly:

• Complete Blood Count or CBC: this set of tests looks at red and white blood cell markers and can offer insights into infections, anemias, and vitamin deficiencies. 
• Comprehensive metabolic panel or CMP: the CMP looks at so much! Blood sugar level, kidney and liver function as well as electrolytes. 
• Lipid (cholesterol) panel: this is one of the cornerstones for assessing cardiovascular risk via bloodwork. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in men and women. Adults, starting at age 20 should get this at least every 4-6 years or more often is abnormal or high risk (such as family risk of cardiovascular disease). These should ideally be done fasting.
• Hemoglobin A1c: this is a 90 day marker of how are blood sugar balance has been and can be a clue into our risk for diabetes. As I always tell patients, diabetes is a spectrum and doesn’t happen over night. We don’t want to be at 5.7% which puts us at prediabetes, and we also don’t want to be at 5.6% which is technically normal but still signifies dysfunction. 
• Vitamin D: as I mentioned my blog earlier this week, every vitamin D level I have checked is either deficiency or insufficiency range unless a patient is supplementing with vitamin D, even here in sunny Colorado!! I am a big advocate on testing, not guessing on which supplements and how much we need and vitamin D is no different. 
• Iron panel with ferritin: I work with a lot of outdoor athletes and women who tend to have lower levels of iron that are even considered deficient which can take a toll on performance as well as overall energy levels and sleep quality. I always like to see a full iron panel including ferritin which is a marker of iron storage.
• Thyroid panel including TSH, Free T3 and Free T4. Thyroid disease is very common, over 20 million people in the US are diagnosed with thyroid disease and many are probably undiagnosed. If you have any symptoms such as fatigue, cold or heat intolerance, hair loss, dry skin, palpitations, changes in bowel habits, this could be caused by your thyroid! A full thyroid panel including thyroid antibodies can help get you on the right track but again, if we don’t test, we don’t know!
• Other tests depending on personal or family health history: vitamin B12 and folate, zinc, magnesium, hsCRP to check for inflammation, advanced lipid testing (ApoB, Lp(a), NMR lipid profile, omega fatty acids), hormone testing for men and women, ANA to test for autoimmune disease and more. 

What determines what labs I should get?

A lot goes into what will influence what tests I order for patients. Screening guidelines, family history, personal history, age, lifestyle, symptoms and health goals are the biggest things I keep in mind when a patient is coming in for care. It is not a one size fits all approach and it is important to find a partner in your healthcare who will listen and be proactive on health, like Alison at Well North Functional Medicine!

Take charge of your health!

If you’re asking “what labs should I get?” – that is a great place to start in being more proactive and focusing on prevention of chronic disease. If you are looking for someone to take a deep dive with, schedule a free discovery call below to learn more about what Well North Functional Medicine has to offer!