Blood Testing

We use LabCorp and Boston Heart for a foundational yearly (or twice yearly) health assessment. These are completed at Leaves of Life by our phlebotomist, who then ships the blood sample directly to the lab. After they analyze it, the results are received at our office and are then reviewed with the patient by one of our providers.

Your current levels of liver function (ALT, AST, LDH, albumin, globulin, bilirubin), iron, blood sugar (glucose), lipids (total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL, LDL), red and white blood cells (hemoglobin, hematocrit, MCV (mean corpuscular volume), MCH (mean corpuscular hemoglobin), RDW (red cell distribution width), platelets, neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, basophils), kidney function (BUN, creatinine, GFR), electrolytes (sodium, potassium, chloride), CO2 (carbon dioxide), calcium, phosphorus, total protein, alkaline phosphatase.

These basics are typically included in most routine yearly or twice yearly labs. It’s important to watch for trends and recent changes in these values. 

Fasting required for accurate results of glucose.

Standard cholesterol testing is not a good predictor of risk for cardiac events. Approximately 50% of those who suffer a cardiovascular event have normal or low cholesterol, while 50% with elevated cholesterol never suffer a cardiovascular event. The best predictor of risk at this time is a test that measures the size of LDL and HDL cholesterol particles. Larger particles are unable to worm their way into the vessel walls to form plaque, while smaller particles can. Testing may also include other lab markers (such as CRP, Lp(a), insulin, homocysteine, HDL2b, and others) that can help to guide specific lifestyle and diet changes to lower risk.

Fasting is required for accurate lipid measurements.

Made from cholesterol in the skin in response to sun exposure, vitamin D is crucial for prevention of heart disease, diabetes, auto-immune conditions, osteoporosis, seasonal affective disorder, many types of cancer, and much more.

According to numerous studies, to obtain all the benefits of vitamin D, blood levels of 50-80 are required, though current lab reference ranges don’t reflect this. Many factors determine blood levels of vitamin D, and we have found most Ohioans who are not taking 2000-5000 IU of vitamin D daily are deficient, even in summer with sun exposure.

Since vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, the only way to determine your optimal dose is to test until optimized. Ideally, you should determine your summer and winter dosage needs. 

Most doctors will order this test so that it can be included in routine lab testing. Ask for 25-OH vitamin D.

A1C determines your average blood glucose over the past 90 days by measuring the level of glycation (sugar coating) of the hemoglobin proteins in your red blood cells. A normal A1C does not rule out pre-diabetes so it’s important to include an insulin measurement to determine if you have insulin resistance. Insulin resistance means cells are not responding to insulin at normal levels, requiring beta cells in the pancreas to produce higher levels to normalize glucose in the bloodstream. Over time, this leads to beta cell burnout, followed eventually, by elevated glucose. If this process is identified before pancreatic beta cell burnout, diabetes can be prevented.

HOMA-IR stands for Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance. Using glucose and insulin levels, a calculation is made to determine if/how much insulin resistance is present, as well as the relative risk for developing diabetes. This test can also help to determine if pancreatic beta cells are keeping up with insulin needs.

If fatty acids become imbalanced in the body, this contributes to inflammation, pain, high cholesterol, dry eyes, hair and skin, depression and anxiety, changes in cognition and numerous other health challenges. This panel measures trans fatty acids, saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, omega-3’s (EPA, DHA, Alpha linoleic acid) and arachidonic acid.

Often when patients are told their thyroid is “normal,” only TSH has been measured. TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) is a signaling hormone from the pituitary that stimulates thyroid production of T4 and T3. The hormone produced in highest amount by the thyroid, T4, must be converted (mostly by the liver) into T3 before it becomes metabolically active. Measuring all 3 markers at the same time is important in identifying whether there is weak pituitary signaling, weak thyroid hormone output, or insufficient conversion in the liver. Each of these scenarios requires a different holistic approach.

Increasingly common is a condition known as Hashimoto’s, or auto-immune thyroiditis, where the body’s immune system begins making TPO and TG antibodies that damage the thyroid, impairing its function over time.

Like T3, Reverse T3 is derived from T4, but rather than igniting metabolism, it does the opposite - it slows the metabolism. This hormone is made at the expense of T3 during times of high stress, illness or starvation (including very low-calorie diets).