Premium Quality New Year Resolution Blood Test Set [ORyCDJ9P]

NEW YEAR RESOLUTION BLOOD TEST

Our New Year Resolution panel is designed to give you a baseline reading of your state of health so that you can then monitor the progress you make with your new lifestyle. After the over-indulgence of the festive period we suggest checking liver function, blood sugar levels (HbA1c) and cholesterol levels. This helps to flag up any potential issues with diabetes risk, liver disease and cardiovascular risk, and will also allow you to see improvement in your health as you improve your diet, increase exercise levels, and cut down alcohol intake.

We also test your Vitamin D level which is important for supporting your immune system and muscle function. Low levels of Vitamin D may mean you are not getting enough exposure to natural sunlight and/or not eating enough foods rich in Vitamin D.

This panel has been developed by our Clinical Governance Director, Dr. Adam Staten and covers the following:

Diabetes (HbA1c)

We measure HbA1c to get a baseline for the blood sugar reading, to be improved on in 3 months time! This is your goal. As you lose weight or improve your lifestyle with exercise - your HbA1c should generally decrease as well.

In addition, excess body weight, especially abdominal fat, can lead to insulin resistance, which is a key factor in the development of type 2 diabetes. When you lose weight, especially if you reduce fat in and around your organs (visceral fat), your body sensitivity to insulin tends to improve. This means your cells are better able to use glucose from your bloodstream for energy, resulting in lower blood sugar levels over time.

Cholesterol (Lipids) Blood Test

Cholesterol is an essential part of every cell in our body. However, too much cholesterol running in our bloodstream can lead to cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks and strokes. This is why monitoring your levels with a cholesterol blood test is vital.

Cholesterol can increase with age, be a result of a poor diet, or high cholesterol levels can run in families. Whatever the reason, a blood test for cholesterol levels means you can make treatment and lifestyle decisions early and take control of your health early on.

Liver function

The liver blood test is one of the most commonly performed tests by doctors and will let you know how well your liver is working.

The liver is a very active organ. It is involved in digestion, the removal of waste products, and the processing of medications and toxins, as well as being part of the immune system and hormonal system. It is a very resilient organ and will continue to function even if quite significantly damaged. Because of this, symptoms of liver disease often do not appear until the disease is well advanced.

The liver can be damaged by lots of different things including alcohol, illness, drugs and medication but possibly the most common threat to our livers is "fatty liver disease" caused by an unhealthy lifestyle.

A blood test for liver function measures:

• A number of different liver enzymes
• The levels of protein produced by the liver
• Levels of bilirubin, which is a waste product produced by the liver

Taken together, these tests give an accurate impression of how well your liver is functioning and will look for early signs of liver damage. Caught early, liver disease can often be reversed.

With your blood test liver function results explained in our results, your GP can use the info to perform a calculation known as the Fib-4 calculation. If you have abnormal liver tests, this calculation will give you more information as to whether the liver has any scarring or permanent damage.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that plays a crucial role in various physiological processes in the human body. Vitamin D is produced in the skin when it is exposed to sunlight and manifests itself in the more biologically active form of D3.

Apart from being essential for healthy bones, hair and skin, adequate vitamin D levels are associated with a lower risk of heart disease. It may help regulate blood pressure and reduce inflammation.

Vitamin D is important for muscle strength and function, and deficiency can lead to muscle weakness and pain. Finally, it is important in managing autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and type 1 diabetes - these have all been linked to low vitamin D levels.

30 BIOMARKERS