Ask Jay & Jim: Blood Work: How to Understand Lab Work & Specific Biomarkers

So many men fixate on their testosterone numbers, but why is that a bad idea? Are you getting the correct test to measure your estrogen levels? What should you know about cholesterol? On this episode, we discuss how to understand certain biomarkers in a blood panel.

"It’s more important that you feel good and have no side effects than it is to have a specific number." -Jay Campbell

Three Takeaways

- It’s important to understand the oxygenation of your red blood cells.

- If you have a level of above 200 in cholesterol, make sure that you are: exercising, trying to suppress your insulin sign, and doing cardio and resistance training before you even consider going on statins.

- Estrogen is still necessary for some key functions, and you can only consider suppression when you have side effects AND the correct test for it.

At the start of the show we talked about the importance of measuring White Blood Cells and Red Blood Cells, hemoglobin and hematocrit. We talked about why keeping close track of your insulin is so necessary, and the importance of testing for estrogen the right way.

We also discussed:
- What people get wrong about erythrocytosis
- Whether taking statins is a good idea
- Measuring prolactin

The most important thing when you want to get optimized is to get your blood work done. It helps you get a clearer picture of your health, and it keeps you from going down the path of the sick care system. You have to go private, because getting this information is not how the sick care model functions, and you can easily get manipulated by a garden-variety GP. Ultimately, the more you know, the more you can optimize yourself.