Blood tests that will help you identify the root cause of your weight gain, give you a baseline, and track progress
It may take several months to experience dramatic improvements in these blood markers. You can still do this program without doing blood tests or wait until you’ve created a few action steps, then do these tests.
Thyroglobulin Antibodies (TgAb)
This test helps you detect the presence of autoimmune thyroid disease.
Known measurement standards
>1 = Above
<1 = In Range
Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (TPO)
This tests for the immune proteins that mistakenly attack they thyroid.
Known measurement standards
>9 = Above
<9 = In Range
Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH)
This hormone is produced by the pituitary gland in your brain to regulate your T4 and T3 hormone release by the thyroid.
Known measurement standards
>4.5 = Above
.4-4.5 = In Range
<.4 = Below
If your TSH is high: Usually means that your thyroid isn’t making enough hormones (you’d have to check T4 and T3). You might experience symptoms like fatigue, weight gain, depression, and sensitivity to cold. This may be the result of iodine, other mineral deficiencies, autoimmune damage, or thyroid removal.
If your TSH is low: Usually means that your thyroid is making too much hormones (you’d have to check T4 and T3). You might experience symptoms like rapid heart rate, weight loss, anxiety, and heat intolerance. This can be caused by autoimmune disorders, nodules in the thyroid, or excessive iodine intake.
Thyroxine (T4)
A key hormone produced by the thyroid that plays a big role in your metabolism (process of converting your food into energy). This hormone is inactive until it gets converted into the active form T3 to regulate energy production, body temperature, and organ function. This is important for energy, heart, digestion, brain, and bone health.
Known measurement standards
>1.8 = Above
.8-1.8 = In Range
<.8 = Below
If your T4 is high: This may indicate that your thyroid is producing too much T4. Symptoms can include rapid heart rate, weight loss, anxiety, and excessive sweating.
If your T4 is low: This may indicate that your thyroid isn’t producing enough T4. Symptoms can include fatigue, depression, memory loss, weight gain, constipation, high cholesterol, muscle cramps, dry skin/hair, hair loss, cracked nails, fluid retention, low sex drive, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, iodine deficiency, and chronic stress.
Triiodothyronine (T3)
This hormone regulates how your body uses energy. It enters cells, attaches to special receptors, which turns on or off your genes that support metabolism, body temperature, heart rate, digestion, muscle function, and brain activity.
Known measurement standards
>4.2 = Above
2.3-4.2 = In Range
<2.3 = Below
If your T3 is high: This may indicate an overactive thyroid commonly seen in Graves’ disease, excessive iodine intake, or taking too much thyroid hormone replacement therapy. This is also associated with heart arrhythmia, weight loss, bone loss, and metabolic imbalances
If your T3 is low: This suggests an underactive thyroid where stress or nutrient deficiencies (i.e. low selenium or iodine) reduce its production. Symptoms you might experience are fatigue, brain fog, depression, slow metabolism, and cold intolerance.
Uric acid
21% of the United States population lives with hyperuricemia (high uric acid levels) putting them at risk for many chronic health conditions:
Obesity
Prediabetes
Type II diabetes
Elevated blood fats
Cardiovascular disease
High blood pressure
Dementia
Psoriasis
Gout
Kidney stones
Muscle aches
Erectile dysfunction
Uric acid triggers fat production, increasing surface and liver fat levels. It does this by shutting off adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) (tells your body to burn stored fat) and turning on adenosine monophosphate deaminase 2 (AMPD2) (reduces fat burning and increases its storage).
Sustained elevated uric acid levels directly causes injury and inflammation in the kidneys, along with suppresses autophagy (process of repairing and removing damaged and dead cells) reducing your body’s ability to heal your inflammation.
The kidney damage results in less sodium getting removed from your blood. More salt in your blood pulls more water into your arteries which increases the pressure inside of them, leading you down the path of high blood pressure. Uric acid lowers nitric oxide levels and damages its function, leading to high blood pressure and prediabetes. This is due to the functions of nitric oxide relaxing your artery walls, and lowering your blood pressure. Nitric oxide also facilitates insulin to move from your blood into your liver and muscle cells, which if you have less of it and it can’t function well, insulin and excess sugar are left swirling around in your blood.
If you by chance have an under active thyroid, uric acid is not properly excreted by the kidneys and builds up in the blood.
Known measurement standards of serum uric acid levels
2.6 - 5.4 mg/dL = Optimal
5.5 - 6.9 mg/dL = Normal/Not good/Not great
Fat gain, high blood pressure, stroke risk, and prediabetes begin
>7 mg/dL = High
16% increase in risk of death from all causes
8-13% increase in risk of death for every 1 mg/dL above 7 mg/dL
40% increase risk of death from cardiovascular disease
35% increase risk of death from stroke
Muscle and joint pain
Erectile dysfunction
If uric acid levels go up, CRP (blood marker of inflammation) follows it.
Fasting Insulin
This blood test will tell you if your mitochondria (fat burning cells) are working properly. Elevated fasting insulin levels lead to immediate fat storage and suppression of fat mobilization.
This is also the gold standard metabolic health and insulin resistance test for prediabetes and type II diabetes that quantifies how much insulin is currently circulating in your bloodstream.
Known measurement standards
< 2-6 IU/dL = Optimal
10-19 IU/dL = Elevated/Prediabetic
20 IU/dL + = Diabetic
High Sensitivity CRP
Informs you of your body’s current systemic inflammation levels from internal arterial/organ damage or being pumped out by stored body fat on the surface, wrapped around your organs, or inside of your organs.
Known measurement standards
< 0-1 mg/L = Optimal
<3 mg/L = Good
3-6 mg/L + = Elevated
6+ mg/L = Pathologically high
Levels above this lead to extra weight, diabetes, high blood pressure, elevated blood lipids, rheumatoid arthritis, brain damage, depression, and alzheimers
How/where do you get these tests?
Ask your current doctor to order them
Free, secure, and personal log in for you to order blood tests at significant discounts and access results
If you order any tests by phone, make sure you provide code R-LSF to get the best price
No need for a doctor to authorize any test
Simply search for whatever test you want, pay for it, print your form, and schedule your appointment at any Quest blood testing center
Access to Quest blood testing locations nationwide (restricted states: NJ, NY, and RI)
Results available in 24-48 hours for most tests
Wide array of at home specimen collection kits available
Empowers you to completely understand your health by annually doing over 100 blood tests, normally costing over $15000 through insurance, and available to you for only $499 per year
FSA and HSA eligible
No need for a doctor to authorize any of these tests
All of your blood tests are customized by gender, what category of health they look at, with calendar reminders of when the next batch should be tested
All of your blood tests will be conducted at a Quest blood testing center (restricted states: NJ, NY, and RI)
All of your test results are charted for you overtime in your online portal or phone app so you can share them with any physician
You get valuable insight from medical doctors with what your results mean and specific action steps that will help you shift them into the optimal range
DIY Uric Acid
When is best to test these?
First thing in the morning before eating or exercising.
References
Haney, M. & Lustig, R. (2024, September 26). How do you know if you are healthy and what your labs tell you? [A Whole New Level #265]. Retrieved from https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/wholenewlevel/episodes/265---How-do-you-know-if-you-are-healthy-and-what-your-labs-tell-you---Dr--Robert-Lustig--Mike-Haney-e2oropj.
Perlmutter, D. and Loberg, K. (2024) Drop acid: The surprising new science of uric acid--the key to losing weight, controlling blood sugar, and Achieving Extraordinary Health. S.l.: Simplified Chinese Press.
https://www.levelshealth.com/blog/the-ultimate-guide-to-understanding-your-cholesterol-panel-and-metabolic-blood-tests?utm_source=drip&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=%5BNewsletter%5D+-+02-27-24+-+Understanding+cholesterol+panel+and+blood+tests+%5BLapsed+Members%5D&utm_content=How+to+read+cholesterol+%26+blood+tests