Order a broad men's health blood test

Viewing individual markers in isolation can miss the bigger picture. Your testosterone interacts with your metabolism, your lipids say something about your heart and blood vessels, and your thyroid influences your energy and body composition.

This broad blood test brings those systems together, so that patterns between markers can become visible rather than judging each number on its own. It gives a broad overview, although no blood test covers every aspect of your health.

This broad men's health blood test may suit men who:

• want a broad overview of their health without ordering separate tests
• are working on sport, nutrition or lifestyle and want data to track progress
• prefer one blood draw that covers multiple systems
• want to record a personal baseline for later

If you are over 40 or want prostate context too, take a look at the men over 40 panel, which adds PSA.

This panel measures 16 biomarkers across several systems:

• Total testosterone and free testosterone: circulating and bioavailable testosterone.
• SHBG: a binding protein that partly determines how much testosterone is available.
• TSH and free T4: thyroid markers that can influence energy, metabolism and weight.
• Total cholesterol, HDL, LDL and triglycerides: your lipid profile for cardiovascular context.
• Fasting glucose and HbA1c: markers for your blood sugar regulation.
• hs-CRP: a marker that may reflect low-grade inflammation.
• ALT: a liver enzyme that can indicate liver stress.
• Creatinine: a marker of your kidney function.
• Ferritin: reflects your iron stores.
• Vitamin D (25-OH): your vitamin D status.

If you want to look at a marker on its own, you can read more on the pages about total testosterone and fasting glucose.

By measuring hormones, metabolism, cardiovascular markers and organ function together, the results may reveal connections that separate tests would miss. Low energy, for example, could be associated with your testosterone, thyroid, vitamin D or iron stores.

An elevated fasting glucose alongside shifted lipids may point to metabolic changes worth tracking. The value of this panel lies mainly in seeing the markers together, which can inform a more nuanced conversation with a doctor.

Blood is drawn at a certified sample point. There are 650+ locations across the Netherlands. This blood test without a GP is something you arrange yourself: after ordering, you choose a location and time that suit you. The appointment typically takes around 10 to 15 minutes.

This broad blood test may be useful when:

• you want a broad health overview without multiple separate tests
• you are starting a new fitness or nutrition program and want baseline data
• you have symptoms like fatigue or reduced performance and want to explore several possible factors
• you want to compare your current values against an earlier measurement

Each marker is shown with a reference range. Some markers, like testosterone, are best read together with SHBG. Your lipids and blood sugar markers are usually reviewed as a group rather than individually.

A single value that falls just outside the range does not necessarily mean a problem; trends over time and the overall pattern often say more. A doctor can help put your results in context.

Your results are usually available online within a few working days. Your report shows all your values alongside reference ranges and an explanation, so you can see how the markers relate to each other.

Every blood test result includes a professional assessment from a BIG-registered doctor. For treatment decisions, discuss your results with your GP.