Laboratory Consultation Visits

Testing is individualized. Not every patient needs every test, and recommendations depend on your health history, symptoms, risk factors, and goals.

Depending on your needs, laboratory evaluation may include:

Metabolic Health & Blood Sugar

Standard glucose testing does not always tell the full story.

We may consider:

• Fasting glucose

• Hemoglobin A1c

• Fasting insulin

• Markers of insulin resistance

• Continuous glucose monitoring

• Comprehensive metabolic panel

• Uric acid

• Additional metabolic markers when clinically appropriate

These results can help provide a more detailed picture of glucose regulation, metabolic health, and future cardiometabolic risk.

Cardiovascular & Lipid Risk

For some individuals, a standard cholesterol panel provides only part of the picture.

Evaluation may include:

• Total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides

• Apolipoprotein B (ApoB)

• Lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a)

• Advanced lipoprotein testing when appropriate

• High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP)

• Other cardiovascular risk markers based on personal and family history

These markers can help us better understand cardiovascular and metabolic risk and determine when further evaluation through your primary care physician or cardiologist may be appropriate.

Nutritional & Micronutrient Status

Nutrient needs differ from person to person, and standard laboratory testing may not always include nutrients relevant to energy, cognition, mood, or healthy aging.

Testing may include:

• Vitamin B12

• Vitamin B6

• Folate

• Methylmalonic acid

• Homocysteine

• Vitamin D

• Iron, ferritin, and iron saturation

• Magnesium

• Zinc and copper when indicated

• Omega-3 fatty acid status

• Additional nutritional markers based on diet, symptoms, medications, and clinical history

Our goal is not to recommend nutritional interventions or supplements simply because testing is available. We use laboratory findings to identify clinically meaningful deficiencies or imbalances and recommend targeted interventions when appropriate.

Thyroid & Hormonal Health

Hormonal changes can influence energy, metabolism, sleep, cognition, mood, and overall well-being.

Depending on your symptoms and history, evaluation may include:

• TSH

• Free T4

• Free T3 and reverse T3 when appropriate

• Thyroid antibodies when appropriate

• Selected reproductive hormones

• Additional hormone testing when clinically indicated

Hormonal testing is interpreted in the context of age, symptoms, medications, menstrual status, and other relevant health factors.

Inflammation & Other Health Markers

When clinically appropriate, we may also evaluate markers associated with systemic inflammation, liver and kidney health, blood-cell status, and other physiologic functions.

These may include:

• Complete blood count

• Comprehensive metabolic panel

• hs-CRP

• Selected inflammatory markers

• Liver and kidney function

• Gut health

• Additional testing based on individual risk factors and symptoms

Brain Health & Cognitive Risk

For patients focused on cognitive longevity or dementia risk reduction, testing may also consider factors associated with brain health, including:

• Metabolic health and insulin resistance

• Cardiovascular risk markers

• Vitamin B12, folate, copper, zinc, magnesium and homocysteine

• Vitamin D

• Thyroid function

• Omega-3 status

• Toxin testing

• APOE genotype when clinically appropriate

• Selected emerging Alzheimer's disease biomarkers when appropriate

These tests do not independently diagnose or predict dementia. They are considered within the broader clinical context and, when necessary, alongside conventional neurologic assessment.

Genetics & Specialized Testing

Some patients may benefit from more individualized testing beyond standard bloodwork.

Depending on your goals, we may discuss:

• Nutrigenomic testing

• Pharmacogenomic testing

• APOE testing

• Selected functional or specialty laboratory assessments

Specialized testing is recommended selectively when it is likely to provide useful information or meaningfully influence care.

What Laboratory Tests May We Consider?

Discover what your body has been trying to tell you. Go beyond “normal” and better understand what your laboratory results may be telling you about your health.

Laboratory testing can provide valuable information about metabolic health, cardiovascular risk, nutritional status, hormones, inflammation, and other factors that influence how you feel today and your health over time.

But laboratory results are most useful when they are interpreted in context.

At Marathon Wellness, our Laboratory Consultation Visits combine your laboratory findings with your medical history, symptoms, lifestyle, family history, medications, and health goals. Dr. Rachel Kermen reviews the bigger picture and helps you understand which findings are meaningful, which may require additional evaluation, and where there may be opportunities to improve your health.

These visits are ideal for individuals who want a physician-led, integrative interpretation of their laboratory data without initially enrolling in a comprehensive membership program.

What Happens During a Laboratory Consultation

Before or during your consultation, Dr. Kermen reviews your available laboratory results together with your medical history, symptoms, medications, supplements, lifestyle, and health goals.

During your visit, we may:

• Identify important patterns across your laboratory results

• Explain results in understandable terms

• Discuss potential nutritional, metabolic, cardiovascular, hormonal, or lifestyle contributors

• Determine whether additional testing may be useful

• Identify findings that require follow-up with your primary care physician or another specialist

• Develop personalized nutrition, lifestyle, or supplementation recommendations when appropriate

• Discuss whether ongoing comprehensive care would be beneficial

Our focus is not simply on whether a result falls inside or outside a laboratory reference range. We consider how the results fit together and what they may mean for you as an individual.

Who May Benefit From a Laboratory Consultation?

A consultation may be particularly useful if you:

• Have recent laboratory results but are unsure how to interpret them

• Want a more prevention-focused assessment

• Have been told your laboratory testing is “normal” but still have health concerns

• Have a strong family history of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, dementia, or other chronic illness

• Want to better understand metabolic or cardiovascular risk

• Are interested in healthy aging and longevity

• Have questions about nutrient deficiencies or supplementation

• Want guidance regarding advanced or specialized laboratory testing

• Prefer to start with a focused physician consultation before considering a comprehensive program

A More Personalized Way to Understand Your Health Data

Laboratory values are pieces of information—not a health plan by themselves.

At Marathon Wellness, we help you put those pieces together so you can better understand your current health, identify meaningful areas of risk, and decide which changes are worth making.