Blood work – we’ve all done it. Whether it’s a part of an annual physical or ordered because of certain health conditions, the importance of blood tests goes unsaid.
Getting regular blood work gives us a better picture of what’s going on inside of our bodies. So
whether you’re feeling completely healthy or you’re having “mystery” symptoms that no one can figure out, the basic blood tests you’re likely getting from your primary care provider aren’t enough to get a complete picture of your health.
If only there was a set of blood tests that covered more body systems and went into greater detail…
Introducing….the comprehensive health panel by Noble Functional Medicine.
This is by far one of my favorite panels that I offer, as it gives you so much information and insight into your overall health. Not only can it finally give you answers about symptoms you’ve been having but it can also give you the information you need to optimize your health, prevent certain health conditions, and finally get answers.
What’s a Comprehensive Health Test?
There’s no set definition of what a comprehensive health panel is. But at Noble Functional Medicine, it’s a collection of 45 different biomarkers that give you a complete picture of your general health.
I used my training and education in functional medicine to hand-pick each blood test that makes up this panel. Collectively, this blood panel looks at many of the different body systems to make sure everything is running smoothly and identifies areas in our bodies that need a little help.
How Our Health Panel Is Different
If you’ve had routine blood work before with your primary care provider, you’re probably wondering what the big difference is between that and our blood panel.
Depending on the health conditions you have, your health care provider likely orders the
following tests:
- Complete blood count (CBC)
- Comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP)
- Lipid panel
These basic tests check blood counts, kidney health, liver health, electrolytes, and cholesterol.
That’s it.
Some people may get additional blood tests if they have medical conditions like diabetes or thyroid disease.
But in general, these routine blood tests are missing a lot, especially when it comes to managing and preventing chronic health conditions.
Also, the test results of these labs are often not interpreted properly.
When you get your blood test results back, there will be a “normal” range of each test. And typically, when you fall within the “normal” range, the investigation into your symptoms stops there.
But here’s the thing: these ranges aren’t normal.
Instead, they’re averages of people that get blood work. And if you think about it, the majority of people getting blood work on a regular basis are sick people with medical conditions. So comparing the test results of a healthy individual to someone with an illness is like comparing apples to oranges.
And this shouldn’t be done.
Especially when our goal is to prevent illness.
Test results need to be looked at with a different lens and with the entire patient in mind. Not just the numbers from a blood test.
A Test Detailing Your Entire Health: Here’s What’s Included
Instead of just three blood tests, our health panel includes 45 different biomarkers that cover a number of body systems. Here’s a breakdown.
1. Complete Hormone Panel
The first, and longest, part of the comprehensive blood panel takes a look at different hormone levels. Hormones are chemicals that act as messengers in the body. They tell different parts of the body what to do and when to do it.
The majority of this panel includes sex hormones, many of which are produced in both males and females. Sex hormones are responsible for the development of male and female characteristics as well as:¹
- Hair growth
- Fertility
- Weight
- Where your body stores fat
- Bone and muscle growth
- Cholesterol
- Inflammation
Men and women produce many of the same sex hormones, just in different amounts. So when the levels of sex hormones are abnormal in both men and women, they can have acne, infertility, irregular hair growth, and reduced sex drive. Women can also have irregular periods.
The different sex hormones I check in both men and women include:
- Estradiol: a hormone that’s responsible for female characteristics
- Progesterone: a hormone that’s responsible for female characteristics
- Testosterone panel: measures the levels of all types of testosterone, which is a hormone responsible for male characteristics
- Sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG): controls how many sex hormones are active in the body
- Dihydrotestosterone (DHT): a hormone that’s responsible for male characteristics
- Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA): helps make hormones like testosterone and estrogen
- Prolactin: helps with many bodily functions but mostly with breast development and milk production in women
- Follicle Stimulating Hormone: controls the menstrual cycle and egg production in women, and in men, it helps with sperm production
- Luteinizing Hormone: tells the body to make different sex hormones
In men, I also check something called prostate specific antigen (PSA). When checked once a year, we can watch for big jumps in this number, as this can be a warning sign of prostate cancer.
In women, I add on a test called cancer antigen 125 (CA 125). If found to be high, it can be a warning sign of ovarian cancer.
2. Anemia Labs
Anemia is a medical condition that results from low or poorly functioning red blood cells. If you have anemia, additional testing besides a CBC is needed to figure out which type you have. Anemia labs include:
- Folate
- Ferritin
- Iron saturation
- Total iron binding capacity
An additional test that I check is a vitamin B12 RBC level. This test is different from your typical vitamin B12 level as it checks for the specific level of B12 inside of the blood cells. Checking vitamin levels this way has been found to be more accurate than a traditional test.
Low levels of vitamin B12 can cause a type of anemia called macrocytic anemia. B12 has many functions in our bodies including:²
- Helping our bodies make red blood cells
- Healthy cell function
- Keeping our nerves healthy
3. Vitamin Levels
In addition to vitamin B12, I also check two other important vitamins: magnesium RBC and vitamin D.
Similar to B12 RBC, a magnesium RBC test checks for specific levels of magnesium inside of blood cells, which can be more accurate than standard tests. Our bodies need magnesium for:
- Immune system health
- Heart function
- Keeping nerves and muscles healthy
Vitamin D is another vitamin that often goes unchecked on standard blood tests. Our bodies get vitamin D through food we eat or by making it when our skin is exposed to the sun. So if you live in an area that doesn’t get a lot of sun during certain parts of the year, there’s a good chance that your vitamin D levels aren’t where they need to be.
Vitamin D is responsible for:⁴
- Bone health
- Brain function
- Blood sugar control
- Controlling inflammation
- Immune system health
4. A Test Detailing Your Heart Health
The next part of the blood panel is a look at your heart health. This includes tests that check cholesterol as well as different markers of inflammation in the body. High levels of inflammation in the body have been linked to a higher risk of heart disease.⁵
Inflammation in the body is probably one of the biggest things that get missed on routine labs, and it’s something we definitely don’t want to miss! Because if inflammation is caught early on, it can be fixed.
Labs that check for inflammation include:
- C-reactive protein (CRP)
- Homosysteine
This part of the blood panel also includes tests that not only tell us what your cholesterol level is but also how your body moves fats around the body. This is an important piece of the cholesterol puzzle, as not all types of high cholesterol are treated the same. Labs that check for cholesterol include:
- Lipid panel: includes two different types of cholesterol (LDL and HDL) as well as other fats in the blood called triglycerides
- Lipoprotein A (LipoA): a type of cholesterol that’s similar to LDL and increases the risk of heart attack and stroke⁶
- Apolipoprotein B (ApoB): a protein that helps to move cholesterol around the body
5. A Full Thyroid Panel
Another area of the body that I always check is the thyroid. This small but mighty gland on our neck is responsible for many functions in the body, especially metabolism.
The tests I order to check how well your thyroid is running include:
- Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH)
- Free Thyroxine 3 (T3)
- Free Thyroxine 4 (T4)
- Reverse T3
I also check thyroid peroxidase and thyroglobulin antibodies, which can show if you have an autoimmune disease affecting your thyroid function.
6. A Complete Look at Your Metabolism
The final part of this full blood panel takes a look at metabolism. The first part of the test is one we mentioned earlier: a CBC or a complete blood count. This test measures how well your body is making different blood cells including:
- Red blood cells for carrying oxygen around the body
- White blood cells which help our bodies fight infection
- Platelets which help our bodies form blood clots
Certain abnormalities on a CBC may be a sign of a metabolism problem and an increased risk of heart disease.⁷
Another big test in this section is a CMP test, also known as a comprehensive metabolic panel. This is a common blood test that measures 14 different things including electrolytes, kidney function, and liver function. It also looks at blood sugar.
Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) is another test I order, and it checks to see if you
have signs of liver damage.
This panel also measures uric acid, which is a chemical that naturally gets released in the body. If your levels are too low, it can affect the health of your immune system and blood vessels. If levels are found to be too high, you can develop conditions like:⁸
- Gout
- Kidney disease
- Heart disease
- Diabetes
- Liver disease
Lastly, I check two different tests related to blood sugar: an insulin level and a hemoglobin A1c. Checking an insulin level shows us how much insulin your body is making. Insulin is a hormone that helps move sugar from the blood into our cells so that our bodies can use it. A hemoglobin A1c test measures your average blood glucose (sugar) level over three months. This test is helpful when it comes to screening for and preventing diabetes.
How Often Should You Get A Comprehensive Health Panel?
For all of my patients, I recommend getting these blood tests at least once a year. And based on results, repeat testing of specific parts of the test can be done sooner. The frequency of this varies but can be anywhere between monthly to every three to six months.
Considering This Test? Get Your First Test Today
The comprehensive health test offered at Noble Functional Medicine gives you an in-depth look at how well your body is functioning. By completing the blood test routinely and working with a functional medicine provider like me, you’ll be able to prevent health problems before symptoms develop.
If you’re interested in learning more about this comprehensive health panel, get started today.
Learning what’s going on in your body allows you the chance to improve the overall quality of your health. Whether you have medical conditions that you’re trying to improve or if you’re wanting to prevent illness, getting this blood test is the first step on your path to wellness.
References:
1. An Overview of Sex Hormones – (news-medical.net)
2. Vitamin B12 – (mayoclinic.org)
3. Magnesium in diet – (medlineplus.gov)
4. Vitamin D – (nih.gov)
5. The co-existence of elevated high sensitivity C-reactive protein and homocysteine levels is associated with increased risk of metabolic syndrome: A 6-year follow-up study – (nih.gov)
6. Lipoprotein A – (nih.gov)
7. Usefulness of Complete Blood Count (CBC) to Assess Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases in Clinical Settings: A Comprehensive Literature Review – (nih.gov)
8. Physiological functions and pathogenic potential of uric acid: A review – (nih.gov)
