Health-care professionals and others have asked Thorne over the years, “When are you going to offer comprehensive blood panels?” We are pleased we can finally answer, “NOW!” The wait is over!

Thorne’s new Advanced Health Panel and Essential Health Panel are designed for adults who want an in-depth analysis of their health when they want it. In addition to Thorne’s Biological Age Health Panel, these two in-lab blood draw tests no longer require you to wait for an annual physical exam and a doctor’s order. Now you can learn about your health and take action on it by implementing practical and applicable healthy habits, thus improving your healthspan whenever and as often as you choose.

What’s Included

The blood biomarkers in the two new health panels were selected by our team of medical doctors, naturopathic physicians, dietitians, and research scientists for several reasons:

  1. Each biomarker has an important informative role, helping to describe the physiology (structure) and working capacity (function) of an organ, tissue, or cell. A complete review of the biomarkers reveals much about the body's integrated systems.
  2. The tests’ biomarkers are well established in the medical field and are clinically researched and backed by decades of publications to be associated with chronic illness, normal everyday function, and optimal performance. 
  3. Although each biomarker might not have a 1-to-1 direct fix, the tests include research-backed recommendations to help improve the complex systems analyzed and to bring values within clinically normal ranges for age, gender, and health goals. The personalized lifestyle and supplement recommendations enable users to improve their healthspan – the healthy, high-quality years of life.

The Essential Health Panel

The Essential Health Panel is for the average adult wanting to gauge their health across many physical systems. It offers insights into specific organ function, metabolism, and health risk, and provides more information than a blood panel during the average annual physical does.

The Essential Health Panel includes the biomarkers from our Biological Age Test (comprehensive metabolic panel, lipid panel, complete blood count, DHEA-S, and HbA1c), as well as more than 20 additional biomarkers. The additional markers provide information on lipoprotein particle quality and risk for cardiovascular disease; glucose metabolism with insulin and HOMA-IR; measures of inflammation and stress (hs-CRP and cortisol); status of reproductive hormones, including total and free testosterone, estrogen, and sex-hormone binding globulin; thyroid-stimulating hormone; vitamins D, B12, and folate; RBC magnesium; and iron status indices (ferritin, serum iron, and total iron-binding capacity). 

The Advanced Health Panel

The Advanced Health Panel is Thorne’s most comprehensive in-lab test. This is the best option for an in-depth evaluation of health aspects crucial to lowering the risk for chronic disease, maintaining ideal weight and body composition, optimizing fertility, maximizing athletic performance outcomes, and more. 

The Advanced Health Panel includes 89 biomarkers – all of the biomarkers analyzed in the Biological Age and Essential health panels, plus an additional 23 targeted data points: a breakdown of lipid particle number and sizes, homocysteine, free T3 and T4 thyroid markers, reproductive hormones LH and FSH, kidney function marker cystatin C, liver function marker GGT, and fibrinogen. This is the only test offered by Thorne that includes a fatty acid panel, which measures the omega-3 index, DHA, EPA, arachidonic acid, ratio of omega-6:omega-3, and free fatty acids. The fatty acid panel can assess risk for heart disease, mental health issues, and dementias, the potential to recover after a brain injury, and more. 

How Often Should I Take Thorne’s Tests?

A reasonable recommendation is to consider an annual panel – Advanced or Essential and periodic checks of any abnormal biomarkers. You can explore other Thorne at-home tests to see if one of them looks at a biomarker of concern. Keeping an eye on out-of-range biomarkers is particularly important for individuals with underlying conditions, a family history of health issues, high risk for injury, exposure to environmental toxins, specific health goals, and adults older than 50.

Professional athletes could consider the Advanced Health Panel before and after a competition season to optimize their values for performance outcomes and in preparation for any unexpected injury.

As a generally healthy adult, you might want to consider retesting whenever there is a significant change in your life that could impact or be impacted by specific biomarkers. Some of these scenarios include too much weight gain, sleep changes, brain fog, increased life stress, fatigue or lack of energy, poor eating habits, a change (increase or decrease) in exercise, planning a pregnancy, or change in libido. 

Three Tips for Testing Using Thorne’s In-Lab Health Panels:

  1. Arrive Fasted but Hydrated

For the most accurate results, avoid food and liquids (other than water) for 12 hours before testing. Also, avoid strenuous exercise 24 hours before a test. Aim to schedule a morning blood draw, and drink at least 12-16 ounces of water before arriving. The phlebotomist will take anywhere from three to 18 vials of blood, equaling about 2.5 ounces. 

  1. Don’t Take Supplements on the Morning of Your Draw

For best results, don’t take your nutritional supplements until after your blood draw so they will not affect your results. Prescription medications should be taken as directed.

  1. Check with HSA or FSA Benefits

Many benefit coordinators for health savings accounts (HSA) or flexible spending accounts (FSA) have classified Thorne tests as a qualified medical expense, so check if your pre-tax funds can cover your test. Similarly, some nutritional supplements – like Basic Prenatal and Glucosamine & Chondroitin – might also be covered. To learn more about how Thorne tests might be covered by your HSA or FSA benefits, click here.