Baseline Male / Female panels :
Male Panel | Blood Test - Life Extension , Female Panel Blood Test . These are very good cost effective combos at Lifeextension.
Panel Applicability
General purpose deeper visibility into what’s going on under the hood. If there are specific conditions, medications, past injuries, surgeries, genetic things since birth etc. then additional, alternate tests might be applicable
Baseline+
Following would be good adds to this Panel based on specific needs (pick equivalent at ultalabtests or other testing providers)
Vit B12
Augmentation to Lipid Panel - oxLDL and LP(a)
Augmentation to Testosterone hormone panel - SHBG (Sex hormone binding globulin)
Augmentation to Insulin and A1C - Fasting Glucose
Magnesium RBC (this is slightly more pertinent vs. just standard Magnesium test, though circulating Mag is a very low % as most is in cells and/or plasma)
Uric acid
Condition specific and/or deeper dives
Following are the key testing categories which provide a deeper look into our biology, physiological conditions and any pathological situations
General Blood tests (starter packs above)
Plasma Blood tests (many elements are more accurate with plasma testing .. still blood but test is different)
Saliva - stress, many hormones ..
Urine - infections, pH and more
Stool - Gut health, microbiome assessment
Hair, tissue and mineral analysis
Fitness performance, capacity and energy system tests like FTP, VO2 max - typical for those who are looking at getting better at athletic performance and/or just want a way more vibrant daily life ..
Providers
There are many now, but Lifeextension and ultalabtests have decent breadth and depth for most assays (tests)
Blood draw locations
Lifeextension blood draws are at Labcorp, closest one in Cary is the Waverly place Labcorp office (near Whole Foods / wakemed plaza). Ultalabtests - they partner with Quest diagnostics for blood draws. Closest one is across from Trader Joe’s in Cary on Kildaire farm rd.
Insurance coverage
These providers are out of pocket expenses. If your Primary care physician / General Practitioner prescribes the same tests, they can be insurance covered as well so check which option works best economically but don't not get a test done because it not insurance covered. Safety sensors in our cars are expensive, but we don't buy one without them. Bodies have many safety sensors and messaging mechanisms built-in, but we need to tap into them to see what's really going on. Remember - there is no way to 'feel' most chronic conditions like cancer, diabetes, coronary disease, low or malfunctioning organs / hormones and most auto-immune conditions ... "Test, Don't Guess.."
Insurance plan types
If you have a high deductible plan with say a $5000 out of pocket deductible to begin with, then ordering out of pocket vs. ordering via Primary care physician / General Practitioner is the same thing from a spend point of view. Of course, results can be shared with PCP / GP and/or specialists for diagnosis etc. and receipts can be filed with insurance to account against annual deductible.
If you have a no deductible co-pay plan, then recommendation via PCP / GP route will be cheaper.
Which option you decide will depend on speed you like for results, insurance coverage type and relationship with PCP and/or specialists