A recent Washington Post report identified necessary blood tests that help you reveal a lot about your health condition.
Here’s what to know about 6 blood tests everyone should take, which may reveal a lot about your health:
Comprehensive blood test
This test measures the body’s complete blood count (CBC), red and white blood cells, as well as platelets. It can help identify infections and conditions such as anemia and even leukemia.
If you’re healthy, “getting this checked every two to three years is fine,” says Stephen Kopecky, MD, a cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
Metabolic screening
Basic metabolic screening is used to evaluate glucose levels and screen for diabetes. The test “also looks at kidney and liver function, thyroid function, and electrolytes such as potassium, sodium, and calcium,” Kopecky says.
Fat screening
A lipid screening, which may require fasting beforehand, measures cholesterol and triglyceride levels. High scores can indicate an increased risk of heart disease.
A1C
The A1C test measures average blood sugar levels over the past three months and can be a useful tool for diagnosing diabetes. Kopecky points out that fasting is not required.
Thyroid test
A TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) test can indicate an abnormality in the thyroid gland, either overactivity (hyperthyroidism) or underactivity (hypothyroidism), says See. Noel Byre-Mears, director of the Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles.
Although thyroid dysfunction is treatable and rarely life-threatening, it “affects almost every system in the body,” Perry Mears says, which can lead to a wide range of symptoms, including weight changes, fatigue and sleep problems.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D testing is somewhat controversial. Proponents, including Kopecky, say it can be useful in identifying deficiencies in the body. Critics, including Berry Merz, point out that numerous experiments have raised questions about the true health benefits of taking vitamin D supplements.
2024-04-02 20:43:14
#blood #tests #reveal #secrets #health
