Strong Men Put Their Health First

THREE LAB TESTS EVERY MAN NEEDS

Fast, easy, and relatively painless. It’s how we wish we could describe laying tiles in the kitchen, building the treehouse in the backyard, or hitting that desired weight on the deadlift. Most things men are asked to do are quite the opposite of fast, easy, and painless. Whether it’s a physical or mental challenge, it’s nearly always just that: a challenge. This shouldn’t be the case when it comes to taking care of your health. It’s not uncommon for men to put their health on the back burner. This can be for a number of reasons. Some men procrastinate to avoid a negative diagnosis, and others are just reluctant to start the process of a health check-up, which generally takes time, money, and several blood draws.  

But here’s the thing, no matter what stage of life you are in, there are three lab tests you absolutely consider to get ahead of your health. Preventative care can do many things, including improving the quality of your life, if not just saving it completely. Men’s Health Month was created to highlight preventable health issues and encourage early detection of disease among men of all ages. Read below for three recommended lab tests designed to help men proactively maintain their health.

HAVE A HEART (TEST)

The CDC states that heart disease and cancer are the two leading causes of death for men. These two issues, along with numerous other debilitating and life-altering diagnoses, can be identified and treated early with preventative care. Let’s talk about heart health. While it can be deadly, it can be preventable with proper care. Heart disease is an umbrella term that includes multiple diseases, and each has different symptoms. The most common symptoms between the varying diseases are:

  • Chest pain 
  • Difficulty breathing 
  • Fatigue 
  • Racing heartbeat/irregular heartbeat
  • Swelling 

It’s worth recognizing that your hormones tie into your heart health. Something that can greatly impact a man’s health is his hormones. Hormone health is crucial to the function of a man’s body and quality of life. It’s why getting your hormone levels evaluated can be a literal life-saver. 

For example, people who abuse the commonly known male hormone testosterone have an increased risk of high blood pressure heart attack, and stroke. Knowing the signs of a heart attack or stroke is one of the most important things you can do to safeguard your cardiac health. If you’re specifically looking for a heart health test, your neighborhood Any Lab Test Now® has the Heart Health Panel specifically for that. This panel provides an overview of your heart health status and can be used as a baseline assessment of your heart health and possible risk. 

NEED A FATHER’S DAY GIFT IDEA? HOW ABOUT COLORECTAL CANCER SCREENING

Okay, we realize it’s not the best gift… but it’s a great way to make sure you celebrate a few more holidays. According to the American Cancer Society, essential to get screened.

If you want to take preventative measures before getting a colonoscopy, check out your local Any Lab Test Now® for the Colon Cancer Screening (FIT) Test to give you peace of mind. The FIT Test (Fecal Immunochemical Test) is a good health-monitoring test that detects hemoglobin, or blood, in the stool. The sample is collected in the privacy of your home, and only requires a small water-based sampling from one bowel movement. Kits can either be picked up in-store or purchased online and includes a prepaid shipping label to send the sample directly to the lab.

COMPREHENSIVE MALE PANEL

If you’re looking for an all-encompassing screening that will thoroughly take a look at your health with one test, look no further than Any Lab Test Now®. It can all be done using our simple, yet thorough, Comprehensive Male Panel. It’s specifically designed to give men a broad overview of their health. It includes testing for your blood count, a metabolic panel, which includes your kidney and liver functions, as well as your heart and hormone health. You will also receive a prostate-specific antigen test to evaluate your prostate health. The results could show your physician if your testosterone is low, how your liver and kidneys are functioning if you are at risk for diabetes, and even provide a baseline when it comes to prostate cancer.

The panel includes the following tests:

  • Complete blood count of platelets 
  • Complete metabolic panel 
  • Cholesterol
  • Prostate-specific antigen
  • Testosterone 
  • Thyroid 
  • Hemoglobin
  • Adrenal gland function

For the Comprehensive Male Panel at Any Lab Test Now®, fasting is required to do a thorough evaluation through bloodwork. You’ll get your detailed results back in just two to three business days! Once you get your results, we encourage you to create a wellness plan with your primary physician.

MONITOR THE IMPACT OF TESTOSTERONE IMBALANCES 

It’s important to note that the Comprehensive Male Panel includes a Testosterone Test. The main hormone we recognize in men is testosterone. Testosterone is a key hormone in men’s sexual development and function, and it impacts the structure of the brain and a man’s overall mental health. Testosterone also directly influences memory and learning because of where the receptors are located in the brain. Monitoring testosterone levels is important, as testosterone decreases as men age, and puts men at a greater risk of developing conditions like cancer and diabetes. 

If you think you’re experiencing a testosterone imbalance, you might recognize some of these symptoms. 

  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Stress
  • Mood swings
  • Impulsiveness
  • Memory loss
  • Irritability 

Physically, a decrease in testosterone can look like this:

  • Loss of bone mass
  • Increased body fat
  • Erectile dysfunction
  • Sleeping issues
  • Decreased libido
  • Hair loss

The Comprehensive Male Panel provides a broad overview of Men’s Health and is a quick way to figure out if your testosterone level is lower than normal. As you can see, it plays a major part in a man’s health, so it’s important to be aware of and monitor changes. 

Awareness. Prevention. Action.

At Any Lab Test Now, you get access to thousands of tests, many specifically designed with men’s health in mind. Most tests are completed in about 15 minutes or less. So come on guys, no more excuses, thanks to Any Lab Test Now, routine lab testing has never been easier. You take your vehicle for routine maintenance more than once a year in order to keep it from breaking down. Why not do the same for your health? Routine lab testing can help you establish a baseline! You may ask yourself, “How do I do this? How do I check in on my health while carrying on with my hectic schedule?” The answer is simple… visit ANY LAB TEST NOW®!

Find your local Any Lab Test Now® to learn more about the plethora of tests offered.

The Lowdown on Low-T

It’s got a catchy name and seemingly, a miracle cure; sure to be the answer to all of your problems. For men suffering from fatigue, hair loss and erectile dysfunction (just to name a few!) the go-to diagnosis these days is called “low-T.”

Low-T stands for low testosterone. Testosterone is the male sex hormone that helps men develop and maintain male features. During puberty, when levels begin to spike, testosterone helps boys develop body and facial hair, muscle mass and strength, and a deeper voice. Men need testosterone to produce sperm and it’s the guiding force behind a man’s sexual drive. As men grow older, it’s natural for their testosterone levels to drop, which is one of the reasons diagnosing low-T is a bit tricky. Any Lab Test Now offers a few solutions that can help you take control of your health and make getting a proper diagnosis easier.

Symptoms of Low-T

Many of the symptoms can be caused by other medical problems like diabetes, depression, obesity, or heart disease, which makes pre-treatment testing so important.

Some of the most likely signs of low-T include:

  • Low sex drive
  • Difficulty with erections
  • Low sperm count
  • Unexplained hair loss
  • Low bone density and loss of muscle mass
  • Increased body fat
  • Fatigue and insomnia
  • Testicular atrophy
  • Depression and/or trouble concentrating

Testosterone replacement therapy is the standard for properly diagnosed low-T, but it isn’t recommended to treat naturally occurring age-related hormone decline. Basically, you can’t just go on the test numbers alone.

Knowing Your Numbers

Any Lab Test Now offers a range of tests designed to help you know your numbers and provide you and your doctor with the information necessary to make a proper diagnosis.

The best place to start is with the Testosterone, Free (Direct), Serum With Total Test. This test will give you a better understanding of how much testosterone is in your blood. Two separate blood tests on nonconsecutive days, taken early in the morning, are recommended. That’s because testosterone levels fluctuate during the day. They are at their highest in the early hours.

It’s important to be aware of your overall health so that you won’t be surprised if new issues arise once you begin testosterone replacement therapy.  In some cases you might not be a candidate for therapy as receiving the testosterone might aggravate some prior underlying health issues. The Pre-Testosterone Replacement Therapy Panel helps protect you by uncovering potential issues such as prostate cancer, blood disorders, or compromised liver or kidney functions.

Men should also be aware that there are risks associated with testosterone treatment. It can accelerate prostate growth, enlarge male breasts, and cause fluid retention and acne, just to name a few. The Continued Testosterone Replacement Therapy Panel is a great test to use to monitor levels of testosterone in your blood and help track the effectiveness of the treatment.

What About the Ladies?

People think of testosterone as a strictly male hormone, but women require low levels of it as well. The research is less conclusive, but the signs and symptoms can be the same. You’ll want to talk with your doctor about low-T and the potential benefits and associated risks of testosterone replacement therapy.