Why Use Us?
Lab testing is the way to stay ahead of the game, to find out how your health is doing long before symptoms show up. I can not stress how important it is to know what your Pregnenolone hormone levels are, what your CoQ10 levels are, what your Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratio is just to name a few.
Control Your Health with Early Detection
• You can monitor your health and wellness while being proactive in the prevention and early detection of disease. We offer hundreds of individual lab tests and panels that you can access, without the need of a prescription.
• It is estimated that over 70% of the data that is needed for accurate health diagnosis and management, is found in your blood.
Create Peace of Mind
• Create peace of mind by confirming that your bio markers are normal and relieve any stress about the conditions for which you are tested.
• Lab tests help identify risk factors of disease or adverse conditions that can help you target lifestyle changes.
Discounts up to 90% on Hundreds of Lab Tests
• Choose from hundreds of blood tests starting at just $20.
• Get discounted rates of up to 90% on your lab tests with us.
Order Your Lab Tests
• Order directly online, 24/7 on our safe and secure website
Review Your Results Online
• In most cases, within 1 to 2 business days, you will receive an email notifying you that your results are available to review online.
Your tests results are available to share with your physician and or healthcare provider.
Safe, Secure and Private
• We provide you with a private and secure online account.
• Review your lab tests results online from the comfort of your own home, at a time convenient for
you, 24/7.
Track Your Progress
• Move your bio markers from High Risk (Red) to Optimal Health (Green).
• Track your bio markers and your progress over time. Measure the
effectiveness of the actions that you are taking to improve your health and well being.
Understand and Manage Your Own Health, On Your Terms
We can assist you in revealing aspects of your health through lab tests that provide insightful information and provide you unique visualizations of your test results. In addition to over 1,000 lab tests, we offer a variety of wellness panels that provide you the ability to establish a baseline of information that you need to know about yourself. We enable you the ability to test and monitor your numbers over time, so that you can proactively manage your health and well being.
Understand Your Bio-markers (Blood Markers)
It is estimated that over 70% of the data that is needed for accurate health diagnosis and management is found in your blood. Additionally, every 120 days, your blood cells regenerate, so you can quickly measure significant improvement from nutritional, lifestyle and healthcare changes.
Access Custom Wellness Packages & Comprehensive Blood Panels
We offer individual blood tests as well as collections of blood tests, known as blood test “panels”, e.g., general health panels, performance panels, heart disease test panel, allergy panels, and dozens more. Our advanced health testing and wellness panels help you to understand key factors of ill health, not just to diagnose disease.
Choose From Hundreds of Blood Tests Starting at Just $20
We offer over 1,000 clinical lab tests and panels to support your health and well being. These are the same clinical laboratory tests that doctors rely on to diagnose serious medical conditions and guide life-saving therapies. Serious medical conditions can go undetected for up to two years, without noticeable symptoms. Blood chemistry wellness tests help provide the best warning indicator.
The earlier a problem is detected, the easier and more likely it is to be treatable. You now have access to major clinical laboratory testing across the United States for those important blood chemistry and wellness tests.
Get Discounted Rates Up To 90% and Competitive Pricing
We have negotiated significant national pricing discounts, with the same Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) certified labs that most doctors utilize. Our discounts are up to 80% off the patient self-pay price charged by the labs and can significantly reduce the cost of healthcare for the insured with high deductibles, the uninsured and under insured patients.
Convenience – Your Time and On Your Terms
Review your tests results from the comfort of your own home at a time convenient for you 24/7 via web or mobile device. Choose to have your blood drawn from over 2,500 state and federally certified blood-draw centers (Patient Service Centers) nationwide. There’s likely one near your home, workplace, school or play.
Our partner Patient Service Centers collect and ship your tests samples overnight to the national lab for rapid blood test analysis. Your confidential results are available online within 1 to 2 business days for most tests.
Track Your Progress
We provide you a cutting-edge healthcare platform that helps you track your bio-marker progress over time and measures the effectiveness of the actions that you are taking to improve your health and well being.
Safe, Secure and Private
We provide you a private and secure online account where you will access your orders, order or coordinate the ordering of your lab test, select where you will have blood drawn (Patient Service Centers), and retrieve and monitor your test results privately. Within 1-3 business days after your blood is drawn, your lab results are viewable to you on your personalized healthcare dashboard.
Your information is stored in our safe and secure web-based platform that helps you visualize and easily understand your bio-markers and health data. You can elect to share your results with your healthcare professionals if you choose.
Our Professional Healthcare Network
We encourage you to share your test results with your doctor.
Have Access to Thousands of Tests
Want tests that your insurance doesn’t cover or that you don’t have a doctor’s order for? Now you can have those tests quickly and inexpensively through our Lab Tests.
Who Can Use our Lab Tests?
- Anyone, regardless of whether there is a medical health plan in place or not.
- Anyone who wants to proactively monitor his or her health.
- Those who are “heavy users” of medical testing, where insurance does not cover their testing (Ulta Lab Tests has no waiting periods or pre-existing condition limitations on lab testing).
- Anyone with a high deductible insurance plan or with deductibles that are much too high to pay.
- Anyone with a Health Savings Account (HSA) plan.
- Anyone with a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) plan.
- Anyone in a “waiting period” for other insurance.
- Anyone with a mini med or limited benefit health plan.
- Anyone with a temporary major medical plan.
- Part time employees.
- Independent contractors.
- The uninsured.
- Anyone who has insurance and has policies that do not cover laboratory tests or specific laboratory tests.
- Anyone who can’t afford to have his or her dependents on a group plan.
- Self-funded plans where the employer wants to save money on their company’s health benefits plan.
- Anyone who needs frequent lab tests for the same ailment or condition.
- Anyone with an ongoing medical condition not covered by his or her health plan.
- Associations and Unions.
- Associations with members who require frequent lab tests including medical conditions, truck drivers, and others.
- Families who cannot afford health insurance to provide early diagnosis of severe health issues.
- Anyone who is under-insured, has high deductibles, or has a health plan without a wellness benefit.
Ulta Lab Tests is a fast and easy way to get your lab testing done.
Ulta Lab Tests is a low cost (up to 90% off) way to get your labs drawn without having to go to the Doctor’s office. All you have to do is:
1. Order Your Test
2.Visit a Nearby Quest Diagnostics
3. Review Your Results in Your Secure Online Portal
Be sure to check out our Weekly Promotions!
Take control of your health!
- Order your lab tests online
- We can provide a Doctor’s authorization for your lab tests
- Save up to 90% on your lab tests
- Low Price Guaranteed
- $12.95 lab tests
- 2,000 lab tests available
- Order 24/7
- Secure & Confidential Results
- 30-minute in-and-out local testing
- Results from Quest Diagnostics
- Labs near you. 2100 locations nationally.
- Blood testing from CLIA-certified labs.
- Accurate physician-reviewed results
- Results in 24 to 48 hours
- Physician reviewed and ready results
- Dedicated Customer Support
- FSA & HSA cards welcome
- Take control of your health
You order the test. We’ll do the rest.
Low cost lab testing is very important and I’ll show you what lab testing you need to Excel Well. Once you have the results you can take them to your Primary Care Doctor or better yet to a Functional Medicine Doctor. You can find a Functional Medicine Doctor near you by searching here.
The Comprehensive Wellness Panel panel contains 8 tests with 72 biomarkers:
CBC (H/H, RBC, Indices, WBC, Plt)
Cholesterol, Total
Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP)
Lipid Panel
QuestAssureD™ 25-Hydroxyvitamin D (D2, D3), LC/MS/MS
Sed Rate by Modified Westergren (ESR)
Thyroid Panel With TSH
Urinalysis (UA), Complete
For optimal brain health one would want to check the following levels:
Pregnenolone
Hemoglobin A1C
C-Reactive Protein
Homocysteine
Omega 3 Index
Vitamin D
Genomic Analysis
Pregnenolone – CLICK HERE
Pregnenolone is a precursor to the body’s other naturally occurring hormones, including dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), progesterone, estrogen, testosterone, and cortisol. Pregnenolone is synthesized directly from cholesterol and is responsible for countless functions in our bodies. By the age of 75, however, the body’s production of this valuable hormone has declined by as much as 60%, and levels of the hormones for which pregnenolone is a precursor have also diminished. Pregnenolone is a neuro-steroid meaning it crosses the blood brain barrier.
Enhancing Memory and Cognition
Boosting acetylcholine levels, increasing neurogenesis (the creation of new neurons), and regulating gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) are among the ways pregnenolone may help improve memory and cognitive function. Acetylcholine is a critical neurotransmitter that helps brain cells communicate with each other. Many Alzheimer’s medications, such as Aricept® and Reminyl®, work by inhibiting the breakdown of acetylcholine. In one study, French researchers discovered that infusing pregnenolone sulfate (a sulfated derivative of pregnenolone) into the brains of rats boosted acetylcholine release by 50% while improving cognitive recognition of a familiar environment.
Neurons are cells that send and receive electrical signals to and from other parts of the body, thus controlling all functions in humans and animals. Neurogenesis gives hope to those with chronic, debilitating diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s, and Parkinson’s. Aware that neurogenesis is sensitive to hormonal influences, researchers examined the effect of pregnenolone sulfate on neurogenesis in young and old rats.5 Infusion with pregnenolone sulfate increased nerve growth in both 3- and 20-month-old rats. The researchers concluded that pregnenolone could prevent the appearance of age-related cognitive disturbances.
GABA is another critical neurotransmitter involved in proper cognitive function. An inhibitory neurotransmitter that aids in relaxation and sleep, GABA acts as a “balancer” for the brain, helping balance excitation with inhibition. Pregnenolone may inhibit or enhance the activity of GABA receptors, thus helping modulate nervous system function.
Countering Fatigue and Stress
Today, we know that excessive stress can have serious health consequences. High blood pressure (hypertension), increased fatigue, and a weakened immune system are just a few conditions caused by high stress levels. Pregnenolone may play an important role in the body’s response to stress.
A research group of industrial psychologists studied pregnenolone effects on enhancing job performance in students and workers. They found that pregnenolone helped both groups learn and remember difficult tasks. Pregnenolone not only enhanced job performance, but also helped produce heightened feelings of well-being in the test subjects.7
During periods of stress, the output of adrenal hormones increases. Increased output of these hormones has been associated with increased fatigue in army pilots, resulting in poor performance. In a study of pilots under stress, 50 mg of pregnenolone daily improved performance with no adverse side effects.
Alleviating Arthritis Symptoms
Even when energy levels are high, arthritis may still prevent many aging adults from enjoying the activities of their youth. Several studies have reported the benefits of pregnenolone in arthritic conditions.
In one study of pregnenolone therapy in rheumatoid arthritis, six of 11 patients experienced moderate to marked improvement in joint pain and joint mobility. In one person who suffered from gout and was unresponsive to traditional medications, pregnenolone therapy resulted in a dramatic response within three days of initiating therapy. This patient received daily, intramuscular injections of 300 mg of pregnenolone for four weeks, followed by a weekly maintenance dose of 200 mg.
Lowering Excess Cholesterol
Coronary artery disease occurs when the arteries that supply blood to the heart become occluded, a condition resulting from the buildup of plaque on the inner walls or lining of the arteries (atherosclerosis). Excess cholesterol can contribute to plaque buildup in the arteries. Restoring hormones such as pregnenolone to youthful levels has been shown to lower cholesterol.9 In one study, patients received hormone restoration therapy with pregnenolone, DHEA, tri-estrogen gel, progesterone gel, and testosterone gel to correct high cholesterol levels. The subjects’ average total cholesterol at the beginning of this study—263.5 mg/dL—was reduced to 187.9 mg/dL after treatment. The study results suggest that when hormones are in optimal proportions, the body’s tendency to manufacture excess cholesterol may be normalized.
Combating Depression
Antidepressant medications not only are associated with a host of adverse side effects—loss of libido, weight gain, constipation, and insomnia, just to name a few—but also do little to address underlying causes of depression or anxiety. Numerous studies demonstrate that a deficiency of pregnenolone may be linked to depression.
In one study, subjects with either current depression or a history of depression were found to have significantly lower levels of pregnenolone than healthy individuals. Additionally, patients with active depression had lower levels of pregnenolone compared to those with a prior history of depression. While studies of pregnenolone effectiveness in treating depression are lacking, previous clinical trials have demonstrated that daily doses of 25-75 mg enhanced feelings of well-being in some individuals.
Conclusion
We now know pregnenolone may help prevent or ease many of the effects of aging. For some, improved memory, increased energy levels, or elevated mood may be just what the doctor ordered. For others, preventing the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, arthritis, or coronary heart disease are important health goals.
An additional advantage of bioidentical hormones such as pregnenolone is that they go to work quickly in the body. Scientific studies demonstrate that pregnenolone is able to improve myriad health conditions in a relatively short period. Although pregnenolone is generally considered safe even at high doses, the only way to determine an appropriate dose is through blood testing.
Serum pregnenolone levels of 180 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dL) for men and 200 ng/dL for women may be optimal.
Progesterone – CLICK HERE
Restoring the body’s supply of natural progesterone confers multiple health benefits, including balancing blood sugar levels, promoting normal sleep, reducing anxiety, and stimulating new bone growth.
Progesterone is the precursor to many hormones, including testosterone, the sex hormone that emphasizes male characteristics, and estrogen, the sex hormone that emphasizes female characteristics. Progesterone plays an important role in regulating blood sugar, building bone mass, regulating brain activity, developing intelligence and body functions. It also contributes to the process that converts fat into energy, regulates thyroid hormone production and can help reboot libido. Aside from this, progesterone is a natural antidepressant, an aid to normalizing blood clotting, a contributor to initiating sleep and a natural diuretic along with many other vital functions.
Low Progesterone Levels
As men age, testosterone levels decline and estrogen levels start to rise. Progesterone levels in men drop sharply as estrogen levels climb, causing symptoms such as low libido, hair loss, weight gain, fatigue, depression, gynecomastia — enlarged breasts — erectile dysfunction, impotence, bone loss and muscle loss. Aside from this, men who have low levels of progesterone have a greater risk of developing serious illnesses such as osteoporosis, arthritis, prostatitis and prostate cancer.
DHEA- CLICK HERE
This multifunctional hormone and its metabolite dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) provide critical hormonal benefits in both men and women. As a precursor to androgens (male hormones) and estrogens (female hormones), DHEA plays a fundamental role in the maintenance of hormonal balance and youthful vitality. It also modulates a variety of pathways throughout the body involved in various aspects of health and disease via direct actions independent of its role as a precursor to androgens and estrogens.
Aging disrupts hormonal balance, with the levels of several critical hormones dramatically reduced in comparison with youthful levels, and DHEA is no exception. By age 80, levels of DHEA fall by as much as 80%–90% compared to what they were during young adulthood. The gravity of this becomes clear after understanding the roles DHEA plays in supporting healthy, youthful physiology across several body systems. Studies have shown that reduced levels of DHEA-S are linked with the pathophysiology underlying numerous age-associated disease states, including cognitive decline, cardiovascular disease, bone loss, cancer, depression, sexual dysfunction, and various inflammatory disorders.
Testosterone -CLICK HERE
Testosterone is a steroid hormone from the androgen group primarily secreted in the testes of males and the ovaries of females with small amounts also secreted by the adrenal glands. It is the principal anabolic steroid responsible for directing metabolism and the repair and regeneration of healthy tissues. In men, testosterone also plays a key role in the development of male reproductive tissues as well as promoting secondary sexual characteristics such as increased muscle and bone mass and hair growth. In addition, testosterone is essential for overall health and wellness.
Recent research has revealed the association between low testosterone and many age-related diseases. Conditions such as heart disease, osteoporosis, diabetes and low libido are now thought to be attributed to what doctors call Low T Syndrome. On average, an adult male produces about ten times more testosterone than an adult female. However, women are far more sensitive to testosterone than men. Women with low testosterone may be more at risk for bone disease, heart disease, stroke, loss of libido, and chronic infections.
Estradiol and Total Estrogen – CLICK HERE
Estradiol (E2) is the predominant sex hormone present in females and is also found at lower levels in men. It represents the major estrogen in humans. Estradiol not only impacts reproductive and sexual functioning, but also affects other systems including bone health, heart health, nerves, and metabolism.
E2 is the most active of all three estrogens commonly measured in a clinical setting. For women, it is important to compare the relationship between estradiol and progesterone in evaluating menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, mood disorders, and aging skin.
In men, high levels of estradiol are associated with abdominal fat, enlargement of the prostate, and cardiovascular risk. In both men and women, low levels of estradiol are associated with osteoporosis.
Total estrogen is a measurement of overall estrogen status. Clinically this is important in evaluating symptoms of menopause, cardiovascular risk, and bone health in aging women.
Because estrogen hormones such as E1 and E2 fluctuate during a woman’s cycle and even in menopause, some doctors believe that the total estrogen measurement is a more reliable test of estrogen status.
Cortisol – CLICK HERE
Cortisol is the major adrenal steroid hormone and is controlled by the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus. The body’s stress response increases cortisol in order to mobilize energy to manage and resolve the stressor.
Chronic stress can fatigue the adrenal gland which can disrupt its normal diurnal control over cortisol. This disruption can lead to symptoms like fatigue, weight gain, insomnia, depression, and anxiety.
So if you’re feeling tired and stressed out or have sleep problems be sure to check your cortisol level.
Heart and Cell Health – CLICK HERE
Doing lab tests for your heart are some of the most important testing you can do! Click the link above to see all test we offer.
CoQ10 – CLICK HERE
CoQ10 is produced by the human body and is necessary for the basic functioning of all cells. It is known to be highly concentrated in heart muscle cells due to the high energy requirements of this cell type.
CoQ10 blood levels are reported to decrease with age and to be low in patients with chronic diseases such as a heart condition, muscular dystrophy, Parkinson’s disease, cancer, diabetes, and HIV/AIDS. Some prescriptions like statin medications can also lower CoQ10 levels.
If you are taking a cholesterol lowering drug such as a statin drug BE SURE TO TEST your CoQ10!
Statin drugs (Lipitor®, Zocor®, Pravachol®, Crestor®, and the like) are prescribed to lower a person’s cholesterol level. They do this by inhibiting the body’s internal production of cholesterol (they do not affect the cholesterol that you eat). But what many people do not know is that at the same time, these drugs inhibit the body’s production of coenzyme Q10.
This means there is less coenzyme Q10 and Ubiquinol (the reduced form of CoQ10 – see the post, “What is the Difference Between Coenzyme Q10 and Ubiquinol?” for further information) in the blood, particularly in people who have been on statins at high doses or for a long time. Even small decreases in CoQ10 can disrupt the body’s ability to produce energy and cause other compromises in function.
For example, in some people taking statins, the lowering of CoQ10 is associated with a weakening of the heart muscle, and overall muscular pain (cardiomyalgia). In addition, Ubiquinol is usually the first line of antioxidant defense that neutralizes the oxidation of low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, which otherwise can lead to the development of atherosclerosis. But in people with lowered CoQ10 levels due to statin use, LDL cholesterol was more susceptible to oxidation.
Let’s look at why this happens.
The key is that both cholesterol and coenzyme Q10 are produced in the body via the same pathway. Take a look at the chart below. You can see that acetoacetyl CoA gets changed into mevalonate. This is done with the help of an enzyme called HMG-CoA reductase. Mevalonate can then be used to make either cholesterol or coenzyme Q10. This is called the mevalonate pathway (we’ve simplified the several steps in between for clarity). Statins work by inhibiting the action of HMG-CoA reductase, so that the amount of mevalonate formed is decreased. Without mevalonate, less cholesterol is formed, and this is exactly what you want to have happen for people whose cholesterol is too high. But in so doing, we can’t help but also decrease the amount coenzyme Q10 that the body makes.
Acetoacetyl-CoA is changed into mevalonate with the help of the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase. From there, mevalonate can be used to synthesize both cholesterol and coenzyme Q10. Statins work by inhibiting the action of HMG-CoA reductase, thereby decreasing the amount of mevalonate available to make either cholesterol or coenzyme Q10.
Numerous studies in humans taking statins have demonstrated that the drugs can lower the amount of coenzyme Q10 in the blood, even in as little as 3 months on standard doses. Supplementing with Ubiquinol has been shown to increase blood levels of total coenzyme Q10; further research is underway to show how this supplementation can benefit myalgia.
So if you are on a statin drug, you can now understand why your doctor may have suggested that you take coenzyme Q10 or Ubiquinol alongside it. In Canada, statin drug packages include a black box warning recommending that they be taken in conjunction with coenzyme Q10.
AA/EPA ratio (Omega 3 to Omega 6 – CLICK HERE
The AA/EPA ratio is an indication of the levels of cellular inflammation in your body. A high level of cellular inflammation does not mean you have a disease state, but it does indicate that you are not as well as you could be. Your future state of wellness can be determined by the levels of cellular inflammation in the blood.
You can’t feel cellular inflammation, but you can measure it. The only way to measure cellular inflammation is by testing the ratio of two essential fatty acids (Arachidonic Acid and Eicosapentaenoic Acid) in your blood. The AA/EPA ratio is an indication of the levels of cellular inflammation in your body. 2.7 to 1.3 is the optimal ratio.
Processed and fast foods are high in Arachidonic Acid.
Test for a B12 deficiency is probably one the most important test you can take. The best way to test for it is by checking your blood B12 serum and folate levels, but also checking your homocysteine levels and doing a urine test for methylmalonic acid (MMA) levels are recommended if you consume a lot of alcohol.
The Significance of Vitamin B12 Deficiency
Vitamin B12 is an essential vitamin that plays a central role in many of the body’s metabolic processes. All cells require a constant supply of small amounts of B12 in order to function optimally. To this end, it is extremely important for humans and most animals to maintain a good supply of B12 to reap the benefits of this powerful vitamin.
Vitamin B12 is necessary for DNA synthesis, cell division, hematopoiesis (blood formation), synthesis of hormones and neurotransmitters, protection of nerve fibers in the spinal cord and brain (myelin sheaths) and the breakdown of homocysteine. If vitamin B12 deficiency occurs, health cannot be sustained in the long term, and a series of ever-worsening symptoms occur.
Here are 2 VERY good websites on Vitamin B12
https://www.http://b12awareness.org
TESTING FOR REVERSIBLE RISK FACTORS FOR DISEASE
| Test | Standard range | Optimal |
| C-reactive protein (CRP) | Less than 4.9 mg/L | Less than 0.5 mg/L (men) Less than 1.3 mg/L (women) |
| Fibrinogen | 200-400 mg/L | 200-300 mg/L |
| Homocysteine | 5-15 mcmol/L | Less than 8 mcmol/L |
| Cholesterol (t0tal) | 100-199 mg/dL | 160-180 mg/dL |
| HDL | 35-150 mg/dL | 50-120 mg/dL |
| LDL | Less than 129 mg/dL | Less than 100 mg/dL |
| Triglycerides (TG) | Less than 199 mg/dL | 40-100 mg/dL |
| Lipoprotein a Lp (a) | Less than 30 mg/dL | Less than 20 mg/dL |
| Total/HDL ratio | 3-4 (men) 2-3 (women) | |
| LDL/HDL ratio | Less than 2 | |
| TG/HDL ratio | Less than 2 | |
| AA/EPA Ratio | 4.9 to 1.7 | 2.7 to 1.3 |
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