General health blood test

Cholesterol is a fat that's essential for your health. But if it's too high, it might affect your heart health.

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Cholesterol is a type of fat that’s produced by your body. While you need it to help make hormones and vitamin D, if it gets too high it might increase your risk of heart disease. There are no symptoms for high cholesterol so regular checks are recommended. A cholesterol test, sometimes called a lipid profile test, will look at the different types of fats in your blood.

A HbA1c test measures your average blood glucose levels over the last 3 months. This helps indicate your risk of pre-diabetes and diabetes.

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HbA1c refers to glycated haemoglobin. When the glucose (sugar) in your blood rises, it binds to the haemoglobin in your red blood cells. Red blood cells live for about 3 months, so a HbA1c test measures your average blood glucose levels over the last few months.

Your liver health is a good indicator of your long-term health — because it can affect your immunity and the inflammation in your body. Your liver can also affect everything from your energy levels and fitness to your mood and sleep.

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Your liver is an organ that plays a role in over 500 functions in your body. It helps detoxify your blood, digest food, fight infections, maintain hormone balances, and regulate blood sugar levels. A liver blood test measures the levels of a range of things in your blood, like proteins, liver enzymes, and bilirubin. Measuring these things can help check your liver function and also check for signs of inflammation or damage.

Vitamin D plays a key role in your long-term health, particularly your bone health. It's also important for a strong immune system and is linked to your sleep, energy levels, and mood.

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Vitamin D helps absorb calcium in your gut and maintains your calcium and phosphate levels. Your body makes vitamin D when your skin is exposed to sun. So during autumn and winter, when sun exposure is low, it's common for your levels to drop. Because of this, a deficiency is quite common. Signs of this include low energy levels, bone and muscle pain, and getting ill more often than usual.

Iron is a nutrient that helps transport oxygen around your body. If your levels are low, it can affect your energy, sleep, and fitness. Or if it's too high, it can affect your heart health.

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Your body uses iron to make haemoglobin — a part of red blood cells that carries oxygen around your body. If you don't get enough iron you might develop iron deficiency anaemia. Tiredness, shortness of breath and heart palpitations are signs you might be deficient. While if your iron stores become too high, it can affect your heart and long-term health.

Vitamin B12 is essential for a healthy brain and nervous system. It’s also needed for making red blood cells — which are important for your energy levels. Low vitamin B12 levels can make you feel depressed and might affect your sleep and fitness.

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Vitamin B12, also called cobalamin, plays a key role in the normal functioning of your nervous system, and the formation of red blood cells. A deficiency can lead to anaemia — when you can't transport enough oxygen around your body. Symptoms of this include low energy, pins and needles, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, and difficulty concentrating. Vitamin B12 deficiency can also affect your mental health and is linked to depression.

Folate (vitamin B9) is essential for making red blood cells — these are important for energy. Low levels can lead to anaemia (causing tiredness) and affect your heart health in the long-term.

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Folate (vitamin B9) is also sometimes called folic acid — the synthetic (man-made) version of this vitamin. Folate is important for a healthy liver, as well as healthy skin, hair, and eyes. It's stored in your body so you can become deficient in a matter of weeks. And a deficiency can lead to anaemia — when you can't transport enough oxygen around your body. Symptoms of this include low energy, pins and needles, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, and difficulty concentrating. A long-term deficiency might also affect your heart health.