Extended blood test as a broad health checkup

Your body works as a whole, and complaints or questions rarely stand on their own. An extended blood test therefore looks at several systems at the same time, so you can spot connections you might miss with a single test.

Some people also call this a complete blood test or a large blood panel. Whatever you call it, the idea is the same. In one draw you measure a broad set of markers and gain a starting point for questions about your health.

This extended health checkup can be useful when you want a wider view of your health, for example around a new life stage, with ongoing tiredness or simply out of curiosity.

As a health checkup for women, it fits many situations: you want to know how your vitamins are doing, you are curious about your thyroid, or you want to map your blood fats and sugar values. You do not need a referral from your GP for this.

This panel measures fourteen markers across different systems in your body:

• Complete Blood Count (CBC): a broad view of your red and white blood cells and your platelets.
• TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone): can say something about your thyroid function.
• Free T4: a thyroid hormone assessed together with TSH.
• Free T3: the active form of your thyroid hormone.
• Vitamin D (25-OH): involved in your bones, muscles and immune system.
• Vitamin B12: important for your energy and nervous system.
• Ferritin: gives an impression of your iron stores.
• HDL Cholesterol: the favourable cholesterol.
• LDL Cholesterol: often called the less favourable cholesterol.
• Triglycerides: a type of fat in your blood.
• HbA1c: reflects your average blood sugar over the past two to three months.
• Liver Function Test (LFT): a set of values that can say something about your liver.
• Creatinine: a waste product that says something about your kidneys.
• eGFR: an estimated measure of how well your kidneys filter.

Because this test looks at several systems at once, the results can help you recognise patterns. An unusual value in your blood count, thyroid or vitamins may, for instance, relate to complaints you have been carrying for a while.

Think of signals that could fit with tiredness, a disrupted metabolism or a shortage of certain nutrients. The test can make such clues visible, but on its own it does not make a diagnosis. Above all, it offers insight and starting points to discuss further.

This panel needs one blood draw at a certified lab. In the Netherlands you can choose from 650+ sample locations, so there is a good chance there is one near you.

After ordering, you pick a location and a moment that suits you. The draw usually takes only a few minutes and you do not need a referral for it.

An extended blood test can be valuable at different moments, for example:

• when you want a broad overview of your general health
• with vague complaints such as fatigue, when you are not sure where to look
• around a new life stage or a change in your lifestyle
• when you want to track how certain values develop over time

When a test suits you is entirely up to you. Your GP can help you with that if you wish.

Your result shows your own value per marker, together with a reference range and a short explanation. In one overview you can see which values fall within the usual range and which differ a little.

A value outside the range does not automatically mean something is wrong; it can also fit with your situation, your lifestyle or the moment of the draw. The BIG-registered doctor helps you place your values in the right context.

Your results are usually ready online within a few working days. Each value is shown clearly with a reference range and an explanation, so you can read back what you see at your own pace.

Every blood test result includes a professional assessment from a BIG-registered doctor. For treatment decisions, discuss your results with your GP.