Using Your FSA Dollars Wisely With Any Lab Test Now

If you are using a Flexible Spending Account — often termed an FSA — then you’re already showing a healthy respect for your bottom line. Using pre-tax dollars to pay for out-of-pocket medical expenses just makes good sense. Making sure you use every cent of those dollars is the smartest move you can make. As the year winds down, the clock is ticking on those FSA dollars that you either need to dole out or ditch. So what’s a smart money shopper to do? Any Lab Test Now® offers you several of our best options. These tests will provide you with comprehensive, vital information that will help you take control of your health — and spend your money wisely!

1.ANNUAL CHECK-UP PANEL

The Annual Check-Up Panel is the perfect panel for evaluating your overall health. That’s because it helps you establish a baseline for a number of very important tests, including your blood counts, kidney function, liver function, electrolytes, total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL, LDL, and thyroid function. Fluctuations in these could signal problems. If you weren’t able to make it to your doctor for an annual physical and blood work, this is the test for you.

2. BASIC NUTRITIONAL PANEL

As more and more of us adopt alternative eating lifestyles, nutritional deficiencies are going to increase. Add that to nutrient shortfalls caused by common medications and you end up with an otherwise healthy person who is malnourished! This panel will test for a variety of nutrients and vitamins, including iron and vitamins B12 and D, three of the most common deficiencies in the United States.

3. WEIGHT MANAGEMENT TAKE HOME HORMONE KIT

According to the CDC, 39.8 percent of adults in the United States are obese. Much of the blame is placed on over-eating and sedentary lifestyles, but many of us are not aware of the strong connection between our hormones and our weight. If you are struggling with obesity and just can’t seem to lose weight, then you owe it to yourself to determine if your hormones are playing a part. The test identifies specific hormonal imbalances that contribute to excessive weight gain and obesity.

Any Lab Test Now is cost-effective and convenient. If one of our “best buys” above doesn’t suit you, take a few minutes to browse through our list of hundreds of quality lab tests available. From allergy testing to DNA, Any Lab Test Now offers you quality and convenience. With all the options we have to offer, you’ll get the most out of your FSA dollars!

Don’t Let Your Wealth or Your Health Be Forgotten

Life just seems to pick up the pace when the cooler temperatures of fall arrive. School starts again and all the extracurricular happenings that go along with it! The holidays come around one after the other. It seems like no sooner are you taking down the Halloween decorations that you’re putting up the Christmas tree! It seems that as the days get shorter our to-do list gets longer. It’s easy for important things to slip between the cracks and the next thing you know, poof! You’ve forgotten all about them

Any Lab Test Now® would like to remind you about two of those important items that should move to the top of your priority list: your wealth and your health. And believe it or not, you can take care of them both at your local Any Lab Test Now.

Let’s Talk About Money

OK! So it’s bad manners to talk about money, but let’s get real! When it comes to many Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA’s), it’s “Use it or lose it!” When you’re trying to stretch every dollar, it’s hard to justify letting a couple hundred dollars (maybe more!) disappear, and that’s what happens when you don’t check your FSA account and use the money that’s in it before the end of the year. With a few exceptions, most FSA plans DO NOT allow you to roll over unused funds to the next year. So, what happens? One minute you’re carving a pumpkin, the next you’re trying to decide whether a sweater or a scarf would make a better Christmas gift for Grandma and all the while you’ve totally forgotten the cash balance on your FSA card.

Any Lab Test Now hasn’t forgotten, and it’s in the best interest of your health for you to remember as well! Here’s why.

Your Health is Your Priority

When it comes to your priorities list, your health should be pretty high on it! Any Lab Test Now can help you with our fast and convenient testing services. Our lab testing services are:

Convenient – just check here for a location that is near you.
Open – we have worker-friendly hours and are even open on Saturdays.
Easy – you don’t need an appointment. Just walk in!
Fast – most customers are in and out in 15 minutes or less.

And maybe most importantly, Any Lab Test Now accepts Flexible Spending Account cards.

Maybe you’ve put off your annual check-up lab work because you just haven’t had the time. Maybe you’re struggling with your weight and you’re not sure where to start. Whatever your health issues are, the experts at Any Lab Test Now can guide you in the right direction — the one that will provide you with the information you need to take control of your health!

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”!

Why baby boomers should care about hepatitis awareness

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has named the month of May Hepatitis Awareness Month and May 19 in particular as national Hepatitis Testing Day. It’s information everyone should pay close attention to; because chronic hepatitis B and C can cause serious damage to your liver. But your local Any Lab Test Now location wants baby boomers, in particular, to mark their calendars on Hepatitis Testing Day for a very simple reason — you are most at risk.

Baby Boomers and Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C is spread through contact with blood or other body fluids from an infected person. Baby boomers are five times more likely to have hepatitis C than other adults, according to the CDC. Most of them are unaware that they are infected. The reason baby boomers have such high rates isn’t completely understood, but health officials have three main theories:

Health officials believe boomers are at an increased risk because they became infected from medical equipment or procedures before universal precautions and infection control procedures were adopted.
Others could have gotten infected from contaminated blood before widespread screening of the blood supply was implemented. Screening virtually eliminated the virus from the blood supply by 1992.
Sharing needles or equipment to inject drugs can also spread hepatitis C.

Many people will never know how they were infected, just like many never realize that they are living with a dangerous contagious disease.

Symptoms of Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C can lead to liver damage, cirrhosis, and is now the leading cause of liver cancer. The good news is, it can be cured! But you have to be aware that you have the disease and the sooner you know, the better your chances of recovery. Here’s what to look for:

Fever
Fatigue
Loss of appetite
Nausea
Vomiting
Abdominal pain
Dark urine
Clay-colored bowel movements
Joint pain
Jaundice

But here’s the thing: many people can live with hepatitis C for decades without symptoms or even feeling sick. That’s why testing is so critical.

Any Lab Test Now Offers Hepatitis Testing

You can find out where you stand by coming in to an Any Lab Test Now location and asking for one of our quick and easy hepatitis screening tests. There are several options to choose from.

The Hepatitis Panel screens for all variations of the hepatitis virus; that’s A, B, and C. There are three different viruses that cause hepatitis A, B, or C and this one test will screen for all three.

The Hepatitis C Test will screen only for the one virus. If your results come back positive for the virus, the time to act is now. The sooner you and your physician begin treatment, the better.

Treatment and Beyond

Doctors treat hepatitis C with antiviral medicines that attack the virus and can cure the disease in most cases. Researchers are developing newer medications, and hopefully bringing the cost of treatment down. So, if you were born between 1945 and 1965, grab a friend and make a date to visit Any Lab Test Now on May 19 for National Hepatitis Testing Day. It may not sound like the time of your life, but it could add more time to your life!

Gluten-free: a diet for some, deadly for others

You’ve probably seen it in the grocery store or on a page of the restaurant menu: “Gluten Free” in bold letters. It’s a claim that for some people means a choice to help them lose weight or to live a healthier lifestyle. But for others it is truly not a choice and it can make all the difference to their long-term health. Is going gluten free a “choice” or a “must” for you? Your local Any Lab Test Now can help you decide.

Not a Fad but a Fact

For some people, the ingestion of gluten leads to a cascade of health problems that end with serious damage to the small intestine. These are the people who have celiac disease, a very serious autoimmune disorder. According to the Celiac Disease Foundation, 2.5 million Americans are living with the disease undiagnosed…and are at serious risk for long-term health complications. Complications like malnutrition, osteoporosis, infertility, even certain types of cancer can occur if the disease is left untreated.

Little Protein; Big Problem

So, what happens when you have celiac disease? The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has some helpful information. Basically, when a person with celiac disease ingests gluten, their body can’t digest it and it hangs around in their system triggering an autoimmune response. That’s when the body goes on the attack! Over time, that leads to the damage of the small intestine and other potential health problems. The only way to stop the damage at this point is to avoid ingesting gluten, which is easier said than done. Gluten is found in wheat, barley and rye, so it shows up most often in bread, pasta, and baked treats. But this little protein is tricky! It can show up in lip balms, toothpastes, and even envelope adhesive.

Signs and Symptoms

Celiac disease is serious and you might wonder just how 2.5 million Americans can continue to live with this disease, undiagnosed? That’s because the symptoms can be so different for each person. We could fill a page with some of the different symptoms to look for in adults and children, but here are a few:

Anemia
Bone or joint pain
Depression or anxiety
Headaches
Chronic diarrhea
Numbness in hands and feet
Tiredness
Abdominal pain and bloating

You can take your health into your own hands if you suspect you have celiac disease. Any Lab Test Now offers tests to help you get answers:

CICA – Celiac, IBS, and Crohn’s Array – Want to check for a wider range? Consider the CICA test, which measures gut health on the genetic, antibody, and cellular levels. This is a much deeper investigation that can point you and your doctor in the right direction.

Celiac Disease vs. Gluten Sensitivity

Be aware that celiac disease is different from gluten sensitivity. If you have gluten sensitivity, you may have symptoms similar to those of celiac disease, but gluten sensitivity does not damage the small intestine. Any Lab Test Now offers the ALCAT 50 Food Panel to test for food sensitivity and intolerance. Check here to find an Any Lab Test Now location near you.

Your Body’s Response to Stress

Shot of a young woman suffering from stress while using a computer at her work desk

Remember being a child? You’d stub your toe or bring home a bad grade on your report card, and it would feel like the end of the world – for about five minutes. Then, you’d race out the door to giggle with friends or fly on the swings or shoot hoops at the playground.

Back then, there were stressful moments, but more often than not, they were short-lived. Now that you are a grownup, however, you may find it more difficult to let go of stress. Stress may be staying with you, day after day and week after week. After all, many people struggle to simply balance day-to-day responsibilities. Then, if something more severe happens, such as becoming a long-term care giver or losing a job, it becomes nearly impossible to remove stress from your life.

Your Body and Stress

The feelings you have during short-term stress are healthy, natural physical responses. When your body encounters a stressful situation, it releases a steroid hormone called cortisol. This hormone triggers the “fight or flight” response that puts your body on high alert so that you can more effectively cope with the perceived threat. When this happens, you may feel your heart racing, tummy tighten, breath quicken or even a sudden burst of energy.

You feel these things because cortisol is telling your primary systems, like your breathing and circulatory systems, to accelerate. At the same time, it tells your secondary systems, like your reproductive and immune systems, to slow down, allowing all of your energy to shift towards coping with the threat.

Once the threat has passed, your cortisol levels should slowly subside and your systems should return to normal functioning.

Too Much Stress; Too Much Cortisol

But, what happens when the stressful situation(s) never ends? What happens when your body has so much cortisol coursing through it that it remains on high alert for long periods of time?

When that happens, your systems never reset themselves. Your body may over-tax your primary systems or not restore your secondary systems to normal functioning, leading to issues like:

High blood pressure
Digestive issues
Weight gain
Depression or anxiety
Decreased libido
Reduced energy
Reduced immunity
Muscle weakness

If you’re feeling any of these symptoms for unexplained reasons, it could be that you’ve been battling stress for too long and your cortisol levels aren’t dropping as they should. Cortisol saliva tests or cortisol blood tests can both be used to quickly evaluate your cortisol levels so that you can find out if they are at an unhealthy level.

Coping with Stress

If you find that your cortisol levels are too high, it’s important to take steps to reduce your stress and begin restoring your body to its natural functioning. Of course, talking with your doctor will provide options that fit your health status and lifestyle, but these may include:

Exercising
Learning to slow down (Think yoga, meditation, massage)
Keeping a gratitude journal
Evaluating your priorities and taking steps to remove non-necessary commitments
Employing self-care practices
Embracing your creative side

Having some stress in your life is natural, but if you start to question the impact that stress is having on your overall health and well-being, it’s time to take back control. Walk in to your local Any Lab Test Now location to get the answers you need about your cortisol level. Once you know, you’ll have one less thing to stress over!

Give Your Heart Some Love During Heart Health Month

Between work, social activities and taking care of a family, it may be easy to forget to take care of yourself. However, it’s important to make sure your heart’s health is top-notch, especially if you’re the heart of the household.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many of those at risk may not even realize there is a problem. Since February is American Hearth Month, it serves as a reminder that there’s never a bad time to make sure your heart is in good condition and avoid being one of those people who is putting their health on the line.

Your Life, Your Heart, Your Choice:

While various heart problems may be inherited, many forms of heart disease can be prevented or treated with healthy lifestyle choices. Having a poor diet, excessive alcohol use, smoking, stress and physical inactivity are all lifestyle choices that put people at a higher risk for heart disease. These factors lead to high blood pressure, which thickens arteries and narrows blood vessels. Obesity, lack of exercise, smoking, diabetes and other risk factors can also lead to high blood cholesterol levels, which can lead to plaque buildup in the arteries. If that information doesn’t get you to change your habits, consider this: about 735,000 Americans have a heart attack every year.

Know the Warning Signs:

Chest discomfort and pain in your left arm aren’t the only warning signs that something is wrong with your heart. Nausea, feeling lightheaded, and pain in the throat or jaw could also be signs of trouble too. Also, if you’ve developed an annoying cough that produces white or pink mucus, check with your doctor. When the heart can’t keep up with the body’s demands, this causes blood to leak back into the lungs. Another sign something is up could be if your legs and feet are swollen. Blood can get backed up in the veins and cause bloating when the heart can’t pump fast enough.

Take a Test:

If you’re worried about your heart health, take just a couple of minutes to visit your nearest Any Lab Test Now location and see if everything is OK. The Lipid Panel, which is just $49, includes tests to measure if a patient has abnormal cholesterol or triglyceride levels. The C-Reactive Protein Test measures the amount of protein in your blood that indicates inflammation. The test will let you know if inflammation has damaged arteries, thus increasing the chances of a heart attack. The Lipoprotein Particle Profile Test is the most advanced test available to predict heart disease risk. Low Density Lipoprotein cholesterol, LDL, is also known as the “bad cholesterol.” High numbers of small, dense LDL particles can cause plaque buildup, and ultimately cardiovascular disease. The Lipoprotein Particle Profile Test measures the particles directly.

American Heart Month is the perfect time to show your heart some love. After all, it does so much for you! Visit your local Any Lab Test Now to get started.

Take Control of Your Nutrition in the New Year

With the new year upon us, many people have set resolutions to embark on a journey to a healthier, happier life. In fact, eating healthier is one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions each year. Unfortunately, it’s often quite difficult to follow through with those goals. According to Business Insider, 80 percent of resolutions fail by the second week of February, and only 8 percent of people successfully keep their resolutions for the entire year. The key to success is setting up realistic goals with actionable stepping stones. Instead of thinking of your new diet as a restrictive, miserable experience, view it as a lifestyle change for the better.

Eat at Home

Eating at home can be a fun (and economical) approach to hitting your weight loss goals while still getting the nutrients your body needs to thrive. By cooking your own meals, it’s easier to control your portion sizes. ABC News reports that American serving sizes have grown over the past 20 years, contributing to the obesity epidemic. Consuming smaller portions combined with a higher intake of fruits and vegetables will help you hit your wellness goals in no time – and your wallet will thank you, too!

Drink More Water

According to Harvard Medical School, drinking fluids is vital to your health for a multitude of reasons. Every system in your body, including your brain, muscles and heart, needs water to function. Fluids carry nutrients to your cells and flush bacteria from your body. Without proper hydration, your body may have trouble fully processing nutrients. Unfortunately, for many health enthusiasts, drinking enough water can be challenging! It’s recommended to drink 1 – 1.5 liters of water per day – no easy feat! Luckily, there are some techniques you can use to increase your water intake. Try setting an alarm on your phone to periodically remind you to drink water. There are also apps that can help you track how much you drink in a day. Finally, buying a new water bottle can help keep you motivated. Through proper hydration you’re likely to see an improvement in your digestion, energy and even in your skin.

Get Your Nutrition Levels Tested

Before you begin a new and improved healthy diet, it’s important to consult a healthcare professional. You should understand what exactly your body needs and adjust your diet from there. Nutrition tests are a great option for learning more about your body. They can provide you with your current nutrient levels so you can better develop a proper meal plan that will set you up for long-term success. Even if you are eating generally well, you may still be missing out on important vitamins, minerals and nutrients. By adjusting your meal plans to fit your specific body’s needs, you’ll be feeling your best in no time.

The best part? You don’t need to spend hours trying to make an appointment or sitting in a waiting room to get your nutrition tested—you can stop by your local Any Lab Test Now location and be seen promptly. Any Lab Test Now offers an extensive nutritional panel called the MicroNutrient test. This test will provide a snapshot of your current nutritional status and how you can improve it in the upcoming year. To learn more about the MicroNutrient , find your local Any Lab Test Now location at AnyLabTestNow.com.

Give the Gift of Family History with a DNA Test

Every holiday season, there’s always that one person who is nearly impossible to find a gift for. Instead of gifting a frivolous trinket, give the gift of family history. At Any Lab Test Now, you can have access to a variety of DNA tests that will give you and your loved one a deeper insight into your family tree.

Geographic Population Structure (GPS) Origins Test

The GPS Origins test is a very popular DNA test and a great gift for the holidays. Tracing back the family tree and learning more about your family’s history has become a popular pastime for many history buffs, and the GPS origins test is a great way to learn more about your roots.

The GPS Origins Test carefully analyzes over 800,000 autosomal markers from your DNA in order to pinpoint your family’s origins. From the results, you can learn more about your genetic origin percentages and history. You can also see how your DNA matches various populations that ultimately came together to form you.

Next, the GPS Origins Test traces your migration route back to where it originated and dates the age of your DNA signature on both your maternal and paternal sides. Your results will be delivered in an easy-to-understand, detailed report.

The test is simple, painless and can be collected from an oral sample. This holiday season, let the GPS Origins Test help bring light to you family’s history.

DNA Lineage Tests

Another insightful test is the DNA Lineage Test. There are a few variations when it comes to this specific test: Y-STR (Y Chromosome) DNA Lineage Test, Mitochondrial (MtDNA) DNA Lineage Test and Dual DNA Lineage Test for Men. Each variation analyzes a different aspect of the DNA.

The Y-STR (Y Chromosome) DNA Lineage test is only available to men, as it requires the analysis a Y chromosome, which is only found in males. This test looks into the paternal lineage by examining the DNA found in the Y chromosome. That information, passed down from father to child, remains relatively unchanged for generations. That data can provide unique insight into. what family members are related through a common paternal ancestor.

If you prefer to take a deep dive into the maternal lineage, the Mitochondrial (MtDNA) DNA Lineage Test may be the DNA test for you. This test delves into the mitochondria, which is passed down from mother to child and remains relatively unchanged through several generations. Through this test, you can find out which individuals are related to you through a common maternal ancestor

The final test DNA test option is the Dual DNA lineage Test for Men. This combines the Y-STR and MtDNA tests and provides a more comprehensive insight to both parental lineages. By analyzing both parents, you’ll get a more thorough understanding of which family members you share a maternal or paternal ancestor with.

To understand who you are today, many find it’s important to understand where they came from. For that history-loving, unmaterialistic friend or family member, consider giving the gift of their family tree. For more information on these DNA tests, visit AnyLabTestNow.com.

Got High Blood Pressure? You Could Be Putting Yourself at Risk

“High blood pressure,” also known as hypertension, is a phrase we hear all too often in the American medical landscape. So much so, in fact, that the words have become normalized as something you will most likely hear at least once throughout the course of your lifetime. According to the CDC, one in three American adults has high blood pressure, and only about half of those with high blood pressure have the condition under control. This is dangerous news as high blood pressure, often dubbed “the silent killer,” is capable of wreaking havoc on your health. It often has no warning signs or symptoms, but can set you up for an endless list of problems, including the No. 1 cause of death in the United States: heart disease.

The Silent Killer

If high blood pressure presents no signs or symptoms in most people, how can you know if you have it? The best way to keep tabs on your health is to regularly check your blood pressure with the help of a medical expert. By monitoring your blood pressure levels on a regular basis, you can be better prepared to take the steps toward lowering your blood pressure if necessary. If left untreated, your high blood pressure could be opening you up to a whole host of dangerous and even deadly health problems, including:

High blood pressure can cause a number of disabilities if left unchecked. Lack of blood flow to various areas of the body can cause harm to those areas, leaving them with permanent damage. One common result of untreated hypertension is vision impairment or blindness due to blood vessel damage in the eyes.
Poor Quality of Life. Not only is high blood pressure dangerous, but it can make your life more difficult on a daily basis. Left untreated, high blood pressure can cause cognitive impairment, dementia and memory problems, nerve damage, bone loss, sleep apnea and even sexual dysfunction.
Untreated hypertension can lead to an aneurysm due to damaged arteries, heart failure, heart attack and stroke. It can also cause damage to the kidneys, resulting in kidney scarring and kidney failure.

Consider all of the ways in which these could impact your life as you know it. Untreated high blood pressure could mean not being able to drive and losing the independence of getting yourself around. It could mean that you have trouble remembering your grandchild’s birthday. Worse yet, it could force you to say goodbye to your loved ones too soon. Get tested before it’s too late.

Take Control of Your Health

If you are worried about having high blood pressure, the best thing you can do is get your blood pressure tested. Once you know your numbers, you can take the necessary actions toward improving your health. This would include scheduling regular check-ups with your doctor, and asking about the changes you can make to keep your blood pressure at a safe and healthy level.

Any Lab Test Now offers several options for blood pressure testing and monitoring, including the Basic Check-Up Panel and other Health & Wellness Tests. Nothing is more important than your health. Don’t allow your high blood pressure to put your health at risk. Talk with the experts at Any Lab Test Now to learn what testing options are right for you, and take the steps towards preventing this silent killer.