The Top 5 Blood Tests for Men’s Health: Prostate, Testosterone, and More

When Should You Get a Blood Test?

Staying healthy is crucial to living a full life. While some aspects of health, like muscle growth and fat composition, can be seen visually, many health issues are below the surface and require comprehensive blood tests to be diagnosed. For men, blood tests are vital and can often show whether they are at a higher risk of heart disease or if there are any underlying hormonal imbalances in the body. 

It is recommended that you have bloodwork done regularly—every six months or so. However, there are other important reasons men should be getting blood tests, such as:

• You’re at Risk of a Health Condition: If you have preexisting risks associated with a health condition, sometimes seen through hereditary issues, regularly taking blood tests is an excellent way to track the health condition’s development.

• You Already Have a Known Condition: If you are already diagnosed with a known health issue, regular blood tests are paramount to tracking its progress and deciding if further treatment is needed.

• You’re Experiencing Symptoms: If you are experiencing symptoms and an immediate diagnosis is not possible, your doctor may require blood tests to confirm a diagnosis or determine whether further testing is necessary. 
• You Want To Optimize Your Health: Regularly checking your various blood level components is an excellent way to maintain your overall health. Checking HDL and LDL cholesterol levels can help you make necessary tweaks to your diet, and gauging your hormone levels can help you improve in all aspects of life. 

Related: 10 Foods to Avoid if You Have Low Testosterone

The Top 5 Blood Tests for Men

1. Complete Blood Count

A complete blood count (CBC) test checks for levels of ten different aspects of every major cell in your blood. This test specifically checks your levels of red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, hemoglobin, and hematocrit. Abnormal levels of one or a handful of these components may indicate nutritional deficiencies in B vitamins, anemia, clotting problems, blood cancer, infection, and immune system disorders.

2. Basic Metabolic Panel

A basic metabolic panel (BMP) checks for levels of eight compounds in the blood. These compounds include calcium, glucose, sodium, potassium, bicarbonate, chloride, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and creatinine. Typically, this test requires you to fast for 8 hours before blood is drawn. Abnormal results for this test may indicate kidney disease, diabetes, or an electrolyte imbalance. 

3. Lipid Panel

The lipid panel checks for two types of cholesterol: high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL). Generally, HDL is referred to as “good cholesterol,” and LDL is referred to as “bad cholesterol” because HDL removes harmful substances from your blood while helping your liver break them down into waste. LDL is “bad” because it can cause plaque buildup in your arteries, which increases your risk of heart disease.

4. Thyroid Panel

A thyroid panel examines how well your thyroid is producing and reacting to certain hormones, such as triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). The T3 hormone regulates heart rate and temperature, the T4 hormone regulates metabolism and how you grow, and TSH regulates the levels of hormones your thyroid releases. Irregular levels of these hormones indicate low protein levels, thyroid growth disorders, and abnormal levels of testosterone or estrogen. 

Learn More: The Benefits of Testosterone for Men

5. C-reactive Protein Test

C-reactive protein (CRP) is produced by the liver when the tissues in your body are inflamed. The higher your CRP levels are, the higher your risk of heart disease. Higher than normal CRP levels can indicate inflammation from various causes, including a bacterial infection, an autoimmune disease, inflammation related to diabetes, and cancer. 

Monitor Your Health at Lowcountry Male

At Lowcountry Male, we treat a variety of men’s health issues, including low testosterone, weight gain, erectile dysfunction, and more. If you want to optimize your health and get back to feeling your best, schedule an appointment with us. Interested in any specials we are running? View our specials by clicking the button below!