Three Lab Tests You Should Always, Always Ask For
So, let’s talk blood tests.
We know. The blood test results you receive from your care provider can be confusing.
What do all the numbers and letters refer to?
Are high numbers good or bad?
What does it mean by an optimal range?
There’s a lot to unpack. And, honestly, the best way to understand blood test results is to work with a provider who can translate how your results on paper relate to your health circumstances, and your real world health goals.
Yet knowledge is power. And understanding what all these obscure numbers mean can be a great way to take charge of your health journey.
Here are three things to watch out for in your blood test results, and asking your primary care provider for, if they haven’t yet tested you for them:
Hemoglobin A1C: This is essentially a way to measure blood glucose averages over the past three months. That means it doesn’t just provide a snapshot in time, but rather provides a longer-term picture of how well your body is managing blood sugar. If your results are falling outside the recommended range, it can be a sign of diabetes or prediabetes. Optimal levels are <5.5.
Triglyceride/HDL ratio: Triglycerides are a type of fat (lipid) found in your blood. As well as looking at triglyceride levels in isolation, a growing body of research suggests we should look at how triglyceride levels compare to your HDL levels. (HDL is sometimes referred to as the ‘good’ cholesterol.) In fact, some experts argue that triglyceride/HDL ratios are one of the most important biomarkers for insulin resistance, heart attack risk, metabolic syndrome and many other health risks. Ideally triglycerides are <150, but <100 is optimal.
Fasting insulin: Insulin is a hormone produced by the body to help maintain stable blood sugar levels. Fasting insulin levels refer simply to the level of insulin in your body when it’s not influenced by a recent meal. The reason this is important is that elevated fasting insulin levels can rise long before fasting glucose does, providing an early warning sign for metabolic syndrome—and allowing you to make changes before it develops into prediabetes or other health issues. Optimal levels of fasting insulin are <7.
These specific blood tests are not the only things that matter to your health. But they are often key markers of metabolic health.
If you’re seeking to understand lab results and how they relate to your metabolic health, we’d love to work with you—you can schedule an appointment today!
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