Most people know that lab testing can be helpful. But the reality is, labs can also be really confusing.
“Most people know that lab testing can be helpful. But the reality is, labs can also be really confusing.”
It’s one of the things I see most in my medical practice. Patients come in with results they’ve had done in the past with other practitioners — or through other companies — and they want help making sense of what they’re looking at. And many times, the data tells a very different story than how they feel.
They’re told everything is “normal”… but they feel anything but. That’s where the conversation around lab testing starts to get more complicated and nuanced.
So let’s break down what you should actually be thinking about when it comes to lab testing for your health and longevity. Because labs can be incredibly helpful, but only when you know how to use them.
We’re living in a new era of lab testing
Lab testing is more accessible now than it’s ever been, which is an incredible thing.
There are more clinics and companies recognizing the value of lab testing and making it easier to access. In many cases, you can order panels directly, sometimes without ever seeing a doctor. You’ll get a full report, often with AI-generated insights, and it can feel like you have a complete picture of your health. And I do think there’s a lot of value in that.
Access is a good thing. Curiosity about your health is a good thing. Taking ownership of your health is a good thing.
“Taking ownership of your health is a good thing.”
But what I see in practice is that even with all of that access, people still want guidance — and not just from a report or an algorithm.
Some companies are starting to bridge that gap by pairing lab testing with clinician visits to help interpret what the results actually mean. And that’s where you start to get the best of both worlds. This is actually one of the reasons I appreciate platforms like Joi + Blokes, where I serve as a medical advisor — because they combine accessible testing with real clinical guidance.
I always recommend having trained eyes on your labs. Whether that means bringing your results to your physician or working with a company that includes clinical support, interpretation that applies uniquely to you is where the value really comes in. Because lab testing was never designed to exist without interpretation. It was always meant to be part of a bigger conversation.
Labs are more than a snapshot
One of the biggest shifts I try to make with patients is this: Stop looking at labs as a single moment in time with all the answers. They’re more nuanced than that. Start looking at them as part of a trend. One lab value, on one day, doesn’t tell the full story.
“While access to labs is a powerful tool, interpretation still matters.“
At the same time, it’s important to acknowledge this: Some abnormal lab values can be serious — and in certain cases, even life-threatening. This is part of the reason lab testing wasn’t designed to simply be direct to the consumer.
Healthcare professionals are trained to recognize when something requires immediate attention, further testing, or intervention. So while access to labs is a powerful tool, interpretation still matters.
Your results can change based on:
- What time of day you tested
- Whether you were fasted or not
- How well you slept
- If you were stressed, sick, or inflamed
- Where you are in your menstrual cycle (if you menstruate)
- Certain medical conditions you may have
- Medications or supplements you’re taking
- Whether you had alcohol the night before
- Even your level of hydration
Even something as simple as taking supplements the day before the lab test can influence your lab results. That doesn’t make the lab wrong — it just means it needs context.
When you zoom out and look at your labs over time — year over year, not just visit to visit — that’s when you start to see the bigger picture.
When “normal” isn’t the full picture
One of the most common things I hear from patients is this: “My previous doctor told me that all my labs are normal… but I don’t feel normal.” And both of those things can be true at the same time.
In traditional medicine, lab ranges are designed to catch disease. They’re based on large population averages and are incredibly useful for identifying when something is clearly wrong or needs immediate attention. But they’re not always designed to tell us how well something is functioning.
“There’s a difference between not being sick and actually feeling well.”
There’s a difference between not being sick and actually feeling well.
For example, you can have iron levels that fall within the standard range and still feel exhausted if your iron stores are on the lower end. You can have thyroid markers that are technically “normal,” but still experience fatigue, brain fog, or shifts in metabolism.
This is where a functional medicine lens can be helpful. Instead of asking, “Is this normal?” we start asking, “Is this optimal for you?” And that’s where context matters.
“Instead of asking, ‘Is this normal?’ we start asking, ‘Is this optimal for you?’”
We also start asking deeper questions — what else might be influencing this? Are there overlapping conditions, lifestyle factors, or patterns that help explain why this is showing up the way it is?
We look at your symptoms alongside your labs. We look at where your numbers fall within a range, not just whether they’re inside it. We compare current labs to your previous results to understand trends over time. And we consider things like your age, your life stage, your stress levels, and your overall health picture.
Why the human element still matters
Even with AI reports, direct-to-consumer labs, and increasing access, there’s something that hasn’t changed: People still want to understand what their labs mean for them. And more importantly — what they should actually be testing in the first place.
It might feel like lab testing should be about running everything under the sun, but it’s more about knowing where to look and why. That’s where the human element comes in.
“It might feel like lab testing should be about running everything under the sun, but it’s more about knowing where to look and why.”
Choosing the right lab markers starts with gathering the context of your health story. It starts with your symptoms, your personal history, your lifestyle, and your goals. What are you feeling? What has changed? What patterns are showing up.
And when it’s available to you, your family history can offer helpful insight as well.
For example, I pay very close attention to my cardiovascular labs because of my family history. My dad had his first heart attack at 58, with nearly complete blockage of a major artery, and his cholesterol had been elevated for years without him knowing. Because of that, it’s not just the standard cardiovascular labs I have my doctor run. We pay attention to a more expanded panel that includes additional markers to better understand my overall risk.
That changes how my doctor approaches my own testing. It influences what we choose to monitor, how often we check in, and how proactive we are with the things I can modify. That’s the difference between generalized testing and personalized care. Two people don’t need the exact same panels just because they’re the same age or fall into the same category on paper.
“Two people don’t need the exact same panels just because they’re the same age or fall into the same category on paper.”
The right labs are the ones that help answer the questions your body is already asking. A good physician can help you choose what labs you should and shouldn’t be paying attention to. And sometimes, getting to those answers starts with telling the full story and not just looking at the numbers.
If you’re going to test, start with these core systems
When people ask what they should be testing for, they’re usually expecting a list. And while there are specific markers we commonly look at, I find it more helpful to think in terms of systems — because most symptoms don’t come from just one place. They’re usually the result of multiple systems interacting with one another.
“I find it more helpful to think in terms of systems — because most symptoms don’t come from just one place.”
This is actually a big part of how I was trained to think as a Doctor of Osteopathy. We’re taught to see the body as one connected system, where everything is influencing everything else.
Here are the core areas I focus on most often:
Cardiovascular and metabolic health
This is foundational.
We’re looking at markers like glucose, insulin, A1C, cholesterol panels, and triglycerides — not just to screen for disease, but to understand how your body is managing energy and circulation. We also look at things like liver function, kidney function, and electrolyte balance, because these systems all play a role in how your body regulates metabolism and overall health.
“These systems all play a role in how your body regulates metabolism and overall health.”
There’s also a difference between basic and more advanced testing here.
Most people are familiar with standard cholesterol panels. But there are additional markers that can give a more detailed picture, like inflammation in the arteries, LDL particle size, omega status, and other cardiovascular risk indicators like Apolipoprotein B and Lipoprotein a.
These aren’t always included in standard testing — but they can be incredibly helpful, especially if you have a family history of heart disease.
Hormones (timing matters more than you think)
Hormones are not static. If you’re still menstruating, they follow rhythms throughout the day and also throughout the month. So when we test hormones, timing matters.
“When we test hormones, timing matters.”
Cortisol, for example, is typically higher in the morning and lower at night as it is a circadian hormone. Testing it at the wrong time can give you a misleading picture.
Reproductive hormones like estrogen and progesterone are also recommended to be tested at specific points in the menstrual cycle for accuracy, depending on what kind of information you’re looking for.
This is one of the reasons hormone testing can feel confusing. A single result doesn’t always reflect what’s happening across your full rhythm.
Thyroid function
The thyroid plays a central role in energy, metabolism, and how your body uses nutrients. Markers like TSH, Free T3, and Free T4 give us insight — but again, context matters. I’ll often also look at thyroid antibodies, which can help identify patterns like autoimmune activity that aren’t always visible in standard labs.
And thyroid dysfunction doesn’t always show up in obvious ways. It can look like fatigue, hair thinning, feeling cold, changes in weight, constipation, or even mood shifts.
“Thyroid dysfunction doesn’t always show up in obvious ways.”
But it’s also important to understand that the thyroid doesn’t function in isolation. It relies on proper nutrient cofactors like iron, selenium, iodine, B-vitamins, and zinc. It’s influenced by how well your adrenal system is functioning and how your body is managing stress. Chronic stress can shift cortisol patterns in a way that slows down thyroid function.
Sleep plays a role here too. If you’re not getting consistent, restorative sleep, your brain isn’t sending the right signals to support hormone production and regulation across the board.
This is why it’s often too narrow to look at just a few thyroid markers and assume you have the full picture. What we’re really looking for are patterns — how the thyroid is functioning within the larger system, not just what the numbers say on their own. Because your systems are interconnected, something that starts in one place often shows up somewhere else.
Nutrient status
This is one of the most overlooked areas because we assume we are just getting what we need from our food and our supplements.
But missing out on nutrients can have a cascading effect on all systems. Because even if you’re eating well and supplementing already, it doesn’t always mean your body is absorbing or utilizing those nutrients effectively. That includes people who already eat really clean and balanced diets.
“Even if you’re eating well and supplementing already, it doesn’t always mean your body is absorbing or utilizing those nutrients effectively.”
And deficiencies here can quietly affect energy, mood, immune function, and hormone balance.
This is also where lab testing can be incredibly helpful when it comes to deciding if and how to supplement. I always recommend starting by adding in food sources of nutrient deficiencies, then thinking about supplementation second.
A lot of people are taking supplements without really knowing if they need them, or if they’re taking the right dose for them. There’s a therapeutic approach to supplementation — dose, timing, and intention all matter. It’s not just “take this because someone recommended it.”
Assessing your lifestyle as well as your labs give us a clearer picture of what your body actually needs, so you can be more targeted and intentional, instead of guessing or taking things “just in case.”
Inflammation and immune health
Inflammation is often the underlying thread connecting many symptoms.
“Inflammation is often the underlying thread connecting many symptoms.”
Markers like CRP can help us understand whether there’s low-grade inflammation in the body. A Complete Blood Count (CBC) can also offer insight into immune activity, giving us clues about things like infection, inflammation, or overall immune balance.
In some cases, we may also look at markers related to autoimmunity, especially if symptoms suggest the immune system may be reacting in a way that’s creating an inflammatory response.
It may not feel obvious day to day, but over time, inflammation and immune imbalance can impact everything from cardiovascular health to hormone balance to long-term disease risk.
What about specialty testing?
There are also more advanced tests — things like hormone metabolism testing, gut health panels, toxic burden, food sensitivity testing, genetic testing, and many others. More and more companies are creating testing bundles that focus on one key area. And these can be incredibly helpful in the right context. But they’re not always the first step.
One of the biggest misconceptions I see is people jumping straight into advanced testing without first looking at the basics. In many cases, foundational labs can tell us a lot. Specialty testing becomes more useful when symptoms are persistent, complex, or not fully explained by standard markers.
“In many cases, foundational labs can tell us a lot.”
More data isn’t always better. It’s only helpful if it changes what you do next.
Why lab testing is worth paying attention to
There are still plenty of people who avoid lab testing altogether. They feel fine. They don’t want to know. Or they’re afraid of what they might find.
But lab testing can be one of the most powerful tools we have for prevention. Ideally, it’s something you’re checking at least once a year, and sometimes more often, depending on what you’re tracking or working on.
“Lab testing can be one of the most powerful tools we have for prevention.”
In my practice and in my own life, labs are non-negotiable. I work with my own doctor to draw labs 2-3 times per year.
Testing can catch patterns early. It can give you insight into what’s happening beneath the surface. And in some cases, it can help you address something potentially serious before it becomes a larger issue — even when symptoms aren’t obvious.
A better way to think about lab testing
Lab testing isn’t about running everything. And it’s not about chasing perfect numbers. It should always be about understanding your body.
“It’s not about chasing perfect numbers. It should always be about understanding your body.”
Labs can help you track your health over time to look for patterns and not simply just snapshots. They can also help you look at data that can alert you of something life-threatening.
Your labs are only as helpful as your ability to interpret them with the context of your unique health story. And when you approach them with curiosity, context, and the right guidance, they can become one of the most valuable tools you have for understanding your health.
Dr. Jaclyn Tolentino is a Board-Certified Family Physician and the Lead Functional Medicine Physician at Love.Life. Specializing in women’s health and hormone optimization, she has been featured in Vogue, The Wall Street Journal, and Women’s Health. As a functional practitioner and a breast cancer survivor, Dr. Tolentino is dedicated to uncovering the root causes of health challenges, employing a holistic, whole-person approach to empower lasting wellbeing. Follow her on Instagram here for more insights.
