Any Lab Test Now! — Making An Impact On Your Health

Who makes an impact on your health? It could be your doctor, a nurse, your parents or your spouse. Making an impact on health is at the heart of this year’s National Health Education Week (October 15–19). Started by the Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) back in 1995, National Health Education Week (NHEW) focuses on increasing national awareness on major health issues and promoting a better understanding of the role of health education. This year, they’re focusing on the importance of future health education specialists and their vital role in improving consumer health and wellness.

Any Lab Test Now® is proud to be on the frontlines of health education because we believe that YOU are one of the people making the largest impact on your health. Working with you, the experts at Any Lab Test Now can provide you with the critical information you need to take control of your health, whether it’s proactive, reactive, or monitoring. We help you find the information you need.

Any Lab Test Now is on the frontlines of a healthcare revolution! We are the first direct access lab testing services company, making it easier for consumers to manage their own health by offering a variety of testing options to choose from. We offer thousands of testing choices that range from clinical lab tests, to paternity and DNA, to toxicology, and more:

ANNUAL CHECK-UP PANEL – Our Annual Check-Up Panel is the perfect panel for evaluating your overall health. With this test, you’ll get information on everything from your cholesterol levels, to your thyroid function, to blood glucose numbers. It includes:

Complete Blood Count (CBC)
Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP)
Lipid Panel
TSH
Hemoglobin A1c

ALLERGY TESTS –From environmental to food allergies that can show how mild to severe you are to those allergens. The experts at Any Lab Test Now can help you decide which of our many allergy tests would be right for you!

DRUG & ALCOHOL TESTING – We offer more than a dozen different options that screen for drug or alcohol usage. This testing has become more and more important to employers and parents alike.

TEST FINDER – With so many options, it can be overwhelming. Use our Test Finder to learn more about some of our most commonly ordered tests. Still not sure? Just contact the nearest Any Lab Test Now location and we’ll talk you through the process.

Each test page includes a description and important information that will not only educate you, but also help you make a decision.

How important is it for you to take control of your health? You only have to look at the faces of those that love and depend upon you to find that answer. Work with your health care providers to make sure you’re at your best — but also be aware of your role in educating yourself when it comes to your health. Working together with Any Lab Test Now you will find that awareness and information may make the biggest impact of all.

Are you aware? It could save your life

Helping you take control of your health is what Any Lab Test Now® is all about. A big part of taking control is educating yourself and being aware of your health risks. That’s why Any Lab Test Now is proud to support efforts to make you aware of the latest in women’s health issues and proud to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Throughout the month of October you’ll see the pink ribbons that support breast cancer awareness. Awareness can be life saving! That’s because breast cancer is a cancer that most women can survive if it’s found and treated early. National Breast Cancer Awareness Month is a chance to raise awareness about the importance of detecting breast cancer early.

Self-exams and mammograms can make a HUGE impact. Some fast facts about breast cancer from the Centers for Disease Control:

Breast cancer is the second most common kind of cancer in women.
More than 40,000 women die from the disease each year.
Men can develop breast cancer, but it is rare. Less than 1 percent of breast cancers occur in men.
Most breast cancers are found in women who are 50 years old or older, but breast cancer also affects younger women.

For women who have had the disease before, the need to be extra vigilant is vital. Any Lab Test Now offers a Breast Cancer Monitoring Panel that may be helpful for women who are:

Currently diagnosed with breast cancer
Are breast cancer survivors
Have a history of breast cancer

The Breast Cancer Monitoring Panel tests for levels of the proteins CA 15-3 and CA 27-29. Those proteins are both normally produced by breast cells, but in women with breast cancer, the levels can increase. The panel also includes a CEA Test, which is another type of protein that will show increased levels in people with cancer. What the Breast Cancer Monitoring Panel does NOT do is tell you if you have breast cancer. It can be a helpful tool for women and their physicians as they move forward with treatment and therapy.

One of the biggest things you can do to ensure your continued good health is to have an overall picture of your health. That’s where the Comprehensive Female Panel can help. This panel is actually 11 tests in one. It will provide you and your doctor with a thorough overview of your health with information including your blood counts, kidney and liver functions, electrolytes, female hormones, thyroid, heart health, and nutritional status. It’s cost effective and provides you with information you need to monitor your health.

Any Lab Test Now is a convenient and affordable way to take control of your health. Being aware and educating yourself is another. Take the time this October to consider your own breast health — and remind a bosom buddy to do the same.

The skin you’re in – and the role your hormones play

When you think about your skin and how it looks, chances are you think externally. You probably think about things like:

Products that can cause acne
Sun damage from lack of sunscreen
Lines and wrinkles associated with aging

You should definitely consider all of these issues and take them seriously, but we also need to be aware of what is occurring INTERNALLY. Many people aren’t aware of the huge role your hormones play in your skin’s overall health.

Looking Good; Feeling Confident

Any Lab Test Now realizes that feeling confident about your appearance can play a huge role in your mental health. All you have to do is turn on a television set or open a magazine, and you’ll see how much an attractive and youthful appearance is valued. If you feel you aren’t looking optimal, it can begin to eat away at aspects of your self-esteem. That’s why it’s important to consider the role your hormones play in your appearance.

The Beauty of Balance

Having the proper balance of hormones is critical to the health and vitality of your skin. Your skin is the largest organ you have, and hormones affect a wide range of skin issues. We’re talking about things like collagen content, skin lipid levels, elasticity, moisture content — even wound healing, facial hair and acne.

As we age, our hormone levels change (Think teenage acne!). Low hormone levels can mean dry and thinning skin that is losing its elasticity and increasing the appearance of wrinkles. Low thyroid hormones can mean increased hair loss. On the flip side, high levels of hormones, particularly estrogen and progesterone, can contribute to dark, blotchy patches on the skin. Too much testosterone can mean adult acne, male pattern baldness or even unwanted facial hair.

Better Skin Begins at Home

Knowing the role skin health can play in helping you look and feel your best, Any Lab Test Now offers an option that will help you and your dermatologist have a better understanding of your hormone health. The Skin Vitality Take Home Hormone Kit can provide you with the information you need to get to the bottom of any unusual changes in your skin, by providing you with information about your body’s levels of seven key hormones and one skin-tastic vitamin.

The Skin Vitality Take Home Hormone Kit

Estradiol (E2)
Estriol (E3)
Progesterone (Pg)
Testosterone (T)
DHEA-S (DS)
Diurnal Cortisol (Cx4)
Thyroid Stimulating Hormones (TSH)
Vitamin D (D2, D3)

Knowing the levels of these specific hormones can help you and your doctor understand and better treat conditions like dry, blotchy skin or oily, acne-prone skin. There are many topical hormone therapies that can help relieve skin conditions. And remember, understanding your hormone levels can help to uncover hidden deficiencies or issues that impact not only the health of your skin but your overall health as well.

Take Control of Your Health

The Skin Vitality Take Home Hormone Kit doesn’t require any fasting. It starts with a simple dried blood spot test that will accurately measure your thyroid hormones and vitamin D levels. There are also four saliva tests that will need to be performed throughout the day; these tests will reflect the highs and lows of steroid and adrenal hormone production. The Skin Vitality Take Home Hormone Kit will help you identify hormonal imbalances that are contributing to skin problems and will help you and your doctor take control of your health and determine the best treatment. To find the nearest Any Lab Test Now location to you, click here. It’s the first step to looking and feeling your best in “the skin you’re in”!

The Power in Prostate Cancer Prevention

With a different health “awareness” month coming at you every month, it can become tempting to tune out. Or, you can tune in, and give yourself the opportunity in those 30 or so days to think, learn and reflect on your body, your health and your life.

This month, Prostate Cancer Awareness Month takes center stage, and Any Lab Test Now wants to share some important and encouraging information.

The Facts:

One in 9 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime.
One in 41 men will die of prostate cancer.
Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among American men.

Who is “Most “At Risk?

African-American men
Older men (the average age of diagnosis is 66)
Men with a family history

The Good News: (for those who are diagnosed and treated)

The 5-year relative survival rate is 99 percent.
The 10-year relative survival rate is 98 percent.
The 15-year relative survival rate is 96 percent.

It may be tempting to look at some of those stats and risk factors and think prostate cancer won’t affect or harm you. But with a cancer that is often asymptomatic, a simple lab test called the prostate-specific antigen, or PSA test , is the only way to catch the cancer in its early stages. The five-year survival rate in distant stage prostate cancer is a mere 29 percent.

As actor/comedian Ben Stiller, a Caucasian with no family history, found out at age 46, early prevention is key to those favorable survival rates.

“Taking the PSA test saved my life. Literally,” said Stiller in a first-person account of his journey into the world of being a cancer patient and cancer survivor.

To Test or Not to Test

The decision about if or when to do the PSA screening test has come under intense scrutiny, with varying opinions. For instance, the American Cancer Society recommends discussing the test at these stages:

Men at age 50, who are at average risk of prostate cancer and are expected to live at least 10 more years.
Men at age 45, who are at high risk of developing prostate cancer. (African-Americans and men who have a first-degree relative, father, brother or son, diagnosed with prostate cancer at age 65 or younger).
Men at age 40, who are at even higher risk (those with more than one first-degree relative who had prostate cancer at an early age).

Former Cincinnati Reds outfielder Ken Griffey, Sr., took PSA tests for years before he was diagnosed at 55 years old. As an African-American with a strong family history (four uncles died of the disease), Griffey knew he was high-risk and knew early detection would be key to his survival. He was right. He is now a vocal advocate of PSA testing.

However, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recently updated its guidelines and recommends:

Men aged 55–69 discuss possible screening with their doctor.
Men aged 70 and older are advised against routine screening.

Potential reasons for not screening include false positives and over-treatment of what is commonly a slow-growing cancer, which could result in unwanted side effects like incontinence or impotence. However, a more common form of treatment is now being referred to as “watchful waiting.” This active surveillance combines regular PSA testing and digital rectal exams with close monitoring of men with a localized, low-grade prostate cancer, that may never progress to the point of needing more invasive treatments.

At Any Lab Test Now, we encourage men to take control of their health. Our simple PSA can provide results in a matter of days. This test provides valuable information that every man can take to their doctor for a thoughtful discussion about living their longest, healthiest life.

National Sickle Cell Awareness Month: Do You Need To Be Screened?

As recently as 1970, the average patient with sickle cell disease died in childhood, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Today, patients with sickle cell anemia live into their mid-50s. That’s a pretty amazing improvement, but we still have a long way to go when it comes to treating sickle cell anemia and other related conditions.

September is National Sickle Cell Awareness Month, which is good news for the 70,000 — 100,000 Americans who are affected by the condition. Any Lab Test Now stands with those affected, to help focus attention on the need for research and treatment of this painful inherited condition

What is Sickle Cell?

Normal red blood cells are round and carry oxygen to all parts of your body. Sickle cell disease occurs when the hemoglobin in the red blood cells is abnormal. They become rigid and take on a “C” or sickle shape — the defining characteristic of the disease. That shape becomes a problem because round blood cells can pass through your body easily, while sickle-shaped blood cells can get stuck, blocking blood vessels. That means oxygen isn’t getting to parts of your body. Not only is it painful — it’s also dangerous. Some common symptoms include:

Long-term damage to organs, muscles and bones due to oxygen deprivation
Painful swelling of hands and feet, especially after exertion or getting too hot or too cold
Deep pain in the bones and the abdomen, which can last for days or even continue long-term
Stroke
Jaundice and weakness and fatigue (anemia)

Sickle cell disease is inherited. People with ancestry from Africa, India, the Middle East, the Mediterranean, and some Latin American countries are more likely to inherit the disease. Here at home, it is estimated that 1 in every 500 African-Americans has sickle cell disease.

Testing is Key.

Since sickle cell disease is an inherited disease, testing is important. Those who carry only one sickle cell gene (known as sickle cell trait) have a 50 percent chance of passing the trait on to a baby. If both parents have the sickle cell, then each child they have has a 1 in 4 chance of being born with sickle cell disease. Some good news is that newborns are required to undergo testing in the hospital for sickle cell disease in all 50 states. This allows doctors to treat babies and children that test positive for the disease with life-saving daily antibiotics.

But, if you want to take your search for answers a step further, Any Lab Test Now can help. If you’re not sure you were tested or if you don’t know your results, we can help. Screening can be helpful for a variety of people, including:

Adults considering having children who want to determine the risk of passing the disease along to their newborn.
People who know that other family members have sickle cell trait or sickle cell disease and want to assess their own risk.
Competitive athletes are especially at risk. Even having just one gene (sickle cell trait) can sometimes be concerning and cause symptoms such as muscle pain. Things become even more dangerous if athletes exercise too strenuously or become overheated. Knowing where you stand can prevent complications.

Your Next Step

If you’re looking for answers, your local Any Lab Test Now can help. We offer the Sickle Cell Anemia Screen. It’s basically two tests with the same directive: to identify the presence of Hemoglobin S. You aren’t required to fast and the screening is safe and discreet. A negative result can give you the peace of mind to move forward. On the flip side, a positive result can help you and your doctor develop a definitive diagnosis.

Knowledge Is The Key When It Comes To Prostate Cancer

It may seem like a real no-brainer: Shouldn’t every man be screened for prostate cancer once they reach a certain age? The answer to that question isn’t as simple as you might think. If you ask five different organizations, you’ll likely get five different answers. As September unfolds and brings with it National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, Any Lab Test Now wants to take a stand. The key to taking control of your health is knowledge, and any important decision should be made with as much knowledge as you can gather.

Knowledge: the Facts

It’s a fact: other than skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men. The numbers for 2018 from the American Cancer Society are sobering:

An estimated 164,690 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed.
An estimated 29,430 men will die from prostate cancer.
About 1 man in 41 will die of prostate cancer.

Those numbers can be frightening, but remember this: most men diagnosed with prostate cancer do not die from it. This is just part of the puzzle that makes this disease so confusing.

Knowledge: the Risks

Different cancers have different risk factors. Some of those risk factors can be changed while others cannot. Consider smoking as a risk factor for lung cancer — it’s easy. Just quit. But you can’t change your family history or your age and those are at the top of the list for known risk factors associated with prostate cancer. What to know:

AGE – Prostate cancer is rare in men younger than 40, but the chances of developing the disease go up rapidly after the age of 50.
FAMILY HISTORY – There appears to be a genetic factor. Having a father or a brother with prostate cancer more than doubles a man’s risk of developing the disease.
RACE/ETHNICITY – African-American men are more likely to develop prostate cancer and are also twice as likely to die from it than white men. Researchers are not sure why.
GEOGRAPHY – Prostate cancer is most common in North America, northwestern Europe, Australia, and on Caribbean islands. The reasons for this are not clear.
POSSIBLE FACTORS – Diet, obesity, smoking, chemical exposures, inflammation of the prostate, sexually transmitted infections, and vasectomy have all been studied and may have a less clear link.

The thing to remember here is this: having a risk factor, or even several, does not mean that you will get the disease. Likewise, having none of the risk factors is no guarantee that you will not get the disease. What is important is that you know these risks and factor them into your decision.

Knowledge: the Symptoms

Risk factors aside, are there symptoms that you should be aware of that should send you straight to your doctor’s office? Well, like so many issues associated with prostate cancer, the answer is yes — and no. Early prostate cancer usually causes no symptoms. But more advanced prostate cancers can sometimes cause symptoms, such as:

Problems urinating, including a slow or weak urinary stream. Also, the need to urinate more often, especially at night.
Blood in your urine or semen.
Trouble getting an erection.
Pain in the hips, back or chest.
Weakness or numbness in the legs or feet

Each and every one of these symptoms could be caused by something else! But it’s something you should be aware of and make sure your doctor is aware of as well.

Knowledge: Taking Control of Your Health

At your local Any Lab Test Now, we offer the Prostate Specific Antigen test. It is our belief that it is important to establish a PSA baseline so that you can monitor any changes over time. It’s a decision every man must make for himself, along with his loved ones and his physician. It’s a simple test — without a simple answer. Any Lab Test Now strives to provide you with the knowledge you need to find the answer for yourself.

Take Control Of Your Diabetes By Taking Control Of Your Health: Five Sneaky Signs

The numbers associated with diabetes are frightening. According to the American Diabetes Association, 30.3 million Americans (or 9.4 percent of the population) have diabetes.

You want to know what’s even scarier?

The 7.2 million of them that are walking around and living their life without even knowing they have a potentially fatal disease. That’s right, 7.2 million Americans are suffering from diabetes and they don’t even know it. That makes an already dangerous disease even more frightening.

Any Lab Test Now® recognizes how serious diabetes is… and how difficult it may be for some people to bring it under control. We are with you from diagnosis to management with a variety of tests designed to keep you informed and in control.

Are You Undiagnosed?

The earlier your diabetes is diagnosed the less likely you are to suffer from serious complications. There are some common warning signs for both type 1 and type 2 diabetes: excessive thirst and excessive urination, extreme fatigue, and hunger — even though you are eating. Some of these symptoms are so easy to write off that people often ignore them. But you need to watch for these five super-sneaky signs as well:

Cuts and bruises that are slow to heal. Diabetes can impact your body’s defense system and encourage bacterial growth.
Your vision isn’t the same. Don’t be so quick to just assume it is age-related. Diabetes can affect your eye’s lens, causing your vision to blur.
Numb or tingling feet and hands. Maybe it’s the cold. Maybe it’s reduced blood flow brought on by diabetes, particularly type 2.
Blotchy and darkened skin. Especially around your neck and under your armpits.
Weight loss. We know what you’re thinking: “Losing weight is a good thing! Right?” and yes, it is… unless you’re not trying to lose weight and you’re actually eating more. This is often seen in people with type 1 diabetes.

If you notice these symptoms and you have a family history of diabetes, or if you’re overweight, or have a sedentary lifestyle, it could be cause for concern.

From Diagnosis to Maintenance

Any Lab Test Now offers a variety of options that can help you determine if you have diabetes and also whether you are keeping it under control. Some require fasting; others don’t. Some are best for help in diagnosing the disease; while others are better at helping you effectively manage it. For example, the Diabetes Maintenance Panel offers multiple tests including:

Complete Blood Count
Comprehensive Metabolic Panel
Hemoglobin A1c
Diabetic Urinalysis

If you’re not sure which test is right for you, don’t worry. You can call or walk into your local Any Lab Test Now location and our experts will help you determine which choice is best for you. Once you are armed with your test results, you and your doctor can decide how best to proceed. When it comes to diabetes, being informed and in control can help you avoid dangerous complications, and helping you be informed and in control of your health is what Any Lab Test Now is all about.

Hormones Can Wreak Havoc On Your Health

Imagine for a moment that your body is basically a factory. Everything — each part of your body, from your brain to your skin — has a job to do. The foreman on the job: your endocrine system. “The glands of your endocrine system send out hormones that tell each part of your body what work to do, when to do it, and for how long. Hormones are vital to your health and well-being,” according to the Hormone Health Network, from the Endocrine Society.

Hormones — Your Body’s Taskmaster

Hormones are your body’s chemical messengers, traveling in your bloodstream to tissues and organs to help them do their work. They are responsible for all types of processes including:

Growth and development
Metabolism
Sexual function
Reproduction
Mood

That means that if something goes wrong with your hormones — if they get out of balance — they can create all sorts of trouble. Any Lab Test Now offers a wide variety of hormone tests. One of the easiest and most informative is the Saliva Hormone Test.

A Test to Trust

The Saliva Hormone Test is the best non-invasive method for discovering any type of hormone imbalance in either males or females. This important hormone test will provide you with an overall picture of where you stand with your hormone levels. Never think for one moment that hormone issues don’t exist… or that they’re not important. Even the slightest dysfunction of your hormones can result in weight gain, fatigue, mood changes, or sleep disturbances.

Your Key to Good Health

As the name suggests, this particular test uses a sample of your saliva to analyze your hormone levels in five key areas:

Testosterone – In men, an irregularity of testosterone within the body may contribute to decreased bone density, decreased muscle strength, and decreased libido. In women, too much testosterone can lead to irregular periods and excess body hair. Not enough can lead to loss of muscle tone, poor concentration, and lack of libido.
Progesterone – This hormone is strongly linked to menstruation and fertility in women. Women who have low levels can struggle to conceive, and if they do manage to conceive, they are at an increased risk for miscarriage.
Estradiol – This is a type of estrogen predominant during a woman’s reproductive years. Too little can cause menstrual problems, hot flashes, and mood swings, while too much can cause weight gain, fibroid tumors, and even depression. Men produce small amounts of estrogen as well. Low levels can cause excess belly fat and low sex drive while too much can lead to gynecomastia and infertility.
DHEA-S – High and low levels of this hormone can impact both men and women. In women, too much can cause excessive body and facial hair and acne. In men, it can lead to male pattern baldness. Low levels are associated with diabetes, dementia, and even lupus. NOTE: It is normal for your levels to lower as you age.
Cortisol – Often called the “stress hormone” it actually does a lot of jobs in your body, including control of blood sugar levels, metabolism regulation, inflammation reduction, memory functions, and even blood pressure.

The Saliva Hormone Test will help you and your doctor by providing a “big picture” and get you on your way to feeling better and more like yourself. Not sure where to begin? A visit to your local Any Lab Test Now will introduce you to one of our helpful lab assistants that can guide you down the path to better health.

Drugs And Teens

It seems like every time you listen to the news, there’s another reason for parents to be scared, particularly when it comes to drug abuse. Shocking rates of opioid addiction, prescription pain medication abuse, along with marijuana use and vaping, are in the headlines. Parents, educators, and law enforcement all do their best to warn teens about the dangers. For many families, the outcome is positive. But for those that are struggling with use and/or abuse, your local Any Lab Test Now® is there to help you confidentially and anonymously.

Move Forward With Confidence

If you suspect your child is being pressured to use drugs or has fallen in with the wrong group of friends, drug testing may help. Many parents are afraid that requesting a drug test will just push their teen away. It’s hard to know how to move forward if you don’t have solid, lab-verified facts at hand. Any Lab Test Now offers a range of lab-based drug screens in a variety of forms.

Hair Follicle Test – can detect drug use over a period of time (generally three months).
Fingernail Test – nail clippings can determine if someone has used drugs as far back as six months.
Urine Test – offers fast results.
Saliva Test – detection periods vary, depending on the type of drug.

If you’re not sure about the best way to proceed, you can speak to one of our lab experts in a confidential setting. They can provide you with guidance about drug testing so you can move forward in your efforts to keep your child on the right track.

Take Control With Information

You might want to start your research here, with a comprehensive list of drug and alcohol testing available at Any Lab Test Now. We have tests that can provide you with information in a variety of situations including:

Lab-based drug screening for substances like (but not limited to) marijuana, popular prescription medications and methamphetamines [example: Drug Test, 12 Panel (Urine)]
Synthetic designer drugs like K2, Spice and Bath Salts [example: Drug Test, K2 or Spice, (Urine)]
Alcohol and/or tobacco [examples: Alcohol Screen (Saliva) and Drug Test, Cotinine (Nicotine)]
Dextromethorphan (cough syrup) [example: Dextromethorphan (DXM) Drug Test]

We can even help you if you come across an “unknown substance” that you suspect of being drugs. If you find that you are still having trouble determining which of our many options works best for you and your family, help is as simple as a phone call.

Another Reason to Say NO

Any Lab Test Now is proud to offer our “Trust, But Verify” random teen drug-testing program. We know that the decision to drug test is one of the most difficult decisions a parent can make. Our program provides you with information about drug trends as well as signs and symptoms of drug use. Any Lab Test Now knows that teens can be challenging. We’re here to help.

Drugs And Teens: Give Them Another Reason To Just Say No