Taking care of your health is a lifelong path that starts with prevention. In this article, we will guide you through all you need to know about blood tests – why they are important and how to make sense of your blood test report.
The first step to keeping track of your health is doing a blood test. Your body runs a multitude of functions, and all of them are interconnected with each other. Nutrients in your blood directly influence the proper functioning of your body, such as your heart health, gut functions, energy level, immunity and even cognitive function.
Routine blood testing can help you prevent potential health risks such as a hormonal imbalance, thyroid dysfunction, diabetes, high cholesterol levels, or nutrient deficiencies. Many people dismiss blood tests as unnecessary and only get tested when something feels wrong. But in order to maintain good health and avoid the need for medical treatment, regular health check-ups are important. Remember, prevention is better than cure!
- Reference range – every lab will have its own reference values or ranges which determine if a specific parameter is low, normal, or high. Blood test reports will always showcase their reference values but it is important to cross-check with a practitioner to understand what actions need to be taken in order to improve or maintain levels.
- Biomarkers or parameters – are biological molecules in your blood that can indicate the status of certain functions in your body.
A blood test can monitor various functions, depending on the panel. Let’s look into some of them:
Complete Blood Count (CBC) overlooks your general wellbeing, evaluating markers of infection, inflammation, allergic reaction and the amount of oxygen in your blood.
Differential Blood Count focuses on your immune health, in particular, looking into signs of infection, your immune reaction to inflammation, parasites, allergy and viruses, as well as possible markers of autoimmune conditions and cancers.
Infection Serology Test aims to detect antibodies to specific bacteria, germs or viruses in your body.
Basic Metabolic Panel evaluates the body’s metabolism functions – the ability to process food into energy. The panel gives you an insight into the nutritional needs of your body.
Liver Function Analysis (Protein Panel) helps identify if there are any signs of liver dysfunction as it checks your liver’s ability to produce proteins – albumin and globulin. High or low levels of such proteins may indicate liver dysfunction.
Lipid Panel is an important blood test to check your heart health but also cholesterol levels. If you have a family history of high cholesterol or suffer from symptoms that may be linked to high cholesterol levels, a lipid panel is recommended. Routine testing can help avoid risks of blood clotting, heart disease, and many other health risks.
Kidney Function Panel checks in with your kidneys to identify how well your kidneys process and filter out waste.
Hormone Profile: A hormonal imbalance is very common and it is linked with many health issues. This type of blood test will check hormone levels and your thyroid health - both essential for numerous functions in your body. The test will indicate if any autoimmune diseases are present in the body (men and women).
Female Hormones Panel can help you keep track of your reproductive health and hormonal balance, indicating risks of certain conditions and help keep symptoms of pre-menstrual syndrome or menopause at bay.
Mineral Profile Test evaluates the levels of minerals in your body. Key minerals to check frequently are calcium, copper, iodine, iron, magnesium, manganese and zinc.
Vitamin Profile Test: This type of test looks at the levels of key vitamins in the body. It is important to ask exactly how many vitamins are included in this type of blood test. Key vitamins to check for: vitamin A, C, D, E, K and b-vitamins
It is quite common to hear that someone gets a health check-up only once a year or can't even recall the last time they got one. However, it's important to prioritise your health and consider a routine check-up at least every six months.
By understanding your nutrient levels and general condition of key functions such as hormones, kidney function, metabolism, or liver function, you can help prevent deficiencies or short and long-term risks. This is why we have created our comprehensive bioniq LIFE TEST panel as it consists of 50 parameters that covers: metabolism, liver function, microelements, hormones, vitamins, and haematology. With the bioniq LIFE TEST, you will receive access to the bioniq App that allows you to easily retrieve your lab reports, see explanations of each parameter, and receive a consultation with a clinical dietitian to help you understand the correlation between your lifestyle and health status.
