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There is nothing that can replace the expertise of seeing a physician. The following information is not intended to encourage anyone to self diagnose or treat health issues.
How many of us see a physician before jumping into a fitness regime? Ok let's be realistic please. Very few of us. Ideally we all should see a doc for a basic physical exam and bloodwork beforehand, but we don't. That's reality. I'd say at least getting a Chem/CBC panel is an absolute must though.
The Chemistry Panel & Complete Blood Count test will give you a basic snapshot of what's going on in your blood and can alert you to the need for further testing and a doctor's visit. There are plenty of walk-in labs around these days that charge about $75-90, no doctor's order required, and hand you the results the next day. The place I use (Any Lab Test) sells the Chem Panel and CBC Panel for $49 each or $80 purchased as a package.
That package gives me the following counts.
* Fasting Glucose (blood sugar)
* Uric acid
* BUN (blood urea nitrogen): Measures liver and kidney function
* Creatinine: A test used to measure kidney function
* BUN/Creatinine Ratio: For diagnosis of impaired renal function
* Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR)
* Sodium
* Potassium
* Chloride
* Calcium
* Phosphorus
* Total Protein
* Albumin
* Globulin
* Albumin/Globulin Ratio
* Bilirubin: Evaluates kidney and liver function
* Alkaline Phosphatase: Evaluation of liver and bone diseases
* LDH (lactic dehydrogenase)
* AST (SGOT): Evaluates liver function
* ALT (SGPT): Evaluates liver function
* Iron (serum)
* Lipid Profile:
o Total Cholesterol
o Triglycerides
o HDL Cholesterol
o LDL Cholesterol
o Total Cholesterol/HDL Ratio
* Complete Blood Count:
o Red blood cell count
o Hemoglobin
o Hematocrit
o Red blood cell indices
o Mean corpuscular hemoglobin
o Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration
o Red blood cell distribution
o White blood cell count
o Differential count
o Platelet count
No waiting room. No physician to deal with. You look at your own results rather than hear them summarized by someone else. I've never waited more than five minutes to get the test done or pick it up. My co-pay is $45 now for a doc's office visit, so I certainly don't mind paying an additional $35 for the ease and convenience of going this route.
How many of us see a physician before jumping into a fitness regime? Ok let's be realistic please. Very few of us. Ideally we all should see a doc for a basic physical exam and bloodwork beforehand, but we don't. That's reality. I'd say at least getting a Chem/CBC panel is an absolute must though.
The Chemistry Panel & Complete Blood Count test will give you a basic snapshot of what's going on in your blood and can alert you to the need for further testing and a doctor's visit. There are plenty of walk-in labs around these days that charge about $75-90, no doctor's order required, and hand you the results the next day. The place I use (Any Lab Test) sells the Chem Panel and CBC Panel for $49 each or $80 purchased as a package.
That package gives me the following counts.
* Fasting Glucose (blood sugar)
* Uric acid
* BUN (blood urea nitrogen): Measures liver and kidney function
* Creatinine: A test used to measure kidney function
* BUN/Creatinine Ratio: For diagnosis of impaired renal function
* Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR)
* Sodium
* Potassium
* Chloride
* Calcium
* Phosphorus
* Total Protein
* Albumin
* Globulin
* Albumin/Globulin Ratio
* Bilirubin: Evaluates kidney and liver function
* Alkaline Phosphatase: Evaluation of liver and bone diseases
* LDH (lactic dehydrogenase)
* AST (SGOT): Evaluates liver function
* ALT (SGPT): Evaluates liver function
* Iron (serum)
* Lipid Profile:
o Total Cholesterol
o Triglycerides
o HDL Cholesterol
o LDL Cholesterol
o Total Cholesterol/HDL Ratio
* Complete Blood Count:
o Red blood cell count
o Hemoglobin
o Hematocrit
o Red blood cell indices
o Mean corpuscular hemoglobin
o Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration
o Red blood cell distribution
o White blood cell count
o Differential count
o Platelet count
No waiting room. No physician to deal with. You look at your own results rather than hear them summarized by someone else. I've never waited more than five minutes to get the test done or pick it up. My co-pay is $45 now for a doc's office visit, so I certainly don't mind paying an additional $35 for the ease and convenience of going this route.
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