Stocking up on tissues is easy. Making time to check in on your health? That can take a little more planning.
As cold and flu season approaches, wellness testing can help you establish a baseline and identify health changes worth discussing with your health care provider.
What Wellness Testing Can and Cannot Tell You
Wellness panels evaluate general health markers. They may identify abnormalities that need follow-up, sometimes before you notice symptoms.
They do not predict whether you’ll catch a cold, diagnose the flu or provide an overall “immune strength” score. Normal results also don’t guarantee that you’re free of illness.
Think of wellness testing as a way to understand your starting point, not a forecast for the season.
Annual Check-Up Panel: A General Health Starting Point
The Annual Check-Up Panel includes five tests:
- Complete Blood Count (CBC)
- Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP)
- Lipid Panel
- Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c)
- Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH)
These tests provide information about blood cells, kidney and liver function, electrolytes, cholesterol, blood sugar and thyroid function.
What It May Flag
A CBC may reveal blood cell changes that warrant evaluation for anemia or other concerns. A CMP can flag abnormal glucose, electrolyte, kidney or liver markers. Hemoglobin A1c helps assess longer-term blood sugar patterns, while the Lipid Panel and TSH provide information about cholesterol and thyroid function.
Annual Check-Up Panel Plus: Additional B12, Thyroid and Metabolic Insights
The Annual Check-Up Panel Plus includes all five tests in the Annual Check-Up Panel and adds:
- Free T-4
- Free T-3
- Fasting Insulin
- Vitamin B12
- Urinalysis
What It May Flag
This panel offers additional information about thyroid hormones, fasting insulin, vitamin B12 and urine abnormalities.
Vitamin B12 deficiency, for example, can be associated with anemia, fatigue and neurological symptoms. Urinalysis checks for findings such as blood, protein and other substances that may require further evaluation.
Comprehensive Female Wellness Panel: General Health Plus Hormone Testing
The Comprehensive Female Wellness Panel includes the same five core tests as the Annual Check-Up Panel, plus:
- Estradiol
- Testosterone (Free and Total)
- Progesterone
- DHEA-Sulfate
- Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH)
- Luteinizing Hormone (LH)
What It May Flag
Along with general wellness markers, this panel measures hormone levels that may support evaluation of menstrual, reproductive or other hormone-related concerns.
Comprehensive Male Wellness Panel: General Health Plus Hormone and PSA Testing
The Comprehensive Male Wellness Panel includes the same five core tests as the Annual Check-Up Panel, plus:
- Testosterone (Free and Total)
- DHEA-Sulfate
- Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA, Total)
What It May Flag
The additional tests provide information about hormone levels and PSA. Unexpected results may prompt a conversation about further evaluation.
Which Panel Makes Sense for You?
Start with the question you want testing to help answer:
- Looking for a general health baseline? Discuss the Annual Check-Up Panel.
- Want additional B12, thyroid, insulin and urine information? Discuss the Annual Check-Up Panel Plus.
- Have specific hormone-related concerns? Ask whether a Comprehensive Female or Male Wellness Panel fits your needs.
The Human Advantage
Choosing testing shouldn’t mean navigating everything alone.
Any Lab Test Now helps make the testing experience straightforward and personal. You can ask practical questions about panel contents, preparation, sample collection and receiving your results. If blood draws make you nervous, let the team know.
Convenience comes with clear access, too:
- A doctor’s order is included: You don’t need to bring your own; the required order can be provided at no additional cost
- Transparent pricing: Confirm your local panel price before testing
- Walk-in options: Work-friendly hours help testing fit into a busy schedule
- Professional sample collection: A real person guides you through your visit
Your local team supports the testing process. Your health care provider interprets your results and recommends medical next steps.
Prepare for Your Visit and the Season
These panels require at least eight hours of fasting, with water allowed. The Annual Check-Up Panel Plus requires blood and urine samples; the other three require a blood sample. Confirm instructions with your location, and don’t stop prescribed medications without guidance from your provider.
Make Your Next Health Check-In Count
Cold and flu season prep is about more than supplies. It’s also an opportunity to catch up on appropriate preventive care and better understand your health.
Find a location near you, explore available panels, and confirm local pricing.
Take Control Of Your Health!