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Introduction

Table of contents

PART 1: COMPLETE BLOOD COUNT AND IRON LEVELS

  • COMPLETE BLOOD COUNT (AND THROMBOCYTES)
  • IRON LEVELS

PART 2: METABOLISM

  • FASTING, SLEEP, AND BLOOD SUGAR REGULATION
  • FASTING BLOOD GLUCOSE
  • HBA1C AND HOMA-IR
  • THYROID HORMONES AND THEIR REGULATION

PART 3: VITAMINS

  • VITAMIN D (CHOLECALCIFEROL)
  • VITAMIN B12 (COBALAMINE)
  • FOLATE (VITAMIN B9)
  • UBIQUINONE AKA CO-ENZYME Q10
  • HOMOCYSTEINE

PART 4: HORMONES

  • CORTISOL
  • DEHYDROEPIANDROSTERONESULFATE (DHEAS)
  • TESTOSTERONE (SENSITIVE METHOD)
  • TESTOSTERONE FREE CALCULATED (SENSITIVE METHOD)
  • SEX-HORMONE BINDING GLOBULIN (SHBG)
  • ESTRADIOL (E2)
  • LUTEINIZING HORMONE (LH)
  • PROGESTERONE (WOMEN ONLY)

PART 5: HEART (INFLAMMATION MARKERS AND CHOLESTEROL VALUES)

  • SENSITIVE CRP (HS-CRP)
  • CHOLESTEROL (TOTAL)
  • HDL-CHOLESTEROL
  • LDL-CHOLESTEROL
  • TRIGLYCERIDES
  • LIPOPROTEIN (A) [FS-LIPO(A)]

88 PART 6: LIVER AND KIDNEYS

  • LIVER
  • ALANINE AMINOTRANSFERASE (S-ALAT)
  • ASPARTATE AMINOTRANSFERASE (S-ASAT)
  • GLUTAMYLTRANSFERASE (S-GT)
  • KIDNEYS
  • SODIUM
  • POTASSIUM
  • ESTIMATED GLOMERULAR FILTRATION RATE (EGFR)
  • CREATININE

WHY “WITHIN REFERENCE RANGE” IS NOT NECESSARILY ENOUGH AND MAY NOT MEAN A HEALTHY BODY?

Physicians generally consider findings “normal” if they fall within the reference range. Often they miss the big picture by ignoring various markers. A test result within the reference range is considered “normal”. However, Medical Laboratory Science places the word in quotation marks as there simply isn’t a clear-cut line between what is normal and what is not. This is why “reference range” is used instead of “normal range”.

A significant set of healthy individuals is tested to determine the reference range in each population group and for each laboratory marker. The reference range is then mathematically calculated from these results so that the results of practically all healthy individuals fall within this range - 95 % of healthy individuals fall within the reference range while approximately 5 % may have results outside of it. The reasoning is that if 100 % of healthy individuals fell within the reference range, there would be too many so-called “false normal” results. In practice this means that an individual's tested value may fall near the upper or lower end, but still within, the reference range, even if they have an illness.

This also means that a lab result may be slightly higher or lower than the reference range without indicating that the individual is necessarily ill. This is problematic from the viewpoint of maintaining good health and preventing illness. The above interpretation is certainly correct if health is viewed simply as the absence of disease. However, if health is considered vibrant and good health at the population and individual level, the reference range may be viewed differently.

WHO (World Health Organization) took a stance on this topic in a statement from 2014; indeed, their latest comprehensive report is titled Not Merely the Absence of Disease. The title of an article published in the International Journal of Epidemiology in 2016 stated ”Health is not just the absence of disease...”. The international understanding of this has clearly increased recently and preventive health care is starting to be considered an equally important area compared to the medical care of illness.

WHAT IS AN OPTIMAL LEVEL?

All laboratory markers certainly don’t have so-called optimal values determined in scientific studies, but such values do exist in some cases. Optimal values are likely to be based on findings made on a population level regarding low mortality or, for instance, the greatest likelihood of preventing cardiovascular disease associated with a particular marker. Optimal levels, as opposed to a reference range, have also been defined for some vitamins. For example, a testosterone level at the lower end of the reference range may indicate subclinical hypogonadism.5

However, it is crucial always to compare the results to your own previous results and track the changes over time, particularly after lifestyle changes. It is also beneficial to take several samples to get a bigger picture of various levels and to minimize the slight day-to-day variation before interpreting the results.

DISCLAIMER

NB! This course and its contents should not be considered treatment recommendations or a medical care guide. Discuss medical treatment options and laboratory results with your primary care physician before taking supplements, remedies or other products. The Optimize Your Lab Results course does not give medical recommendations or comment on individual medical care matters. When reviewing results that fall outside the reference range, it is recommended to make an appointment with a physician who can assist in interpreting the results and investigate the need for treatment or further testing.

All scientific references are found in the Online Coaching Course at Biohackercenter.com, which you can purchase separately.