Preventative Blood Work
eliminate the guesswork from your wellness plan
As a naturopathic doctor dedicated to promoting healthspan—the length of time a person is healthy and free from chronic disease—I often find myself in front of (frustrated) patients who have been met with resistance from our public health on the ability to access preventative measures for their health.
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Among these, routine screening blood work stands out. It's arguably a very straightforward - but also a cornerstone - diagnostic method in the quest for longevity and vitality.
In a world where chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer are rampant, prevention becomes paramount.
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But how can we prevent what we cannot see? This is where blood screening becomes invaluable.
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Let's start approaching medicine as 'healthcare ', not 'sickcare '.
knowledge is power
it's time to stop gatekeeping you from it
The Wellness Checkup
Preventative screening is as simple as a blood draw.
We'll test 48+ biomarkers to gain comprehensive insight into all areas of your health, including the following:
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✓ inflammation markers
✓ metabolism
✓ hormonal health
✓ heart health
✓ detoxification
✓ recovery & endurance
✓ nutrition status
48+ biomarkers, including:
Inflammation
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C-reactive protein (CRP)
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White blood cell count (WBC)
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Neutrophils
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Basophils
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Eosinophils
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Lymphocytes
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Monocytes
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Fibrinogen
Metabolism
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Insulin (Fasting)
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Glucose (Fasting)
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Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c)
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Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT)
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Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH)​
Hormonal health
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Cortisol, Serum (AM)
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DHEAS
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Testosterone, Total
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Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG)
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Estradiol *female only
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Progesterone *female only
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PSA *male only
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Testosterone, Free *male only
Heart health
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Cholesterol
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Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL)
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High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL)
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Triglycerides
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Apolipoprotein B
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Homocysteine
Detoxification
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Albumin Bilirubin (Direct)
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Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP)
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Gamma Glutamyl Transpeptidase (GGT)
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Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH)
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Aspartate Amino Transferase (AST)
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Protein (Total)
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Bilirubin (Total)
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Creatinine
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Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN)
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Uric Acid​
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Recovery & Endurance
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Complete Blood Count (CBC), including
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Hematocrit (HCT)
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Hemoglobin
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Mean cell hemoglobin (MCH)
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Mean cell hemoglobin concentration (MCHC)
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Mean corpuscular volume (MCV)
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Red blood cell count (RBC)
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Red cell distribution width (RDW)
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Mean platelet volume (MPV)
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Platelets
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Creatine Kinase (CK)
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Iron/Total iron binding capacity (TIBC)
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Transferrin saturation (TS)
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Potassium
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Sodium
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Chloride Bicarbonate (CO2)
Nutrition status
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Magnesium (red blood cell)
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Vitamin D
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Ferritin
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Vitamin B12
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Calcium (serum)
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Phosphorus
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Folic acid
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Why get a Wellness Checkup?
Look, at the end of the day, our public healthcare system has moulded into a system that focuses excessively on the unwell. If you lack concerning symptoms, people are often told by clinicians that they're 'fine' and need not worry.
But it doesn't address the reason you're there in the first place, which is to collect some objective information to confirm that.
Why is preventative blood work so important?
Modifiable Risks
Combining more general blood tests with more preventative biomarkers provides invaluable feedback on where your current health status sits, providing you the knowledge you need on modifiable risk factors that can critically impact your long-term health.
For example, if we learn at a younger age that your blood sugar level is higher than the normal, you can make changes to your diet and lifestyle now that will keep you from diabetes in the future.
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Benchmarks
Not only does it provide knowledge on modifiable changes, but it also provides benchmarkers to monitor your health over time. For example, if we wait until age 40 to start monitor your cholesterol, and it comes back elevated - the question becomes is this more of a genetic issue that's followed you long term, or has something more recently changed in your health that is causing this increase. If we have no baseline tests to work off of, how would we know?
How it Works
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STEP 1
BECOME A PATIENT
To complete blood work, you must be an active patient.
Complete an initial intake to review your health concerns, medical history, and family history to optimize the list of biomarkers unique to your health needs.
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STEP 2
COMPLETE BLOOD WORK
Bring your requisition form to any Lifelabs location, following the criteria Dr. Holmberg provides.
Go hydrated, as it will be a relatively large blood collection.
Results take approx 2 weeks.