Women’s Ultimate At Home Blood Test
Women’s Ultimate At Home Blood Test
Women’s Ultimate At Home Blood Test
Women’s Ultimate At Home Blood Test
Women’s Ultimate At Home Blood Test
Women’s Ultimate At Home Blood Test, from our experts to you.
Dr Sam Rodgers MBBS, MRCGP

Chief Medical Officer meet our doctors

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What is a
Women’s Ultimate At Home Blood Test?

Our ultimate home finger-prick test gives you a general health check to proactively make healthy diet and lifestyle choices and understand your risk of developing a lifestyle-related disease. It includes checks for your thyroid, liver and kidney function, cholesterol status and nutritional markers, including ferritin, active B12 and vitamin D, to investigate symptoms like low energy and fatigue.

With your results, you can make informed lifestyle choices to see how diet and nutrition changes affect your overall health. While lifestyle-related diseases are common, they can often be improved through diet changes or supplements.

Can this test explain
why I feel tired?

Some lifestyle-related conditions, such as thyroid conditions and nutrient deficiencies, have similar symptoms, like feeling tired all the time or fatigued. Our test gives you a good overview of your health by measuring the level of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), active B12, vitamin D, and ferritin in your blood, which can all be causes of fatigue. Low vitamin D can also affect energy levels and immune function, making you more susceptible to colds and flu. Our doctors will always interpret your results and let you know what you should do next.

Does this test
check for anaemia?

Our test includes markers for active B12 and ferritin to give a good view of whether you may be anaemic.

Active B12 is an important vitamin for healthy red blood cell production. Low levels of active B12 can lead to anaemia, which means that your blood becomes less efficient at delivering oxygen to the cells that need it.

Ferritin, the protein your body uses to store iron, is a better way of measuring your iron levels than simply measuring iron in your blood. That’s important because low iron may lead to iron deficiency anaemia.

What's included?

Cholesterol status
Iron status
Kidney health
Liver health
Thyroid hormones
Vitamins
Select profile for more information
Total cholesterol Cholesterol is an essential fat (lipid) in the body. Although it has a bad reputation it has some important functions, including building cell membranes and producing a number of essential hormones including testosterone and oestradiol. Cholesterol is manufactured in the liver and also comes from the food we eat. Although there are a number of different types of cholesterol, the two main components of total cholesterol are HDL (high density lipoprotein) which is protective against heart disease and LDL (low density lipoprotein) which, in high levels, can contribute to cardiovascular disease. Your total cholesterol result on its own is of limited value in understanding your risk of heart disease; high levels of HDL cholesterol can cause a raised total cholesterol result but may actually be protective against heart disease. Equally, you can have a normal total cholesterol level but have low levels of protective HDL cholesterol. The most important factors are how much HDL and LDL cholesterol you have, and what proportion of your total cholesterol is made up of protective HDL cholesterol. We give a detailed breakdown of the components of your total cholesterol in the rest of this cholesterol profile.
LDL cholesterol LDL cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein) is a molecule made of lipids and proteins which transports cholesterol, triglycerides and other fats to various tissues throughout the body. Too much LDL cholesterol, commonly called 'bad cholesterol', can cause fatty deposits to accumulate inside artery walls, potentially leading to atherosclerosis and heart disease.
Non - HDL cholesterol Your total cholesterol is broken down into 2 main components; HDL (good) cholesterol and LDL (bad). There are more types of harmful cholesterol in your blood than just LDL - these include VLDL (very low-density lipoproteins) and other lipoproteins which are thought to be even more harmful than LDL cholesterol. Non-HDL cholesterol is calculated by subtracting your HDL cholesterol value from your total cholesterol. It therefore includes all the non-protective and potentially harmful cholesterol in your blood, not just LDL. As such, it is considered to be a better marker for cardiovascular risk than total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. The recommended level of non-HDL cholesterol is below 4 mmol/L.
HDL cholesterol HDL cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein) is a molecule in the body which removes cholesterol from the bloodstream and transports it to the liver where it is broken down and removed from the body in bile. HDL cholesterol is commonly known as 'good cholesterol'.
Total cholesterol : HDL The cholesterol/HDL ratio is calculated by dividing your total cholesterol value by your HDL cholesterol level. It is used as a measure of cardiovascular risk because it gives a good insight into the proportion of your total cholesterol which is good (i.e. high-density lipoprotein HDL). Heart disease risk tools (such as QRisk) use the cholesterol/HDL ratio to calculate your risk of having a heart attack.
Triglycerides Triglycerides are a type of fat (lipid) that circulate in the blood. After you eat, your body converts excess calories (whether from fat or carbohydrates) into triglycerides which are then transported to cells to be stored as fat. Your body then releases triglycerides when required for energy.
Ferritin Ferritin is a protein which stores iron in your cells and tissues. Usually, the body incorporates iron into haemoglobin to be transported around the body, but when it has a surplus, it stores the remaining iron in ferritin for later use. Measuring ferritin levels gives us a good indication of the amount of iron stored in your body.
Creatinine Creatinine is a chemical waste molecule that is generated from normal muscle metabolism. Measurement of this is an indicator of the levels of other waste products in the body. Creatinine is also an accurate marker of kidney function, and may help in diagnosing kidney disease.
eGFR The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) assesses how well the kidneys are working by estimating the amount of blood filtered through the kidneys. The glomeruli are tiny filters in the kidneys responsible for removing waste products. If these filters do not do their job properly, kidney function can be impaired. The eGFR calculation is an estimate of actual glomerular filtration rate, calculated using your age, gender, ethnicity, and serum creatinine levels.
Bilirubin Bilirubin is a product of the breakdown of haemoglobin from red blood cells. It is removed from the body via the liver, stored and concentrated in the gallbladder and secreted into the bowel. It is removed from your body through urine and faeces. Bilirubin causes the yellowish colour you sometimes see in bruises, due to red blood cells breaking down underneath the skin.
ALP Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) is an enzyme found mainly in the liver and bones. Measuring it can indicate ongoing liver, gallbladder or bone disease.
ALT Alanine transferase (ALT) is an enzyme which is mostly found in the liver, but is also found in smaller amounts in the heart, muscles and the kidneys. If the liver is damaged, ALT is leaked into to bloodstream. As ALT is predominantly found in the liver, it is usually an accurate marker for liver inflammation and can indicate liver damage caused by alcohol, fatty liver, drugs or viruses (hepatitis).
Gamma GT Gamma GT, also known as gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), is a liver enzyme which is raised in liver and bile duct diseases. It is used in conjunction with ALP to distinguish between bone or liver disease. Gamma GT is also used to diagnose alcohol abuse as it is raised in 75% of long term drinkers.
TSH Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) is produced in the pituitary gland in order to regulate the production of thyroid hormones thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) by the thyroid gland. If thyroid hormones in the blood are low, then more TSH is produced to stimulate the thyroid gland to produce more of them. If thyroid hormone levels are high, then the pituitary produces less TSH to slow the production of thyroid hormones. If TSH is too high or too low, it normally signifies that there is a problem with the thyroid gland which is causing it to under or over produce thyroid hormones. Sometimes a disorder of the pituitary gland can also cause abnormal TSH levels.
Vitamin B12 - active Vitamin B12 is important for production of red blood cells which carry oxygen around the body. B12 is also involved in metabolism and the nervous system and prolonged lack of vitamin B12 may cause nerve damage. Although Vitamin B12 is almost entirely found in animal-based foods, many vegetarian and vegan products, especially plant milks are now fortified with Vitamin B12.
Vitamin D Although called a vitamin, vitamin D is actually a hormone which is activated by sunshine on your skin. Vitamin D is essential for bone strength as it helps your intestines absorb calcium. However, it is thought that vitamin D also plays an important role in immune function, as well as in many chronic diseases and mental health. Many people in the UK have low levels of vitamin D with symptoms including muscle weakness, mood swings and fatigue. People who have dark skin, as well as those who don't spend much time outdoors are particularly at risk of low vitamin D. Small amounts of vitamin D can be obtained from food, especially oily fish, eggs and any food which has been fortified with vitamin D. If you are deficient in vitamin D you are unlikely to be able to improve your levels by food alone.

How to prepare
for your test

Special instructions

Prepare for your Women’s Ultimate At Home Blood Test by following these instructions. Please take your sample before 10am. Avoid heavy exercise for 48 hours beforehand. Avoid fatty foods for eight hours before your test, you do not need to fast. You should take this test before you take any medication or vitamin/mineral supplements. Do not take biotin supplements for two days before this test, discuss this with your doctor if it is prescribed. Do not take vitamin B12 for two weeks prior to this test. If your B12 is prescribed ask your doctor whether to stop.

Frequently asked questions

What can cause low energy and fatigue?

Common causes for low energy and fatigue include not getting enough good quality sleep, diabetes, thyroid disease, or low levels of iron, B12 and vitamin D. While low energy and fatigue are among the most common reasons why people visit their doctor, finding the underlying cause can be a journey of trial and error.

Looking to improve your health? Read our health and wellness guide.

How can I check my thyroid at home?

If you suspect that you might have a thyroid disorder, the best way to investigate your concerns is to have a thyroid blood test. We have three popular thyroid tests which can help you to investigate whether a thyroid disorder is causing your symptoms.

Our guide to thyroid healthexplains the symptoms and treatments of an underactive and overactive thyroid.

What can you find out from a blood test?

A blood test gives you a snapshot of your health at any point in time. You may have a blood test as part of a regular check-up, to help investigate symptoms or to keep track of your risk of long-term chronic conditions like heart disease and diabetes.

Find out everything you need to know about your bloodand having a blood test.

How can your diet affect your health?

Diet can affect your health, especially if you are eliminating foods from your diet, or eating a restricted diet. Unintended consequences can include impacting your levels of iron, calcium, vitamin B12 or vitamin D, or it can affect your liver and kidney function or risk of developing diabetes.

It is possible to live healthily, especially if you identify where any shortfalls are within your diet and adjust any deficiencies through supplements and lifestyle changes.

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