Metabolic Health - Fingerstick

This fingerstick test provides insight into various key indicators related to your blood sugar regulation, cholesterol, fat metabolism, and low-grade inflammation. The test thus offers a comprehensive picture of your metabolic health and can help you track changes in your lifestyle, diet, and health.

What is being measured?

• Fasting glucose: Glucose is the amount of sugar in your blood at the time of measurement. A fasting glucose level provides insight into how your body regulates blood sugar levels when you haven’t eaten for some time.
• HbA1c: HbA1c provides an indication of your average blood sugar level over the past 2 to 3 months. As a result, this value is less affected by what you ate immediately before the test.
• Triglycerides: Triglycerides are fats that circulate in the blood. Elevated levels may be associated with factors such as diet, alcohol consumption, being overweight, and impaired glucose and fat metabolism.
• HDL cholesterol: HDL transports cholesterol from the tissues back to the liver. It is therefore often referred to as “good” cholesterol.
• LDL cholesterol: LDL transports cholesterol from the liver to various tissues. An elevated LDL level can contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease. However, overall cardiovascular risk depends on multiple factors.
• Total cholesterol: This value provides a general overview of the amount of cholesterol in the blood and is evaluated in conjunction with HDL, LDL, and triglycerides, among other factors.
• hs-CRP: High-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP) is a sensitive marker of inflammation. It allows for the measurement of even relatively low concentrations of CRP. The level may be elevated in cases of low-grade inflammation, among other things, but it can also rise temporarily due to, for example, an infection, illness, or intense physical exertion.

Why Test Your Metabolic Health?

Your metabolism plays an important role in processing and utilizing glucose and fats. Changes in your metabolism can persist for a long time without causing any obvious symptoms.

This test may be useful if you:

• want to gain insight into your metabolic health;

• you want to check your blood sugar and cholesterol;

• are making changes to your diet, exercise routine, or weight;

• want to track your metabolic levels over a longer period of time;

• want to gain more insight into factors associated with the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

For this test, you’ll collect your own blood at home using a finger prick. You’ll receive a blood collection kit with instructions.

Please note: For the fasting glucose test and an accurate assessment of triglycerides, we recommend taking the test on an empty stomach.