Men’s Health Panel

This panel is for men of all ages to identify potential health issues early on and take necessary steps to manage or treat them.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

The Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) test is a blood test used primarily to screen for prostate cancer. The test measures the amount of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in your blood. PSA is a protein produced by both cancerous and noncancerous tissue in the prostate, a small gland that sits below the bladder in males.

PSA tests can pick up some prostate cancers before they have any symptoms. This means that the patient can then make a decision about whether they should undergo treatment or watchful waiting for their cancer.

It can also mean that if the cancer is fast growing, it may be possible to start treatment early enough to stop the cancer spreading beyond the prostate and becoming advanced prostate cancer.

This test measures the level of the hormone testosterone in your blood. Testosterone is a male sex hormone (androgen) that helps male features develop. This test is done to identify any factors that might interfere with sex drive (libido), bone mass, fat distribution, muscle mass or production of red blood cells and sperm.

A Free Testosterone test measures only the “active” form of testosterone. It may be useful for diagnosing certain medical conditions.

A cortisol test measures the level of cortisol in your blood, urine, or saliva to see if your levels are normal. Cortisol is a hormone that affects almost every organ and tissue in your body. It helps your body: Respond to stress (cortisol is sometimes called the “stress hormone”).

A lipoprotein(a) test measures the level of lipoprotein(a) in your blood. A high level of lipoprotein (a) may mean you have a high risk for heart disease and stroke. Lipoproteins are particles made of protein and fats (lipids). They carry cholesterol through your bloodstream to your cells.

A lipoprotein (a) blood test can give you a more accurate understanding of your risk than a routine cholesterol test that only measures your total LDL cholesterol level. That’s because a routine cholesterol test may show that your LDL cholesterol level is “healthy,” but if a large percentage of your LDL cholesterol is carried by lipoprotein (a) particles, your risk for heart disease and stroke could still be high.

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)

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)

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

An elevated PSA level does not cause symptoms, but it may be a sign of prostate problems like cancer.

An elevated PSA level doesn’t cause other symptoms. But it may be a sign of certain conditions that affect your prostate. These conditions might cause other symptoms.

Symptoms may include:
Difficulty urinating (peeing)
Peeing more than usual, including while you’re sleeping
Slow pee stream
Blood in your urine (hematuria)
Difficulty holding your pee in (urinary incontinence)

Specific symptoms are those more likely or directly linked to Testosterone Deficiency such as:
Reduced sex drive
Reduced erectile function
Loss of body hair
Less beard growth
Loss of lean muscle mass
Feeling very tired all the time (fatigue)
Obesity (being overweight)
Symptoms of depression

What happens if you have low Free Testosterone levels?
Decreased sex drive (libido)
Erectile dysfunction, including loss of morning erections
Lean muscle mass loss
Body and facial hair loss
Fatigue (feeling tired all the time)
Weight gain or obesity
Depression
Anemia

High Cortisol Levels Symptoms and Signs:
Fatigue
Mid-section weight gain
Bruising easily
Swelling in the legs
Mood swings
Irregular periods
Mental fogginess
Muscle weakness

Many people don’t have symptoms. You could have a high Lp(a) even if you have a healthy lifestyle and all other heart disease risk factors are controlled.

You will want to have your LP(a) tested if you have a family history of early cardiovascular disease, or heart attack, stroke, or poor circulation in your legs.

1 in 5 people may inherit elevated Lp(a)1. It’s one of the strongest single genetic risk factors for heart disease.