Verbatim response from Claude
Annual Blood Tests for a Comprehensive Health Picture
Here are the key panels to discuss with your doctor:
Core Panel (Most Important)
- Complete Blood Count (CBC) - checks for anemia, infection, immune issues
- Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP) - kidney function, liver health, blood sugar, electrolytes
- Lipid Panel - cholesterol and triglycerides (heart disease risk)
- Fasting Glucose + HbA1c - diabetes screening
- Thyroid (TSH) - thyroid function affects energy, weight, mood
Often Overlooked but Valuable
- Vitamin D (25-OH) - deficiency is extremely common
- B12 - especially if vegetarian/vegan or over 50
- Iron/Ferritin - energy levels, especially for women
- Inflammatory markers (CRP/hsCRP) - cardiovascular and general inflammation risk
- Insulin (fasting) - catches insulin resistance before diabetes develops
Where to Get Tested
- Labcorp or Quest Diagnostics - widely available, often covered by insurance
- Function Health - comprehensive proactive panel (85+ biomarkers), popular for self-directed testing
- InsideTracker - analyzes results with personalized recommendations
- Your Primary Care Doctor - can order most of these and insurance typically covers annual labs
Tip
Bring a list to your doctor and ask specifically - not everything gets ordered automatically at a routine physical.