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This article is Medically Approved ✓ by Dr. Edward Salko
Preventative maintenance is one of the most important aspects of healthcare. Blood tests are a critical tool doctors use to keep patients healthy. The tests enable them to identify problems early, or identify risks that could lead to future problems.
First of all, knowing the right tests is an important part of this process.
Because Personalabs are experts at administering all of the tests and providing clients with accurate results.
So take a look at these five crucial tests that help keep women healthy.
The Comprehensive Metabolic Panel is a group laboratory test. This test gives information about the status of your liver, kidneys, and electrolyte and acid/base balance.
In addition, the test also gives the levels of blood sugar and blood proteins.
So a few examples include:
* Glucose-Blood sugar level: the most direct test to discover diabetes. This test can also be used to evaluate how one controls the disease.
* Kidney Profile: Creatinine, Serum- a by-product of protein metabolism. BUN or Urea Nitrogen BUN is another by-product of protein metabolism eliminated through the kidneys. Bun/Creatinine Ratio-Calculated by dividing the BUN by the Creatinine. This score is an indicator of kidney function.
* Liver-Panel: Protein, Total Together with albumin. It is a measure of nutrition in the body.
* Albumin/Globulin Ratio: Calculated by dividing the albumin by the globulin. Bilirubin, Total A chemical involved with liver functions. High concentrations may result in jaundice.
* Alkaline Phosphatase: A body protein important in diagnosing proper bone and liver functions.
* Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST or SGOT): An enzyme found in skeletal and heart muscle, liver and other organs.
Also, abnormalities may represent liver disease. Additional examples include:
* Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT or SGPT): An enzyme found primarily in the liver. Abnormalities may represent liver disease.
* Bilirubin, Total: A chemical involved with liver functions. High concentrations may result in jaundice.
* Fluids & Electrolytes- Sodium: One of the major salts in the body fluid. Sodium is important in the body’s water balance and the electrical activity of nerves and muscles.
* Calcium: A mineral essential for development and maintenance of healthy bones and teeth. It’s important for the normal function of muscles, nerves and blood clotting.
The thyroid is a gland in the neck that produces hormones that regulate metabolism. Women are more likely than men to have an underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism) or overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism).
So the TSH and T4 tests measure hormone levels to make sure your thyroid is working correctly.
As a result, this test is used to:
• diagnose a thyroid disorder in those with symptoms.
• monitor thyroid replacement therapy in those with hypothyroidism.
• diagnose and monitor female infertility problems.
• help evaluate the function of the pituitary gland.
• screen for thyroid disorders.
So Hypothyroidism is treated with synthetic thyroid hormones taken daily. Hyperthyroidism is treated with radioactive iodine, antithyroid medicine, or surgery.
Most of all, talk to your doctor about getting tested.
Also get your levels checked if you have symptoms of hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism. Symptoms include:
• fatigue
• fast heartbeat
• increased appetite
• greater sensitivity to cold
• muscle weakness
• brittle hair and nails
• weight gain or loss.
First of all, a lipid panel blood test measures your total cholesterol. That includes your “good” HDL cholesterol, your “bad” LDL cholesterol, and your triglycerides, another kind of fat in the blood.
Furthermore, Triglyceride levels are affected most by what you’ve recently eaten. Women age 45 and older should be tested often if they have increased risk of heart disease.
In addition, women ages 20-45 should be tested once a year for an increased risk of heart disease. (The USPSTF gives an A grade to the evidence supporting the use of cholesterol tests in older women. It gives a B grade for younger women.)
And younger women may not need a yearly screening if they’re healthy.
Free Direct & Total Testosterone: Testosterone is a type of hormone (a steroid hormone). It travels around the body in the blood.
Also known as the feel-good hormone, testosterone helps maintain a woman’s libido, bone and muscle mass, cardiovascular health, mood, and sense of well-being.
Yet, some of it floats about in the blood freely without being attached to anything else. This is ‘free’ testosterone.
Also, some testosterone is attached/bound to a protein called SHBG (sex hormone binding globulin). Some testosterone is attached to a protein called albumin.
So ‘total’ testosterone is the sum of all the testosterone in the blood, no matter what it’s bound to. Free testosterone is floating around by itself. Only a tiny percentage of your testosterone is free.
Testosterone in conjunction with estrogen is crucial. It minimizes hot flashes, sleep disturbances, night sweats,
and vaginal dryness.
Testosterone is used in the evaluation of hirsutism and masculinization in women. Evaluation of testicular function in clinical states where the testosterone binding proteins may be altered (obesity, cirrhosis, thyroid disorders).
Also, Vitamin D 25-hydroxy sufficiency, along with diet and exercise, has emerged as one of the most important preventive factors in human health. A simple blood test can measure the level of Vitamin D in your blood to see if you’re getting enough sun exposure.
Therefore, it’s also important to know if your diet provides you with enough Vitamin D.
If not, your doctor will recommend taking a Vitamin D supplement.
Most noteworthy is that many women have low levels of Vitamin D and don’t know it. Osteoporosis is more common in women, so this issue is important. Eighty percent of people with bone loss are women.
So while older women are more likely to have a Vitamin D deficiency, their skin doesn’t produce this vitamin as efficiently from sun exposure as we age. Seniors also spend less time outdoors.
Furthermore, the test checks the level of Vitamin D in your blood. A good reading will be between 30 and 80 nanograms per milliliter.
Consequently, Vitamin D tests determine if bone malformation, bone weakness, or abnormal metabolism of calcium is occurring. This is reflected by abnormal calcium, phosphorus or PTH tests. It’s a result of a deficiency or excess of Vitamin D.
Because Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin absorbed from the intestine like a fat, Vitamin D tests are at times used to monitor individuals with diseases that interfere with fat absorption.
So that includes cystic fibrosis and Crohn’s disease. Those tests check if they have adequate amounts of Vitamin D.
Hence, hundreds of studies now link Vitamin D deficiency with significantly higher rates of many forms of cancer‚ as well as heart disease‚ osteoporosis‚ multiple sclerosis and many other conditions.
Another key point: Vitamin D tests are also used to determine effectiveness of treatment when Vitamin D, calcium, phosphorus, and/or magnesium supplementation is prescribed.
Also, if you have any signs of low bone density, such as a fracture, your doctor will want to test your Vitamin D along with your bone density.
Finally, Vitamin D testing isn’t required or listed on the official schedule of recommended tests. However, more and more doctors are recommending it as an annual test after age 45, along with a diabetes screening.
Women health tests are very important in overall health. They provide a quantifiable benefit to preventative care.
The professionals at Personalabs take pride in making sure that their customers’ health, now and in the future, will always be the top priority. Use these test and our great programs to meet this goal.
