4 replies to this topic

[zwentibold]

Hey all,

since I was diagnosed with a really low Vitamin D (I went to the doc to suggest it) I wonder which other blood and vitamin parameters could be really low and should be tested. I am looking for a list or a recommendation which ones are important or likely to be low. As I have to pay for these tests extra, I sadly cannot just test _all_ (btw, how many are there? hundreds I guess). Are there any public data about blood parameters and percentage of the population having a low result? That would be cool.

 

Thanks a lot.

Edited by zwentibold, 10 March 2018 - 05:46 PM.

[pamojja]

Too expensive to test all probable deficiencies. Some of the nutrient tests aren't very accurate. See a list of the most common deficiencies in this post: http://www.longecity...-mineral-stack/

[ta5]

Since you don't know exactly what you're looking for, figure out how much you're willing to spend and get one of the bigger general male/health/aging blood test panels. They are designed for your purpose. As a panel, they will be cheaper than buying individual tests.

 

Here are LE's blood tests:

http://www.lifeexten...sts/Blood-Tests

 

For example, there's the Male Panel, Male Elite Panel, Healthy Aging Panel (Basic), Healthy Aging Panel (Comprehensive). The most expensive one out of those is the Male Elite Panel for $575.

 

Take a look at the analytes in those panels to get an idea of the things you probably want to look at.

 

Since you say you have to pay out of pocket, shop around. I do too, and it's cheaper for me to buy online than it would to get it though my doctor. Look at similar panels from other sellers. I've bought from LE and walkinlab in the past. There are others. Most are simply reselling LabCorp or Quest tests. They have sales occasionally. LE usually has a good sale on blood tests around May every year. Being March now, you may want to wait. Otherwise, LE tends to be more expensive than others sellers. I don't buy from LE the rest of the year.

[pamojja]

Since zwentibold is from Germany, there are quite some labs which are substantially cheaper than LEFs panels. For example http://www.labor-gaertner.de/ or http://lab4more-online.de/ close to where I live in Austria. One has to inquire the prices for individual tests first though, because certain individual tests are very expensive too.

 

What's tested for example in LEFs male panel I got tested through my GP paid by insurance. Since I had low testosterone, and other chronic conditions justifying most tests, repeatedly about every year.

 

From LEFs expensive Male Elite Panel, for example, only DHT, pregnenolone and pregesterone I couldn't get through insurance. The last time checked these would cost about 40,-€ each in German labs.

 

But first educate yourself what you're testing for. Despite chronic illnesses with too low free testosterone or freeT3 no insurance paid endocrinologist thought it worthwhile to do anything about. For that one would have to go to paid for MDs, with further substantial costs.

 

 

I am looking for a list or a recommendation which ones are important or likely to be low. As I have to pay for these tests extra, I sadly cannot just test _all_

 

Electrolytes (calcium, potassium, sodium, chloride, phosphate), Iron panels, Vitamin B12 and B9, along with 25(OH)D3 are usually paid for by insurance with a health check-up.

 

The most important missing is RBC-magnesium (erythrocytes, if that's not available whole blood is second best). But since almost all are deficient in magnesium which usually takes time to correct (in my case was possible only with IVs) one can just start to supplement and test latter.

Edited by pamojja, 11 March 2018 - 12:01 PM.

[pamojja]

But first educate yourself what you're testing for...
 
 
Electrolytes (calcium, potassium, sodium, chloride, phosphate), Iron panels, Vitamin B12 and B9, along with 25(OH)D3 are usually paid for by insurance with a health check-up.

 
Without some self-education all lab-tests are of no use. The first to understand is that normal laboratory ranges are just statistical constructs by subtracting the lowest and highest 2.5%. With the assumption that the majority of all tested, in this case 95%, is 'normal' and healthy. The reality is of course, that the majority getting tested does so because of some health problem. Various figures of functional medicine have publicized 'optimal' ranges. One can google and read their recommendations. Also LEF gives optimal ranges.
 
So lets say one marker is consistently below 'normal' (also meaning one outlier doesn't have to mean much than the usual daily fluctuations), like it was with serum calcium in my case during the first couple years of testing. Doesn't mean it's also low in tissue (RBC, hair) or when excreted (urine). Supplementing might just be in vain (if co-factors are missing or the body, for some unknown reason, wants to get rid of it). In my case only consistent serum 25(OH)D levels brought also serum calcium up. Insurance paid GPs, when evaluating laboratory panels, usually only have 3 minutes for patient care, so the filter out most off lab value sonly, they are able to give prescriptions against. For other off values there isn't any time left to investigate and one is just 'monitored' till one is death.
 
HTMA or hair tissue mineral analysis isn't worse or better than that. But one has to consider it as tissue and a form of excretion. Not only a way to measure the average blood levels while the hair was growing, but also a way how the body gets rid of stuff. It's advantage is that it measures all essential and toxic minerals for a relatively low price (~60,-€), but each has to be interpreted on its own terms. Which again means a lot of self-education and accumulating experience, or again a paid health-care provider.
 
Vitamin B12 or B9 if high or above normal don't mean they are in the form which can be metabolized by a body. Serum homocysteine is a better indicator of a deficiency (in B12, B9, B6) despite high serum levels. If there is, there are further tests to single out the culprit (MMA, transcobalamin..). In this case it's often cheaper just to try different forms and doses of vitamins involved, while watching homocysteine improve or deteriorate.
 
Some optimal levels for serum electrolytes as example from different sources:
 
Sodium  142 -145
Calcium ~2.4
Potassium 4 - 5
Magnesium > 0,86
Chloride ~ 107
Phosphate ~ 1.29
 
All in mmol/mol. I stop here, because there are so many lab tests with so many things important to know really only able to cover with whole books. However, don't forget the usual important analyses, like liver and kidney function, complete blood count, thyroid and other important hormones, inflammation markers, lipids and glucose markers..