In the conventional medicine world, it’s a common occurrence for patients to be told their “labs are normal” despite continuing to have symptoms. At Radiant Health Collective, we take a deeper look at your lab results—because normal doesn’t always mean optimal!
Many conventional lab ranges are based on lab results of the entire population, but what if that population includes many individuals with suboptimal or unhealthy lab results? Recent research shows that only 6.8% of adults in the U.S. had optimal cardiovascular health in 2017-2018 and that 93% were metabolically unhealthy (O’Hearn et al., 2022).
Instead of settling for “within normal limits” which is usually a 95% confidence interval, we focus on optimal ranges – what’s truly best for your body – and how your lab results interact with your health history, symptoms, and lifestyle.
How Normal Lab Results Can Be Misleading
Here’s why a “normal” result may not tell the full story:
- Lab ranges vary between different labs – The cutoff for what’s considered normal differs from one lab to another.
- Conventional medicine often focuses on disease, not dysfunction – Many labs won’t flag a marker unless it’s severely out of range, even if it’s trending in the wrong direction.
- Markers are often viewed in isolation – Instead of looking at just one number, our providers analyze patterns and relationships between markers to understand the bigger picture.
Examples of Misleading “Normal” Lab Results
Example #1 – Timing Matters for Hormone Testing
Many conventional doctors send patients for hormone lab work on any random day of their cycle, but for accurate results on sex hormones, timing is everything. Female hormones fluctuate throughout the month, so testing at the wrong time can lead to misleading results and incorrect treatment.
Female sex hormones (primarily estrogen, progesterone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and luteinizing hormone) are best tested in the mid-luteal phase of a woman’s cycle (5-7 days after ovulation). This is when progesterone should be at its peak, allowing for a proper assessment of balance between these key hormones. Testing too early may show falsely low progesterone levels, for example.
Bottom line, if blood is drawn on the wrong day, sex hormone levels might look “normal” when there’s actually an imbalance, or they may look abnormal when they’re simply in a natural fluctuation phase. This is why our providers emphasize testing at the right time to get a true picture of what’s going on inside the body.
Example #2 – Thyroid Panels: TSH Alone Doesn’t Tell the Whole Story
Most conventional doctors only check TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) to assess thyroid function. However, a “normal” TSH level doesn’t rule out thyroid dysfunction.
Our providers look at a full thyroid panel including thyroid antibodies to assess full thyroid function and detect conditions such as subclinical hypothyroidism or Hashimoto’s before they progress. For example, a patient who is experiencing fatigue, weight gain, and hair loss may have a “normal” TSH, but in functional medicine, optimal TSH is on the lower end of the typical reference range. Without also checking other thyroid markers, patients’ underlying thyroid issues that explain symptoms could be missed.
Example #3 – Blood Sugar: You Don’t Have to Be Diabetic to Have a Problem
Traditional lab testing only flags fasting glucose when it reaches 100 mg/dL+ (pre-diabetes) or 126 mg/dL+ (diabetes). But insulin resistance begins long before that—often when fasting glucose is still in the “normal” range.
Our providers look at fasting insulin and hemoglobin A1C (a 3-month average of blood glucose levels) to catch blood sugar issues before they become full-blown diabetes.
For example, a patient with a fasting glucose of 95 mg/dL might be told they’re labs are normal, but if their fasting insulin is above optimal and their A1C is creeping up, they could already be developing insulin resistance, leading to fatigue, weight gain, and inflammation.
Blood sugar concerns can be addressed by continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), balancing hormones, addressing gut health imbalances, filling in the gaps with any nutritional deficiencies, reducing stress, and other lifestyle modifications that influence blood sugar.
Our Functional Medicine Approach: Looking at the Whole Picture
Instead of just looking at isolated numbers, we take a comprehensive approach to your labs by:
Using optimal lab ranges, not just “normal” ones.
Looking at trends over time to catch dysfunction early.
Assessing how markers interact with each other.
Combining labs with a deep dive into your symptoms, health history, and lifestyle.
Don’t Settle for “Normal” – Find Out What’s Optimal for YOU!
If you’ve been told your labs are normal but you still don’t feel well, you deserve a deeper look into your health. Our providers are here to help uncover the root cause of your symptoms and guide you toward true healing.
Book a consultation today to get a comprehensive lab analysis and start your journey to optimal health!
