Other Tests

SmarTest Labs recommends this Panel to their patients who seek insights and information about their overall health and wellbeing.

• The Panel consists of the five tests typically ordered by physicians for a routine annual physical exam and that form a baseline report about general physical health.
• These tests check kidney, liver, electrolytes, cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL, LDL, and thyroid functions.

Gout is a particularly painful type of arthritis that affects the joints.

• Gout develops when there is an excess of purine in the blood. Purine is food-borne and exists in alcohol, some seafood, and some meats, including bacon and organ meats.
• Avoiding high-purine foods can reduce the likelihood of developing Gout.
• Symptoms of Gout include severe pain, redness, and swelling in joints, often the big toe. Build-up of uric acid in the blood causes sudden, severe attacks of pain, swelling, redness, and pain of the joints. Attacks can come suddenly, often at night. During an acute attack, anti-inflammatory medications can help relieve pain and shorten the length of the attack. Patients with chronic gout can use behavioral modification such as diet, exercise, and decreased intake of alcohol to help minimize the frequency of attacks.
• Left untreated, Gout can also lead to kidney stones. Patients with chronic gout are often put on medications such as colchicine.

SmarTest Labs processes a cholesterol panel to measure blood levels of fats called cholesterol and triglycerides. Excess cholesterol and triglycerides can cause hardening of the arteries, which can cause heart attacks. Tests that reveal high levels of blood fats often indicate that changes in diet and exercise habits may be advisable.

A complete cholesterol test is done to determine whether your cholesterol is high and estimate your risk of developing heart attacks and other forms of heart disease and diseases of the blood vessels. A complete cholesterol test includes the calculation of four types of fats (lipids) in your blood called Total Cholesterol.

The thyroid gland, located in the throat, secrets hormones that influence development, growth, metabolism, and body temperature. This test screens for thyroid disease by examining your body’s production of the thyroid hormone.

• Thyroid malfunctions can cause many health concerns if the gland produces too much of one or more hormones (hyperthyroidism) or not enough (hypothyroidism).
• Individuals experiencing fatigue, weight gain, decreased attention span, and intolerance to cold could be exhibiting symptoms of an underactive thyroid.
• Individuals feeling of fatigue, weight loss, vomiting, high blood pressure, increased heart rate, or hair loss could be exhibiting symptoms of an overactive thyroid.
• Left untreated, uncontrolled thyroid hormones can cause nerve damage, heart problems, infertility, and sometimes, even death.
• The SmarTest Labs Thyroid Test looks for abnormal levels of thyroid hormone molecules (T4, T3, and Reverse T3) called Thyroid Stimulating Hormones (TSH). TSH testing reveals the levels of T4 Total, Free T3, and Reverse T3.
• The presence of Thyroid Peroxidase antibodies (TPO) indicates that the body is having an abnormal immune response to thyroid proteins.