Aging Panel

As we age, we may see declines in our thyroid function, insulin resistance markers, cardiovascular risk, energy levels and other functions. Take this test to become aware of potential areas for concern.

Collect your specimen in the morning and drop it in the mail, on the same day, using the pre-paid envelope we provide in your test kit.

The A1c test is a blood test that measures your average blood sugar levels over the past 3 months. It’s one of the commonly used tests to diagnose prediabetes and diabetes, and is also the main test to help you and your health care team manage your diabetes. Higher A1c levels are linked to diabetes complications, so reaching and maintaining your individual A1c goal is really important if you have diabetes.

When sugar enters your bloodstream, it attaches to hemoglobin, a protein in your red blood cells. Everybody has some sugar attached to their hemoglobin, but people with higher blood sugar levels have more. The A1c test measures the percentage of your red blood cells that have sugar-coated hemoglobin.

An AST blood test measures the amount of AST in your blood. The test is commonly used to help diagnose liver damage or disease.

A Creatinine test is a measure of how well your kidneys are performing their job of filtering waste from your blood.

An HDL Cholesterol test measures the amount of cholesterol found inside high-density lipoproteins (HDL) in the blood.

High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) is a marker of inflammation that predicts the risk of heart attack, stroke, peripheral arterial disease, and sudden cardiac death among healthy individuals with no history of cardiovascular disease, and recurrent events and death in patients with acute or stable coronary syndromes. It is a non-specific, acute phase protein that the liver makes in response to inflammation in the body. It may become elevated due to certain chronic illnesses, medications, recent illnesses or when the body is fighting off an infection or inflammation due to excesses in diet and lifestyle.

The LDL test measures the amount of low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (bad cholesterol) in your blood.

Cholesterol ratio is a comparison of HDL (good) cholesterol to total cholesterol, indicating heart disease risk.

A Total Cholesterol test 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. LDL (bad) cholesterol is the main source of cholesterol buildup and blockage in the arteries.

To calculate your cholesterol ratio, we divide your total cholesterol number by your HDL cholesterol number.

A Triglycerides test is a blood test that measures the amount of fat in your blood called triglycerides. High triglycerides may increase your risk for a heart attack or stroke. A triglycerides test can help you decide if you need to take action to lower your risk.

This test measures the amount of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) in your blood. TSH is produced by the pituitary gland. It prompts the thyroid gland to make and release thyroid hormones into the blood.

A Vitamin D test is used to screen for or monitor bone disorders, in addition to checking vitamin D levels in people with chronic illnesses such as asthma, psoriasis, and certain autoimmune diseases. Also, laboratory studies show that vitamin D can reduce cancer cell growth, help control infections and reduce inflammation, so it is important that we maintain healthy levels of Vitamin D.

The VLDL test measures the amount of very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) in your blood. VLDL cholesterol is a type of blood fat. It’s considered one of the “bad” forms of cholesterol, along with LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. This is because high levels cholesterol can clog your arteries and lead to a heart attack.

An A1C test may be used to screen for:

Type 2 diabetes. With type 2 diabetes your blood glucose gets too high because your body doesn’t make enough insulin to move blood sugar from your bloodstream into your cells, or because your cells stop responding to insulin.

Prediabetes. Prediabetes means that your blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to diagnosed as diabetes. Lifestyle changes, such as healthy eating and exercise, may help delay or prevent prediabetes from becoming type 2 diabetes.

If you have diabetes or prediabetes, an A1C test can help monitor your condition and check how well you’ve been able to control your blood sugar levels.

Warning Signs and Symptoms of Diabetes:
Urinating often
Feeling very thirsty
Feeling very hungry—even though you are eating
Extreme fatigue
Blurry vision
Cuts/bruises that are slow to heal
Weight loss—even though you are eating more (type 1)
Tingling, pain, or numbness in the hands/feet (type 2)

These may include:
Nausea and vomiting
Lack of appetite
Fatigue
Weakness
Jaundice, a condition that causes your skin and eyes to turn yellow
Swelling and/or pain in your abdomen (belly)
Swelling in your ankles and legs
Dark-colored urine (pee) and/or light-colored stool (poop)

Symptoms commonly associated with high creatinine can include fatigue, weakness, muscle twitching and cramps, high blood pressure, nausea, vomiting, changes in frequency of urination, loss of appetite, chest pain and fluid retention.

HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol, sometimes called “good” cholesterol, absorbs cholesterol in the blood and carries it back to the liver. The liver then flushes it from the body. High levels of HDL cholesterol can lower your risk for heart disease and stroke.

Most people don’t have symptoms because of the HDL level alone. They may not know they have low HDL levels until after a medical emergency, like a heart attack or stroke. Routine bloodwork helps monitor for any disease risks, like a low HDL level.

High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) is a marker of inflammation. It predicts incident myocardial infarction, stroke, peripheral arterial disease, and sudden cardiac death among healthy individuals with no history of cardiovascular disease, and recurrent events and death in patients with acute or stable coronary syndromes.

High LDL cholesterol levels can make you more likely to have problems including: Coronary artery disease. Peripheral artery disease. Heart disease, including chest pain (angina) and heart attack.

Symptoms of low cholesterol:
Hopelessness
Nervousness
Confusion
Agitation
Difficulty making a decision
Changes in your mood, sleep, or eating patterns

High CRP may be a potentially life-threatening condition called sepsis or blood poisoning. Symptoms of sepsis may include fever and chills, headache, pain, nausea, vomiting, confusion, rash, and shortness of breath.

There are usually no symptoms of high cholesterol. A blood test is the only way to detect if you have it. But if left untreated, it can lead to heart attack and stroke. It’s often a hidden risk factor which means it can happen without us knowing until it’s too late.

There are usually no symptoms of high cholesterol. A blood test is the only way to detect if you have it. But if left untreated, it can lead to heart attack and stroke. It’s often a hidden risk factor which means it can happen without us knowing until it’s too late.

There are usually no clear symptoms of high triglycerides which is why it is so important to have blood work done regularly to monitor these levels before they get out of hand. In cases of severely high triglyceride levels, an individual may experience chest pain, numbness, dizziness or confusion.

Extremely high blood triglyceride levels, greater than 1,500 mg/dL, may cause the body to stop breaking down fats, which is called multifactorial chylomicronemia syndrome . Symptoms include short-term memory loss, swelling of the liver and spleen, stomach pain, and reddening or flushing of the skin with alcohol use.

Hyperthyroidism (too much thyroid hormone) is also called overactive thyroid. Having more thyroid hormones than you need speeds up your body functions and causes symptoms that include:
Weight loss, even though you may be eating more than usual
Rapid or irregular heartbeat
Feeling nervous or irritable
Trouble sleeping, fatigue
Shaky hands, muscle weakness
Sweating or being very sensitive to heat
Frequent bowel movements (pooping a lot)
Goiter (enlarged thyroid)

Hypothyroidism (too little thyroid hormone) is also called underactive thyroid. Not having enough thyroid hormone slows down your body functions and causes symptoms that include: Fatigue
Weight gain
Being very sensitive to cold
Joint and muscle pain
Dry skin
Dry, thinning hair
Heavy or irregular menstrual periods
Depression
Constipation

Vitamin D deficiency can lead to a loss of bone density, which can contribute to osteoporosis and fractures (broken bones). Severe vitamin D deficiency can also lead to other diseases: In children, it can cause rickets. Rickets is a rare disease that causes the bones to become soft and bend.
Most people with vitamin D deficiency don’t notice any symptoms. Others may notice vague symptoms that may be signs of any number of conditions.

Possible symptoms include:
Muscle pain
Bone pain
Increased sensitivity to pain
A tingly, “pins-and-needles” sensation in the hands or feet Muscle weakness in body parts near the trunk of the body, such as the upper arms or thighs
Waddling while walking, due to muscle weakness in the hips or legs
A history of broken bones
Muscle twitches or tremors
Muscle spasms
Bowed legs (when the deficiency is severe)

If your VLDL levels are low, it generally indicates a positive health outcome. Lower levels of VLDL link with lower levels of triglycerides and LDL cholesterol, reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.