The At Home Baseline Health Test Is Encouraged If:
- You are at risk for chronic inflammatory diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, lupus or vasculitis
- You are overweight
- You have diabetes type 1 or type 2
- You have a family history of diabetes
- You are at risk for Crohn’s disease
- You are at risk for bowel disorders
- You are presenting with symptoms of diabetes
- You require a risk assessment for cardiovascular diseases
- You require a risk assessment for cancers
- You have a strong family history of heart disease
- You take cholesterol medication
- You have a family history of high cholesterol or heart disease
- You are overweight
- You drink smoke & drink alcohol frequently
- You don’t exercise
- You have a first-degree relative who has suffered a heart attack, cardiac stents, a stroke or has undergone bypass surgery
- You lead a sedentary lifestyle
- You suffer from diabetes or kidney disease.
It is recommended to take this test first thing in the morning, before 9am after fasting at least 6-8 hours.
GGT is usually the first liver enzyme to rise in the blood when any of the bile ducts that carry bile from the liver to the intestines become obstructed, for example, by tumors or stones.
This makes it the most sensitive liver enzyme test for detecting bile duct problems.
Low-density lipoprotein (LDL)
This is often called “bad cholesterol”. This is oversimplified as LDL cholesterol is essential for your health. But if you have too much LDL cholesterol it can build up on the walls of your arteries. This is called cholesterol plaque and it narrows your arteries and increases your risk of blood clots — putting you at risk of heart disease.
HDL stands for high-density lipoproteins. It is sometimes called the “good” cholesterol because it carries cholesterol from other parts of your body back to your liver. Your liver then removes the cholesterol from your body. LDL stands for low-density lipoproteins.
VLDL is a lipoprotein which is considered a “bad” form of cholesterol. Raised levels are a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
Lipids
There are special transporters in your body called lipoproteins. They are like little cars that help drive around cholesterol to different parts of your body. Some of these drivers can be helpful and others not.
Monitoring and maintaining healthy levels of these lipids is important in staying healthy. While the body produces the cholesterol needed to function properly, the source for some cholesterol is the diet. Eating too much of foods that are high in saturated fats and trans unsaturated fats (trans fats) or having an inherited predisposition can result in a high level of cholesterol in the blood. The extra cholesterol may be deposited in plaques on the walls of blood vessels. Plaques can narrow or eventually block the opening of blood vessels, leading to hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis) and increasing the risk of numerous health problems, including heart disease and stroke.
LDL:HDL %
A high serum LDL:HDL ratio can be predictive of sudden cardiac death in middle-aged men. It is a good idea to keep this as a baseline over time to give a clearer picture of how your lifestyle is affecting your health.
Total Cholesterol is a measure of the total amount of cholesterol in your blood. It includes both low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol.
It’s important to remember that elevated cholesterol doesn’t mean a heart attack. In fact, only half of the people suffering from heart attacks have elevated cholesterol. It is simply part of the bigger picture.
Cholesterol is important for the body to manufacture hormones, vitamin D, bile acids, and help maintain the structure of your cells.
Total Cholesterol:HDL %
We determine your cholesterol ratio by dividing your total cholesterol by your HDL number. For instance, if your total cholesterol is 180 and your HDL is 82, your cholesterol ratio is 2.2. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), you should aim to keep your ratio below 5, with the ideal cholesterol ratio being 3.5.
Results for men
According to the Framingham Heart Study, a cholesterol ratio of 5 indicates average risk of heart disease for men. Men have double the risk for heart disease if their ratio reaches 9.6, and they have roughly half the average risk for heart disease with a cholesterol ratio of 3.4.
Results for women
Because women often have higher levels of good cholesterol, their cholesterol ratio risk categories differ. According to the same study, a 4.4 ratio indicates average risk for heart disease in women. Heart disease risk for women doubles if their ratio is 7, while a ratio of 3.3 signifies roughly half the average risk.
It’s important to remember that elevated cholesterol doesn’t mean a heart attack. In fact, only half of the people suffering from heart attacks have elevated cholesterol. It is simply part of the bigger picture.
Cholesterol is important for the body to manufacture hormones, vitamin D, bile acids, and help maintain the structure of your cells.
hbAIC
Regular HbA1c testing can also help you see how choices you make—like diet—affect your blood sugar levels, especially if you’re diabetic or prediabetic.
Our home HbA1c test can help identify pre-diabetes or determine how well a person’s diabetes is being controlled following diagnosis. This HbA1c test is used to check the amount of glucose or sugar in your blood and high levels can indicate poor diabetes management.
HbA1c is a measurement of the amount of glucose bound to the heme found in red blood cells. An HbA1c measurement lets you know how well your sugar levels have been controlled over the past 90 days.
Glucose
Blood glucose measures the glucose levels in your blood. Glucose is a type of sugar. It is your brain & body’s main source of energy. A hormone called insulin helps move glucose from your bloodstream into your cells. Too much or too little glucose in the blood can be a sign of a serious medical condition. High blood glucose levels (hyperglycemia) may be a sign of diabetes, a disorder that can cause heart disease, blindness, kidney failure and other complications. Low blood glucose levels (hypoglycemia) can also lead to major health problems, including brain damage, if not treated.
hs-CRP
hs-CRP is a measure of C-reactive protein (CRP), a protein that the liver makes when there is inflammation in the body. While inflammation in the body can be beneficial in the right amounts, in order to help protect organs from injuries or infections, excessive inflammation has been linked to heart disease, stroke and more.
Lab Me doesn’t use traditional dry blood spot cards like our competitors. We use a patented blood collection system that is FDA approved. It separates blood from plasma allowing us to have low variability and virtually identical results as arm drawn blood.
Regular testing of biomarkers can act as an early detection system. Especially if you’re not getting enough sleep, have improper nutrition, substandard training, unwise lifestyle choices or weak bone health. Lab Me helps by detecting non-optimal levels of blood biomarkers . For example high levels of cortisol which is an indicator of stress.
We use lab’s that are the same labs used by hospitals, major corporations, medical clinics and private doctors. They are CAP and CLIA certified and undergo regular audits and daily calibrations.
FIND OUT MORE ON WHY YOU SHOULD TRACK