{"id":18842,"date":"2018-10-09T08:10:52","date_gmt":"2018-10-09T14:10:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=18842"},"modified":"2023-06-23T10:54:24","modified_gmt":"2023-06-23T16:54:24","slug":"regular-blood-work-a-good-first-step","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/regular-blood-work-a-good-first-step\/","title":{"rendered":"Regular blood work a good first step"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;\" class=\"sharethis-inline-share-buttons\" ><\/div><p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-18843 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/10\/09074255\/iStock_51001274_XXXLARGE.webp\" alt=\"A phlebotomist collects a blood sample from a patient in this photo. Regular blood work can give insight to a range of health issues.\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/10\/09074255\/iStock_51001274_XXXLARGE.webp 1500w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/10\/09074255\/iStock_51001274_XXXLARGE-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/10\/09074255\/iStock_51001274_XXXLARGE-1024x683.webp 1024w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/10\/09074255\/iStock_51001274_XXXLARGE-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/10\/09074255\/iStock_51001274_XXXLARGE-150x100.webp 150w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/10\/09074255\/iStock_51001274_XXXLARGE-200x133.webp 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Getting regular blood work is helpful. But it\u2019s even better when tests are tailored to your needs.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m a proponent of doing screening blood work, because you can pick up diseases early,\u201d said <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/provider\/rossane-iverson-md\/\">Dr. Rosanne Iversen<\/a>, a family medicine physician in Steamboat Springs and a member of the medical staff at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/locations\/uchealth-yampa-valley-medical-center\/\">UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center<\/a>. \u201cMedicine is moving more towards being personalized and tailored to that person\u2019s health history and their family\u2019s history.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Below, Iversen outlines what you need to know when it comes to blood work.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Everyone is different<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>&#8220;If you have high blood pressure, you\u2019re going to have a more thorough panel than a healthy 22-year-old,\u201d Iversen said. \u201cFor instance, we\u2019ll want to make sure kidney and liver function is normal, and that there isn\u2019t a thyroid issue causing blood pressure to be elevated.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A person complaining of fatigue and weight loss or gain may also have tests to review thyroid, liver and kidney function, while a person with a history of cancer may need tumor markers checked regularly. If there\u2019s a family history of diabetes, insulin resistance may be tested.<\/p>\n<p>All of this testing helps physicians address issues as early as possible. \u201cIf we intervene early on, then we can delay the onset of the disease,\u201d Iversen said. \u201cEarly detection can be preventative.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Basic screening tests<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Blood tests give insight to a range of health issues, including how well organs function, whether you\u2019re at risk for heart disease or diabetes, and whether you\u2019re dealing with cancer or thyroid disease.<\/p>\n<p>For instance, a Complete Blood Count (CBC) measures the different components of your blood, including red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. This test helps evaluate overall health and detect various issues such as anemia, infections and immune disorders.<\/p>\n<p>A basic metabolic panel measures various chemicals in the blood including glucose, calcium and electrolytes, and helps identify issues with the heart, bones, organs and muscles.<\/p>\n<p>A lipoprotein panel provides details on good cholesterol (HDL), bad cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides to highlight risk of heart disease.<\/p>\n<p>An iron panel can help detect iron deficiency and overload, while a hemoglobin A1C test shows average blood glucose over the past two to three months and is typically recommended for people who need to monitor glucose management.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Beyond the basics<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>But often, more than the basics is necessary. \u201cThere\u2019s so much that has been developed over the last few years,\u201d Iversen said. \u201cNow that we have the human genome mapped out, we can screen for a number of different abnormalities.\u201d For example, genetic testing can be used to identify cancer risk and to see how your body reacts to various medications \u2013 check with your health care provider to see if it\u2019s something to explore.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Work with your physician<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Often people like to complete blood work before an annual physical so they can discuss the results with their physician. However, it can be helpful to meet with your provider first.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYour provider can review your past health record, diagnoses and family history,\u201d Iversen said. \u201cBased on that, along with symptoms you may bring up at your physical, they may add screenings.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While getting blood work done outside of a doctor\u2019s visit, such as at a health fair, can be a good first step, don\u2019t forgo a regular physical.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBlood work only goes so far. It\u2019s not the end-all,\u201d Iversen said. \u201cWhether your results are normal or abnormal, taking that next step of seeing a health provider is essential to your well-being.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>This article first appeared in the Steamboat Pilot &amp; Today on Sept. 24, 2018.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; Getting regular blood work is helpful. But it\u2019s even better when tests are tailored to your needs. \u201cI\u2019m a proponent of doing screening blood work, because you can pick up diseases early,\u201d said Dr. Rosanne Iversen, a family medicine physician in Steamboat Springs and a member of the medical staff at UCHealth Yampa Valley [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2163,"featured_media":18843,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[1024,2923,710,1046,4097,9187,2518],"class_list":["post-18842","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-healthy-living","tag-blood-disorders-disease-care-hematology","tag-blood-pressure","tag-community-health","tag-health-screening","tag-preventive-care","tag-readysetco","tag-uchealth-yampa-valley-medical-center"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.4 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Regular blood work a good first step - UCHealth Today<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Getting regular blood work is helpful, especially when tests are tailored to your needs. 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