1. CBC (complete blood count)
2. Liver enzymes: AST, ALT
3. Kidney function: BUN, Creatinine
4. IGF-1 (Insulin Growth Factor to measure levels of Growth Hormone)
Additional Required for Males Only
5. Total testosterone
6. PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen)
- Hemogram
- Vitamin B-12
- P.S.A (male only)
- Fasting glucose
- Urea nitrogen
- Creatinine
- Uric Acid
- Total cholesterol
- HDL cholesterol
- LDL cholesterol
- Triglycerides
- T.G.O. & T.G.P.
- T4
- Estradiol (E2)
- Progesterone ( female only )
- Total testosterone
- DHEA-S
- Cortisol
- Insulin
- IGF-1
- Hemogram
- T. prothrombin
- T.P. thromboplastin
- Folic Acid
- Vitamin B-12
- P.S.A (man only)
- Fasting glucose
- Urea nitrogen
- Creatinine
- Uric acid
- Total cholesterol
- HDL cholesterol
- LDL cholesterol
- Triglycerides
- T.G.O. & T.G.P.
- G.G.T.P.
- Bilirubin T. y F.
- Sodium
- Potassium
- T4
- TSH
- Estradiol (E2)
- Total testosterone
- Free testosterone
- DHEA-S
- Cortisol
- Insulin
- IGF-1
- Hemogram
- Sedimentation
- Folic Acid
- Vitamin B-12
- P.S.A
- Fasting glucose
- Urea nitrogen
- Creatinine
- Uric acid
- Total cholesterol
- HDL cholesterol
- LDL cholesterol
- Triglycerides
- Homocisteine
- T.G.O. & T.G.P.
- G.G.T.P.
- Bilirubin T. y F.
- Sodium
- Potassium
- Calcium
- CEA
- AFP
- CA-125
- T4
- TSH
- Estradiol (E2)
- Androstenedione
- Total testosterone
- Free testosterone
- DHEA-S
- Cortisol
- Insulin
- HIV
- V.D.R.L.
- Protein C-reactive
- PCR, cardio ultrasensitive
- IGF-1
Lab Blood Tests
If you’re an adult, you may want to visit your doctor if your symptoms include:
- Low energy
- Less strength
- Depression
- Decline in muscle mass
- Increase in body fat
There are many different possible causes for these symptoms, but they may also signal issues with GH production. A test can measure the amount of GH in your blood.
Your pituitary gland releases GH in pulses that vary by sex, age, and even time of day. That is why doctors use different methods to stimulate or suppress the release of growth hormone before you take the test.
Our bodies usually change quietly, almost without notice. Children grow taller. Our hairoften thins as we age. It’s all part of maturing, and it’s controlled by hormones. But sometimes things go wrong.
The hormone that helps control growth and the chemical reactions in our bodies is called human growth hormone. (You may see it written as HGH, or GH for short.) Your body might make it in great amounts or not at all.
Too much or too little HGH can lead to a variety of issues, including:
- Dwarfism
- Fatigue
- Acromegaly (too much growth of hands, feet, facial bones, and other body parts)
- Bone weakness
- Delayed puberty
If you or your child has any of these conditions, your doctor may suggest you take a growth hormone stimulation test. The basis of this test is a simple blood sample, which is then looked at in a lab.
Though growth hormone issues can cause problems if left untreated, treating them may be as simple as a regular injection of growth hormone. And in children, these issues may get better on their own over time.
If you’re having surgery—even a minor procedure—the doctor may order blood tests. While interpreting blood tests are best left to a physician, it may be helpful to understand what the test is looking for, and what’s considered a “normal” result.
There are hundreds of different blood tests that can be performed in a lab, but the most common are performed routinely before and after surgery; these tests are very common and should not be cause for alarm. The provider wants to make sure the patient is in the best possible health for the procedure and to diagnose any conditions that could cause preventable complications.
Blood testing is often done after a procedure to look for bleeding, and to make sure that the organs are functioning well after surgery.