Here are the 10 important blood and urine test to take during health screening:-
- Full blood count
There are many components included in this full blood count.
Some important to know are: Hemoglobin, Red blood cells, White blood cell and Platelets.
These tests may detect some abnormalities in body such as Anemia, Infection, Bone marrow problems or Cancer.
- Lipid profile
This test consists of Total Cholesterol, Triglycerides, High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) and Low-density Lipoprotein (LDL).
It is important to know our risk factor for heart disease.
- Liver Function tests
This test also has many components such as Albumin, Globulin, Total Protein, Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), Alkaline phosphatase (ALP), Gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT)
As its name suggests, this test is to know if our liver is functioning normally.
Some conditions that can be noted included poor nutrition status, liver damage due to toxin, infections etc, heart disease, bile duct blockage, bone disease or alcoholic liver disease.
- Renal Profile (Kidney function tests)
This includes Urea, Creatinine, Sodium and Potassium.
It is important to know if our kidney is filtering out metabolism waste from our body.
Some conditions can cause abnormal renal profile readings such as dehydration, infection, heart disease, diabetes, drugs or toxins.
- Fasting Blood Sugar and HbA1c
These tests are used for diagnosis and monitoring during treatment of Diabetes Mellitus.
These are also able to detect early abnormalities of blood sugar (Pre-diabetes state).
- Cardiac Enzymes
This test is useful if there is a suspicious of heart disease.
Depends on the symptoms, doctor will choose which cardiac enzyme that needs to be checked.
This test can diagnose a significant ‘heart attack’ which causing damage to heart muscle.
- Thyroid Function Test
This test is important to diagnose thyroid diseases, such as Grave’s disease (a common cause of hyperthyroidism), Hashimoto’s disease (a cause of hypothyroidism).
Other conditions are inflammation or infection of the thyroid gland.
- Erythrocytes Sedimentation Rate (ESR)
ESR will increase (high) if there is an inflammation in the body. However, it cannot specify which part of body that has an inflammation process. A very high ESR level (>100 mm/hr) can indicate severe illness or cancer.
- Viral test
Few important viral tests are virus hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV.
Hepatitis B is important because it can cause prolonged/chronic infection in the liver which may cause liver damage and liver cancer. However, it can be prevented with vaccine of hepatitis B.
Hepatitis C also can cause prolonged liver infection and now there are very good antiviral to cure this disease.
HIV disease if detect early can have better control and outcome of this disease.
- Urine Full Examination and Microscopy Examination (UFEME)
This is a urine test that is very important to be done.
It can detect early kidney disease, urinary tract infection, stone in urinary tract or cancer.
In conclusion, not all the above blood tests need to be done at fasting state. Only fasting blood sugar and lipids profile need a minimal 8 hours fasting. Please book your health screening as soon as you can to get a better health outcome in case of diseases.
By Dr. Sudarwin Tjanaka
Consultant Internal Medicine Physician
Columbia Asia Hospital – Setapak
