What Your Blood Says About You

The chemistry of your blood can provide invaluable information about the health of your body’s internal processes and organ functioning. Within the blood, chemical substances are released from the body’s cells or from by-products of metabolism, which can then be analyzed to determine the health status of the individual, including the presence of pre-disease or disease conditions. Your blood can indicate how your organs are functioning or if injury is present, the body’s electrolyte balance, protein levels, immune cell count, clotting potential, and hormonal imbalances. Understanding the blood’s chemistry can be used in the prevention, diagnosis and management of various diseases and can provide an evaluation of the general health of an individual.

Types of Blood Tests

Blood panels are blood chemistry tests that screen for particular substances within the blood. There are a variety of blood chemistry tests which differ according to the substance analyzed.

Some commonly conducted panels include:

Complete Blood Count (CBC): assesses the health of the immune system by examining levels of white blood cells, red blood cells, platelet levels for clotting, and hemoglobin. A CBC is beneficial in diagnosing conditions such as anemia, clotting deficiencies, infections, and cancer.

Electrolyte Panel: assesses the levels of minerals involved in healthy cell functioning (calcium, potassium, chloride and bicarbonate).

Basic and Comprehensive Metabolic Panel: assesses a variety of areas that function in metabolism and the removal of waste (glucose, calcium, electrolytes, kidney and liver-derived enzymes and products).

Lipid Panel: assesses the level of cholesterol (LDL and HDL) to assess cardiovascular health and risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

Organ Function

The products and enzymes made from or involved with an organ’s function are used to determine if that organ is functioning normally. Abnormal levels of substances associated with a particular organ can often indicate the presence of disease. The main organs that are assessed through a blood test include the liver, kidney, pancreas, and heart. For example, excessive creatinine within the blood may indicate that creatinine may be abnormally produced, such as in abnormal muscle breakdown, or inadequately removed as waste by the kidneys.

Products examined for specific organs may include:

Liver: ALT and AST enzymes, bilirubin, lactate dehydrogenase, and albumin.

Kidney: creatinine, and BUN.

Pancreas: glucose levels, HBA1C (assessing pre-diabetes and diabetes), ALP, amylase and lipase.

Heart: LDL and HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides.

Hormonal Imbalances

The endocrine system is responsible for producing hormones from a variety of glands. These hormones travel throughout the blood where they assist in regulating the functions of target tissues — turning functions on or off. Yet, hormones must also be under tight regulation to ensure proper functioning of the body. This system is highly interrelated, and often a series of hormones may be imbalanced rather than one alone. The predominant hormones that are tested are produced within the thyroid and adrenal gland, and can be useful in determining the presence of thyroid diseases such as hypo- or hyperthyroidism or adrenal diseases related with abnormal cortisol production. Blood tests to examine thyroid function include T3, T4 and TSH hormone levels and adrenal function with cortisol and ACTH.

Specialized Blood Tests

Blood panels may also be used for a more targeted examination to assess the cause of specific underlying conditions an individual may be experiencing or in evaluating the effectiveness of treatment plans.

These tests may range from examining substances related to:

• Tracking hormone cycles in relation to menopause, menstruation and fertility testing
• Sleep disturbances
• Heavy metal content
• Weight management
• Diabetes management

Blood Samples Without the Needle

Typically, blood samples are acquired through the use of needles within the vein of the arm, which can make many individuals squeamish and aversive to taking blood. Dried blood spot testing provides a convenient and less invasive alternative to conventional blood sampling for some specific blood tests. A small pin-prick can be made on the tip of the finger to provide blood. This approach removes the need to visit a clinic, as blood samples can be acquired and shipped from the comforts of home.

Taking Control of Your Blood Results

Your blood chemistry reveals important information about your underlying health status. Knowledge and understanding of the results can assist in prevention, early detection and management of disease, to improve your long-term quality of life.