Traditional medicine thrives in treating patients for illness but functional medicine focuses on the opposite side of care, prevention. In traditional medicine, practitioners are taught to order only what is necessary for a variety of reasons – insurance protocols and time constraints can limit the scope of testing. That means many advanced markers are only assessed when symptoms become severe or when a clear diagnosis is needed. Functional medicine prioritizes comprehensive tests.
A functional provider will look for the root cause of your symptoms and strive to bring you to optimal not just “normal” levels, preventing illness before it reaches advanced stages, and promoting longevity.
Running advanced blood tests is the key to discovering deeper insights we need to achieve these goals. Here are a few examples of what sets a functional medicine visit apart:
Comprehensive Thyroid Tests
Conventional medicine typically checks only two thyroid markers: TSH (Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone) and, in some cases, free T4. These markers are important for diagnosing overt hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism but they don’t necessarily give us a clear picture of your overall thyroid function.
A more thorough panel includes:
- Free T3: The active form of thyroid hormone that directly affects your metabolism.
- Reverse T3: A marker that can indicate if your body is under stress and converting T4 into an inactive form rather than active T3.
- Thyroid Antibodies: These can detect autoimmune thyroid conditions, such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, well before a person’s TSH levels become abnormal.
By assessing all these markers, a functional practitioner can catch thyroid imbalances early and address them proactively, rather than waiting for the thyroid to fail.
Comprehensive Metabolic and Nutrient Tests
Conventional blood tests usually focus on basic markers like your fasting glucose, lipid panels, and liver enzymes. A functional provider looks at a broader range of nutrients and metabolites for critical insight into how your body is functioning at a cellular level.
Some examples of advanced tests include:
- Homocysteine: Elevated homocysteine levels can indicate inflammation, cardiovascular risk, and B-vitamin deficiencies.
- Uric Acid: uric acid is a waste product that can build up and lead to gout or kidney stones, and it can also be an indicator of the need for dietary changes.
- Vitamin D, Magnesium, and Omega-3 Index: These are key nutrients that play a significant role in overall health, including immune function, bone health, and cardiovascular wellbeing.
- Iron and Ferritin: Conventional tests may check basic iron levels, but a functional medicine doctors will assess ferritin, the storage form of iron, to detect underlying iron imbalances that might be overlooked.
Many of our body’s vitamins and minerals interact with each other. In the long term, one deficiency could lead to another, creating a cascade of issues that lead to chronic conditions if left unaddressed. This is a good example of the complexities of prevention and the benefit of comprehensive tests.
Advanced Cardiovascular Markers
Traditional cholesterol panels measure total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and triglycerides. These are useful indicators. However, a more in-depth approach will give us a better idea of how to assess your heart health. We look for:
- LDL Particle Size and Number: Smaller, denser LDL particles are more dangerous and inflammatory than larger, fluffier particles. A high number of small LDL particles can increase cardiovascular risk even if total LDL levels seem normal.
- Apolipoprotein B: An advanced lipid marker to gauge cardiovascular risk, and may correlate with the LDL reading.
- Lipoprotein(a): This genetically influenced marker is a key risk factor for heart disease that isn’t routinely measured in conventional testing.
- High Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hsCRP): This is a marker of systemic inflammation that can predict cardiovascular issues even in people with normal cholesterol levels.
Comprehensive Hormone Tests
In conventional medicine, hormone testing is often limited to assessing estrogen or testosterone levels when clear symptoms of hormone imbalance arise. However, hormonal balance is unique to each individual. We evaluate a broader spectrum of your hormones and how they interact, providing a more nuanced understanding of hormonal health.
Key hormones assessed include:
- Cortisol: Functional medicine practitioner may assess cortisol levels throughout the day to gauge how well your body is managing stress. Chronic stress and adrenal dysfunction can lead to a wide range of issues, including fatigue, weight gain, and depression.
- Sex Hormones (Estrogen, Progesterone, Testosterone, DHEA): Rather than just looking for deficiencies or excesses, functional medicine practitioners often evaluate the ratios and rhythms of these hormones to detect imbalances that could contribute to conditions like fatigue, mood swings, inability to lose weight, or infertility.
Balancing these hormones is key for optimizing energy, mood, and overall vitality.
Comprehensive Gut Health Testing
Gut health is pivotal to your overall health. It affects everything from your immune system to your cognitive health. Conventional testing for gut issues is typically limited to detecting diseases like Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis, or infection-based conditions. Functional medicine takes a broader approach to gut health with tests that assess:
- Leaky Gut Markers: Tests for zonulin, a protein that regulates intestinal permeability, can reveal whether a patient has a “leaky gut,” which is associated with inflammation and autoimmune diseases.
- Comprehensive Stool Analysis: Functional practitioners assess gut microbiome diversity, digestive enzyme production, and the presence of harmful bacteria, yeast, or parasites that may be contributing to digestive issues or systemic inflammation.
Optimizing gut health is a cornerstone of functional medicine.
It’s Never Too Late to Get Started
Knowledge is power when it comes to your health. A detailed and comprehensive approach to lab tests helps detect underlying health issues long before they manifest as chronic disease. The insights provided by advanced labs can empower patients to make informed choices for a healthier, longer life.
