Periodic Blood tests

Source :The Indian Express

Blood Test:

• A blood test is a proactive approach to detecting abnormal changes in the body by analyzing various components of blood.
• Regular blood tests is one of the best ways to keep track of our health, which helps in medical problems, monitoring the effectiveness of medication therapy.
• Above the age of 18, one should internalize a routine of periodic blood tests.
• Preventive healthcare is the best way to lower the disease burden.
• Having blood test can help to determine the types of additional tests that may be needed like age, medical history, family history of disease, obesity etc may have an imprint on our blood.

Types of blood test:

Complete blood count:

• This gives a quick & complete picture of our blood and bone marrow functioning.
• It measures several aspects of blood, including the number, variety, percentage & concentration.
• It helps in determining the quality of major blood cells-platelets, red blood cells, white blood cells.
• It is effective in screening for various hematological abnormalities like anaemia, nutritional deficiencies, blood clotting tissues, infection & blood cancer.

Metabolic Panel:

• This test includes the measurement of glucose, kidney function test, including blood urea nitrogen(BUN), creatinine, sodium, potassium, calcium, bicarbonate.
• LFT or Liver Function Test includes albumin, alkaline phosphates (ALP), alanine aminotransferase(ALT), aspartate aminotransferase(AST), bilirubin.
• These help in understanding the functioning of kidneys and liver.

Lipid Profile:

• This is an important test as it maps our cardiovascular & cerebra vascular health.
• It checks cholesterol levels like high-density lipoprotein(HDL), low-density lipoprotein(LDL), triglycerides.
• It helps in knowing the status of heart health, in order to take necessary measures in case of abnormalities.

Thyroid Panel:

• Thyroid panel is also known as Thyroid Function Test, it checks the proper functioning of the thyroid gland & how it produces hormones like Triiodothyronine(T3), Thyroxine(T4) and thyroid-stimulating hormone(TSH).
• These hormones regulate heart rate, body temperature , metabolism and help in overall well-being.

Cancer Marker:

• In addition to the Complete Blood Count(CBC) that detects any abnormality, other tests are recommended for screening of cancer cells.
• These include prostate-specific antigen(PSA) for prostate cancer and cancer antigen 125(CA125) for ovarian cancer.
• Other example include carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA) for colon cancer & alpha-fetoprotein for liver cancer.

Vitamins B12, D Deficiency:

• These tests are helpful in measuring deficiencies of vitamin B12 & Vitamin D.
• These vitamins contribute significantly to normal metabolic functioning & healthy bones, so one must monitor their levels.

Understanding Reports:

• Results are usually written in numerical values.
• In some cases, they include indications or markers to let us know how blood is supporting the body.
• Letters are used to indicate a particular condition like H for high,L for low, acronym WNL for ‘within normal limits’.

Epilogue:

Most importantly, it is important to improve the blood health. Based on the results, it is easy to decide the right course of action like dieting habits, exercise etc.

It is important to note that an abnormal numerical value does not always denote a major disease /infection & should be interpreted by a qualified professional.