10 Essential Blood Tests Everyone Should Get Regularly

21 Feb 2022 Health Care, Medical

Everyone wants to be healthy. When you are healthy, you feel great! And you want to make sure you feel great most of the time – which is probably why you are reading this article. An important way to make sure you stay healthy is to get regular lab tests. That’s because, without lab tests, it is hard to know exactly what is going on in our body.

When we are not feeling well, there is only so much the doctor can conclude based on the symptoms we have. More importantly, many serious health problems can be without any symptoms for years before they become recognizable. That is why doctors rely on blood tests to find out what’s going on in our bodies. And so should you!

Taking blood tests on a yearly basis is one of the best steps adults (those of us over 25) can take to maximize well-being and prevent serious diseases. Blood tests can warn you before your health take a turn for the worse. You can identify and address many issues before they become more serious, such as diabetes, metabolic syndrome, heart disease, or other chronic illnesses that plague our modern society. This proactive approach to health could add years to your life, even decades in some cases.

Regular lab testing can also take you a step further than just disease prevention. Taking these tests annually can help you stay on top of your game and maximize the quality of your life. You can use them to improve your mood, libido, cognitive function, and overall energy levels.

10 Essential Blood Tests Everyone Should Be Getting Regularly

1) CBC (Complete Blood Count)

CBC lets you know when you have issues with infections or inflammation, but it will also signal when your diet is not balanced. When you are missing certain micronutrients, your body won’t be able to produce blood cells normally. It is important to keep track of your CBC values because many of them have a strong impact on your quality of life and longevity.

2) CMP (Comprehensive Metabolic Panel)

As the title suggests, a comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP) is a group of blood tests. A CMP lets you and your doctor know how healthy your liver and kidneys are. It will also alert you if there are disturbances in your blood sugar levels, protein levels, and the overall acid/base balance in your body.

A CMP is comprised of glucose, liver function test, kidney function test and electrolyte

3) Lipid Profile

A lipid panel measures your cholesterol and triglyceride levels. These markers are strongly linked to heart disease. To keep things simple, you want to make sure that your good cholesterol (HDL) is high and your bad cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides are low.

4) HbA1c

While a blood glucose test shows your current glucose levels, HbA1c will tell you your average blood sugar levels over the past 3 months. If you are healthy, you should check it at least once a year, while people with diabetes may want to do it as often as 4 times a year.

Apart from being a risk factor for diabetes, high HbA1c levels (even when still in the normal range) can increase a person’s risk of heart disease and all-cause mortality. This is one of those markers that you definitely want to keep in the optimal range.

5) hs-CRP

C-reactive protein (CRP) is a protein that fights bacteria and viruses and increases in response to infection. But it also increases in response to chronic stress. You will have higher CRP levels if you are overweight, have high blood pressure, have diabetes, smoke, have periodontal (gum) disease, don’t exercise, and/or are exposed to emotional stress.

Hs-CRP can help predict your risk of heart disease. When both hs-CRP and cholesterol levels are high, your overall risk of heart disease can increase up to 9-fold

6) Vitamin D (25-Hydroxy Vitamin D)

Why test your vitamin D levels? Well, because vitamin D deficiency is one of the most common nutritional deficiencies, Vitamin D can get depleted if you haven’t been leading the healthiest lifestyle or you are suffering from chronic health issues. Do you experience fatigue, low back pain, muscle aches, digestive problems, obesity, mood swings, and weakened immunity? These are all symptoms of vitamin D deficiency.

7) Iron/Ferritin

Iron deficiency is another common nutritional deficiency and the leading cause of anemia. According to both the WHO, iron deficiency affects up to 60 – 80% of the world’s population. On the other hand, some chronic diseases can cause iron overload, which is extremely toxic to our bodies.

8) GGT

GGT is an enzyme doctors often use to assess liver function. However, it’s not a part of the CMP. A growing body of evidence has established the link between higher GGT levels and inflammation and oxidative stress, showing that this test is useful beyond estimating liver health.

9) Uric acid

Uric acid is a tricky one. Too much uric acid causes kidney stones and gout and can increase an individual’s risk of heart disease and diabetes. So the lower the better, right? Not quite. Uric acid is also a natural antioxidant – it makes up to 60% of the blood’s antioxidant capacity. Also, studies show it may protect the brain from diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. That’s why you want to keep uric acid in a narrow optimal range. Uric acid test is part of kidney function test.

10) Thyroid hormones (TSH)

Thyroid hormones control the rate of your metabolism. They affect your cholesterol levels and insulin sensitivity. An underactive or overactive thyroid can cause issues with weight, energy levels, and mood.

TSH is one of the most commonly tested markers to check thyroid function. A higher-than-normal level of TSH could mean your thyroid is underactive (hypothyroidism), while a lower-than-normal level could mean it’s overactive (hyperthyroidism).

 

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