Dr Brad Leech: Optimal Health Check

The full blood count measures red cells, white cells and platelets — foundational markers included in most health assessments. It is actually a group of tests that examine different parts of the blood. Results from the following tests provide the broadest picture of your health.

Like vitamins, minerals are substances found in food that your body needs for growth and health. There are two kinds of minerals - macrominerals and trace minerals. Your body needs just small amounts of trace minerals which include iron, copper, zinc and selenium.

Iodine is an essential cofactors for proper thyroid function.

Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional problem in Australia. It slows your body’s production of haemoglobin, which your red blood cells need to pick up oxygen from your lungs and carry it to every cell in your body. If you have a shortage of iron you experience symptoms of anaemia, which include feeling breathless after little exercise, feeling tired, heart palpitations and looking pale.

There is no specific blood test for macronutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, and fats because the body does not store these macronutrients in the bloodstream, but rather uses them for energy or storage in the body's tissues. However, there are blood tests that can measure various markers related to macronutrient metabolism and overall nutritional status.

The fat soluble vitamins are soluble in lipids. These vitamins are usually absorbed in fat globules that travel through the lymphatic system of the small intestines and into the general blood circulation within the body. These fat soluble vitamins are then stored in body tissues.

This blood test helps identify nutritional deficiencies or absorption issues that may contribute to anaemia, fatigue or cognitive changes.

Vitamin B12 is an essential vitamin found in meat products and certain algae such as seaweed. It helps maintain healthy nerve cells and red blood cells and is also needed to make DNA, the genetic material in all cells. Both high and low vitamin B12 blood test levels may indicate an underlying problem. Low levels can suggest anaemia, a parasite or hyperthyroidism, whilst high levels can be a sign of liver disease, diabetes or kidney failure.

Vitamin C is crucial for growth and repair of tissues, healing wounds, healthy bones and teeth and assisting the body with collagen production and iron absorption.

Your liver processes drugs and alcohol, filters toxic chemicals, stores vitamins and minerals, and makes bile, proteins and enzymes. This liver function test measures key liver enzymes and markers relevant to understanding your liver health.

Your kidneys filter waste from your body and regulate salts in your blood. They also produce hormones and vitamins that direct cell activities in many organs and help to control blood pressure. Your kidneys filter waste and regulate salts in your blood. This panel measures key markers of kidney function.

Chronic, low-grade inflammation plays a central role in the development of atherosclerosis. This screen measures key inflammatory markers, including high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and homocysteine, to measure vascular inflammation and impaired vessel repair. Elevated levels of these markers can reveal hidden cardiovascular stress even when cholesterol and blood pressure appear normal.

The erythrocyte sedimentation rate is a measure of the degree of inflammation present in the body. Increased blood levels of certain proteins increase the ESR.

Your thyroid gland produces hormones that regulate growth and energy expenditure. Thyroid disorders are quite common, and many people don’t have any symptoms at all. This thyroid test screens for the thyroid hormones that play a key role in regulating the body’s metabolism.

These bone health markers are part of a complex feedback loop that play a critical role in maintaining bone health. When you don’t get enough calcium, you increase your risk of developing osteoporosis and stress fractures.