There is a lot of confusion around getting blood work. What tests should you get, what results are you looking for, and how often should you be getting tested? We’re going to discuss the 3 most important tests to get in your blood work.
Even if you are in your 20’s, there are important things you need to know about your body that you can get from blood work. As people are tracking their steps and their sleep and becoming more savvy, these are numbers that you’ll want to know.
How often should you be getting your blood work tested?
Get blood work at least once a year. The goal is to catch things before they become a problem. There is also a difference between normal and optimal. Even if your Vitamin D level isn’t low enough to cause rickets, you may not be seeing the full benefits for your immune system or appetite. Normal is not always okay. Also, you are always comparing against yourself. Having regular tests allows you to see the trends and act accordingly. If something changes from year to year, ask questions.
Vitamin D Test
Vitamin D is completely multi-purpose. It affects calcium absorption into your bones, your immunity, your cancer risk, and it also plays a role in insulin. Your Vitamin D being off can throw off a lot of other things. Very few people, unless they are supplementing, are not at their optimal levels.
A1C
This is one diabetics are familiar with, but it is not just for diabetics. It measures your blood sugar over a 3 month period. Your A1C also has implications for cancer and brain health. Having an elevated A1C increases your risk of memory loss, dementia, alzheimers, and more.
TSH
You want to get your thyroid examined to find out how hard your thyroid is working. Signs of hypothyroidism are hair loss or brittle hair, weight gain, sensitivity to cold, and lack of sex drive. You will want to make sure you get a full thyroid panel. There are far ranging issues for energy, sex life, and risk of miscarriage. There are many reasons you want to keep tabs on your thyroid health.
There are a lot of additional tests we didn’t cover here today. Gene testing and urine tests can tell you more about what’s going on in your body.
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