Episode 23: Is Your Lab Work Lying to You? And What Your Doctor Might Be Missing

If you’ve ever gone to your doctor because you can feel something is off, only to be told everything looks fine, this is the conversation you need to hear to know how to advocate for yourself.  Because lab reference ranges are built on population averages, which means they include a lot of people who aren't feeling great either. So, being told everything is "normal" when it's sitting at the high end of the range is very different from it being optimized.And your hormones, thyroid, blood sugar, and nutrient levels can shift significantly in a matter of months during perimenopause. Waiting a full year to catch something that's been dragging you down for six months is too long. Regular labs give you a moving picture, not just a snapshot.A standard panel barely scratches the surface. Here's what we recommend:Fasting insulin — not just blood sugar or A1C. Insulin resistance can show up years before glucose numbers move.Ferritin — not just hemoglobin. You can be iron-deficient with "normal" iron levels if ferritin is low.Vitamin D (25-OH) — most women in midlife are low, and it affects everything from mood to metabolism to immune function.Full thyroid panel — TSH, Free T3, Free T4, and thyroid antibodies (TPO and TgAb). A TSH alone misses a lot.Full cholesterol panel — not just total cholesterol, but LDL, HDL, triglycerides, and ideally LDL particle size (small, dense LDL is far more concerning than LDL number alone). This matters especially in perimenopause when estrogen decline directly impacts cardiovascular risk.hs-CRP (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein) — a marker of inflammation that can signal cardiovascular risk and metabolic dysfunction long before other numbers shift.Homocysteine — linked to cardiovascular health and often overlooked.DHEA-S and testosterone — yes, women need testosterone, and yes, it tanks in perimenopause.Estradiol, progesterone, and FSH — especially if you're trying to understand where you are in the hormonal transition.Cortisol (fasting AM) — because chronic stress and adrenal function matter and affect everything else on this list.Loved this episode? Leave a review, share it with a friend in midlife, and follow along for more real talk on health, fitness, and feeling good in your body at every age.Connect With Us:@marcinevin @eats_by_dre_nutrition