What is the purpose of this test?
Order this Weight Management Blood Test Panel, Men, which provides blood analysis to uncover biological abnormalities that could cause unwanted weight gain or loss in men. Individuals must ensure their body is adequately prepared physically and nutritionally to maximize their weight management. The organ function, nutritional and hormonal state can affect weight in many ways. Therefore, this panel was designed to supplement weight management since knowing the numbers is a mandate to achieve weight loss or gain.
The Weight Management Blood Test Panel, Women, includes the following:
Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP-14):
- Glucose - The blood sugar level is the most direct test to screen for diabetes and is also used in diabetes management.
- Kidney Profile
- Bun or Urea Nitrogen (BUN) - An indicator of kidney function.
- Creatinine, Serum - An indicator of kidney function.
- Bun/Creatinine Ratio - Calculated by dividing the BUN by creatinine. This ratio can suggest conditions including dehydration or intestinal bleeding.
- Liver Panel
- Protein, Total - Assists in determining liver and kidney function and nutritional health.
- Albumin Serum - One of the significant proteins essential for the healthy function of the liver and kidney.
- Globulin, Total - One of the major proteins that assist the blood in clotting and adequately comprise infection-fighting antibodies.
- Albumin/Globulin Ratio - Calculated by dividing the albumin by globulin. When paired with other test results, this ratio can assist in diagnosing various liver problems.
- Bilirubin, Total - Aids in detecting hepatitis, sickle cell, anemia, cirrhosis, alcohol, and drug abuse. High concentrations may result in jaundice.
- Alkaline Phosphatase - A protein vital in detecting bone disorders and liver disease.
- Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST or SGOT) - An enzyme helpful in evaluating liver function. An elevated level is an indication of hepatitis.
- Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT or SGPT) - An enzyme helpful in identifying liver damage. Abnormalities may represent liver disease.
- Fluids & Electrolytes
- Sodium - One of the major salts in body fluid. Sodium is essential in water balance and the electrical activity of nerves and muscles.
- Potassium - Helps to control the nerves and muscles.
- Chloride - Similar to sodium, it helps to maintain the body's electrolyte balance.
- Carbon Dioxide, Total - Used to help detect, evaluate, and monitor electrolyte imbalances.
- Calcium - A mineral essential for developing and maintaining healthy bones and teeth. It is also vital for the normal function of muscles, nerves, and blood clotting.
Complete Blood Count (CBC) - A complete blood count (CBC) will give important information about the kinds and numbers of cells in the blood, especially red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. A CBC helps health professionals check any symptoms, such as fatigue, weakness, or bruising, that an individual may have. A CBC also helps diagnose conditions such as anemia, infection, and many other disorders.
Lipid Panel - is used to help determine an individual's risk of heart disease and to help guide them and their health care provider in deciding what treatment may be best for them if they have borderline or high risk.
- Cholesterol, Total - A measurement used to assess heart health. Cholesterol is required by the body to build healthy cells, but high cholesterol levels can increase an individual's risk of heart disease.
- Triglycerides - Surplus fats transported in the bloodstream and provide energy to the body.
- HDL Cholesterol - High-density lipoproteins, or "good" cholesterol, take cholesterol away from the cells and transport it back to the liver for removal or processing.
- LDL Cholesterol - Low-density lipoproteins (calculation), or "bad" cholesterol, contain the highest percentage of cholesterol and are responsible for depositing cholesterol on the artery walls.
- VLDL Cholesterol - contains the highest amount of triglycerides. VLDL is a type of "bad cholesterol" because it helps cholesterol build up on the walls of arteries.
Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) - is an androgen, a male sex hormone that is present in the blood of both men and women. It plays a role in developing male secondary sexual characteristics at puberty, and the body can metabolize it into more potent androgens, such as testosterone and androstenedione, or can be changed into the female hormone estrogen. The adrenal cortex produces DHEAS, the outer layer of the adrenal glands, with smaller amounts produced by the woman's ovaries and the man's testes. DHEAS secretion is controlled by the pituitary adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and other pituitary factors. Since the adrenal glands primarily produce DHEAS, it is helpful as a marker for adrenal function. Adrenal tumors, cancers, and hyperplasia can lead to the overproduction of DHEAS. While elevated levels may not be noticed in adult men, they can lead to amenorrhea and visible virilization symptoms.
Testosterone Total and Free Total - Small amounts are produced in women's ovaries, and levels are tested to evaluate virilization. The concentration of free testosterone is deficient, typically <2% of the total testosterone concentration. In most men and women, >50% of total circulating testosterone is bound to sex hormone-binding globulin, SHBG, and most of the rest is albumin. Free testosterone is estimated in this test by a direct, analog radioimmunoassay method. This assay uses a labeled testosterone analog with a low binding affinity for SHBG and albumin but is bound by the anti-testosterone antibody used in the assay. Since the analog is unbound in the plasma, it competes with free testosterone for binding sites on an anti-testosterone antibody immobilized on the polypropylene tube's surface.
Progesterone - measures the amount of progesterone in a blood sample. Progesterone, a female hormone produced by the ovaries during ovulation, helps prepare the lining of the uterus (endometrium) to receive the egg if it becomes fertilized by a sperm. If the egg is not fertilized, progesterone levels will drop, and menstrual bleeding begins. During pregnancy, the placenta produces high levels of progesterone, starting near the end of the first trimester and continuing until the baby is born. Progesterone levels in a pregnant woman are almost ten times higher than in a woman who is not pregnant.
Certain types of cancer cause abnormal progesterone levels in men and women.
Estradiol - Estrogen is a group of hormones primarily responsible for developing female sex organs and secondary sex characteristics. There are three main estrogen fractions: estrone (E1), estradiol (E2), and estriol (E3). Estradiol (E2) is produced in women, mainly in the ovary. In men, the testes and adrenal glands are the principal source of estradiol. In women, normal estradiol levels provide for proper ovulation, conception, and pregnancy, in addition to promoting healthy bone structure and regulating cholesterol levels.
C-Reactive Protein (CRP) Blood Test, High Sensitivity - is a blood test that measures the amount of a protein called C-reactive protein in the blood. C-reactive protein measures general levels of inflammation in the body. Infections and many long-term diseases cause high levels of CRP. But a CRP test cannot show where the inflammation is located or what is causing it. So other tests are needed to find the cause and location of the inflammation.
Thyroid-stimulating Hormone (TSH) - is used to diagnose a thyroid disorder in a person with symptoms, screen newborns for an underactive thyroid, monitor thyroid replacement therapy in people with hypothyroidism, diagnose and monitor female infertility problems, help evaluate the function of the pituitary gland (occasionally) and screen adults for thyroid disorders. However, expert opinions vary on who can benefit from screening and at what age to begin.
Thyroxine T4 (Free, Direct) - is used to evaluate thyroid function in individuals who may have protein abnormalities that could affect total T4 levels. In addition, it is used to assess thyroid function and monitor replacement and suppressive therapy.
Tri-iodothyronine T3 Free - T3 typically represents only approximately 5% of the thyroid hormone and, like thyroxine, is almost entirely bound to the carrier proteins, with only 0.25% of the total being in the free state. Therefore, the measurement of free T-3 is of value in confirming the diagnosis of hyperthyroidism when an elevated free or total thyroxine level is found. Abnormal total and free tri-iodothyronine concentrations can appear in T3 toxicosis in normal thyroxine levels. Free T3 levels are not affected by carrier protein variation.
Homocysteine - is an amino acid found normally in the body. Its metabolism is linked to that of several vitamins, especially folic acid, B6, and B12, and deficiencies of those vitamins may cause elevated levels of homocysteine. Recent studies have suggested that people with high homocysteine levels have a much greater risk of heart attack or stroke than those with average levels. In addition, increased homocysteine concentrations have been associated with an increased tendency to form appropriate blood clots. This can lead to heart attack, strokes, and blood vessel blockages in any part of the body.
