Insulin resistance, also known as syndrome X, refers to the failure of the tissues to respond to insulin and allow glucose uptake for energy production. Insulin is produced in the pancreas and is responsible for carrying glucose from the blood stream into our cells where it is used for fuel. Good health and energy depends on the body’s ability to make and use just the right amount of insulin to keep our blood sugar at optimal levels, and our metabolism working normally. Continue reading
Testing for Insulin Resistance
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Tagged dried blood spot, dried blood spot testing, Insulin Resistance, ZRT Laboratory
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Testing for Thyroid Deficiency
Blood spot testing of TSH, free T3, free T4, and TPO antibodies, an indicator of an autoimmune response, is a simple, convenient method of identifying a dysfunctional thyroid. More than 10 million Americans have been diagnosed with thyroid disease, and another 13 million are estimated to have undiagnosed thyroid problems. But interestingly, women are at greatest risk, developing thyroid problems seven times more often than men. Continue reading
Posted in Thyroid Deficiency, ZRT Laboratory
Tagged hormone imbalance, Hormone Testing, thyroid deficiency, thyroid disease, thyroid function, thyroid symptoms, thyroid testing
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Advantages of Blood Spot Testing
The advantages of blood spot testing are many. It can be done in the privacy of your own home, eliminating the need for a phlebotomist, lab visit, or centrifuging, and is minimally invasive. Continue reading
Posted in blood spot testing, ZRT Laboratory
Tagged blood spot testing, Hormone Testing
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Hormone Imbalance and Uterine Fibroids
Uterine fibroids are present in 30 to 50 percent of women in the U.S. and usually diagnosed during their 30s or 40s. While they are the most common reason for hysterectomy, most fibroids do not cause major problems, and women are often unaware they even have a fibroid until discovered during a pelvic exam or ultrasound. Fibroids can however, grow dramatically during perimenopause, stimulated by too much estrogen in the body. Large fibroids create estradiol inside the lymph glands creating increased estrogen dominance. So ensuring you have balanced estrogen levels is especially important in the years leading up to menopause. Continue reading
Posted in Hormones
Tagged estradiol, fibroid, hormone imbalance, Hormone Testing, hormones, progesterone, Uterine Fibroids
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The Validity and Clinical Relevance of Testing Hormone Levels
Enjoy this preview lecture from the 2011 A4M Anti-Aging conference in Las Vegas by ZRT’s David Zava, PhD. The session is titled A Metabolic Approach to Cardiovascular Health & Lab Testing. Continue reading
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Tagged cardiovascular health, hormone levels, Hormone Testing, lab testing
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Hormone Imbalance and Thyroid Function
More than 10 million Americans have been diagnosed with thyroid disease, and another 13 million people are estimated to have undiagnosed thyroid problems. Women however, are at greatest risk, developing thyroid problems seven times more than men do. The thyroid hormone regulates metabolic rate, so low levels can cause low energy, cold intolerance, and weight gain. Excess thyroid hormone can cause the reverse – higher energy levels, a feeling of being too warm all the time, and weight loss. What most commonly affects women during the perimenopausal and post-menopause years though is hypothyroidism, or low thyroid.
Posted in Hormones, thyroid
Tagged Cortisol, DHEA, estradiol, hormone imbalance, Hormone Testing, progesterone, thyroid disease, thyroid function, thyroid symptoms
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Health Screening Updates
Over the past several years there have been a number of changes in the recommendations for cancer screening tests. Cervical, breast and prostate are just a few of the cancers where recommendations for screening tests have been modified, although not without controversy. The governmental agency involved in developing recommendations for disease prevention is the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). Comprised of an independent panel of experts in primary care and prevention, this agency reviews the evidence of effectiveness for existing screening tests. Based on the current data, a decision is made to keep the present recommendation or to suggest changes. Some of the more common screenings performed that have had changes made are the PAP, mammogram and PSA tests. The PAP test screens for cervical cancer and was performed on an annual basis for all women. Current clinical guidelines still strongly recommend routine screening for high risk individuals. However, for women who are not high risk, testing is now suggested every two years for ages 21-30 and for over 30, every three years, with the provision of three consecutive, negative results. Research suggests women above the age of 70 can discontinue cervical cancer screening altogether.
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Posted in ZRT Laboratory
Tagged breast cancer, cervical cancer, mammogram, naturopathic doctor, prostate, PSA, saliva testing, ZRT Lab
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Blood Spot Testing and How It Can Help
Biochemical testing of dried blood spots on filter paper is a well-established technique that has been used to collect blood for public health purposes for over 50 years. Dating back to the early 1960s, Dr. Robert Guthrie first used the procedure to measure phenylalanine in newborns for the detection of phenylketonuria, or PKU. Today this unique application for collecting blood has led to worldwide application in large-scale infant and population screening programs. The procedure is less traumatic than a conventional blood draw, requires only a small volume of blood, and is tightly regulated for safe specimen collection and delivery at a significantly low cost. Continue reading
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Androstenedione, Testosterone, and DHEA
Androstendedione, testosterone, and DHEA play an important role in tissue regeneration, especially of the skin, bones, and muscles. The adrenal glands produce the principal androgen, dehydroepiandrosterone or DHEA, and nearly every cell in the body has receptor sites for this unique hormone. DHEA is thought to improve immune function and resistance to disease, improve our ability to recover from episodes of stress and trauma, and aid in maintaining normal sleep patterns. Continue reading
Is There a Male Menopause?
Men are not immune to midlife changes. They too experience the so-called change of life as a result of declining hormones, specifically low testosterone, and is commonly seen beginning in the fourth decade of life. This is often associated with symptoms of aging in males referred to as andropause, named after the androgens, the medical name for male hormones. This is the counterpart to menopause in women, when ovarian production of estrogens and progesterone begin to decline. But in men, it is a more gradual process than the rollercoaster many women experience during menopause. Continue reading
Posted in Hormone Testing, ZRT Laboratory
Tagged DHEA, hormone imbalance, Hormone Testing, hormones, testosterone
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