Featured Tests

The use of various diagnostic tests for Long COVID should be considered for patients with ongoing symptoms associated with long COVID to assess for conditions that may respond to treatment, once basic testing such as complete blood counts, basic metabolic profile and liver function tests have been completed. The CDC recommends that laboratory testing be guided by the patient’s history, physical examination, and clinical findings.

25-Hydroxy Vitamin D is a blood test to help you measure your vitamin D levels. Often known as the “sunshine vitamin”, vitamin D is produced by your body when the sun’s UV rays contact your skin and also occurs naturally in a limited amount of food sources. It is estimated that up to one-third of Canadians do not have the recommended levels of vitamin D. Vitamin D:

• Helps the body absorb calcium and phosphorous
• Fuels the growth of bones and teeth in children
• Prevents osteoporosis as we age

This simple blood test can provide you piece of mind that you are receiving the vitamin D that you need for optimum health.

Known as the “silent thief”, osteoporosis is responsible for the loss of bone mass without obvious symptoms until a bone is broken. By knowing your risk through a Serum CTX Test, you can prevent, delay or reduce bone loss. Serum CTX can detect relevant changes in bone breakdown in as little as a few months, unlike bone mass density test which requires several years to generate a measurable output.

Patient Assessment Panels are a great tool for gaining comprehensive insights about your patient’s health status, improving our understanding of the underlying imbalances that lead to disease. Each panel has been developed with specific clinical questions in mind. Here you can find the clinical relevance for each of the panels and when you might consider ordering them for your patients.

Know Your Risk for Heart Attacks

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the second-highest cause of death in Canada, and the highest world-wide. The SmartVascular Dx™ test measures the traces of proteins that leak from cardiac lesions in the blood vessel walls. By identifying the presence and levels of these proteins, along with HDL and HbA1c, it provides your physician with valuable information to help determine:

• your risk for a heart attack
• your “Heart Age” relative to your age and gender group
• what steps you need to take to improve your cardiac health

The Omega-3 Fatty Acid test quantifies the fatty acids present in a sample of a patient’s whole blood. Specific levels of long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, specifically Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in the blood have been associated with a lower risk of sudden death from cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring (ABPM) requires you to wear a small device that monitors your blood pressure over the course of 24-hours. The device measures and records your blood pressure at regular intervals (typically every 15-30 minutes). Recording your blood pressure over a set period of time can provide a more reliable measurement than one single reading.

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a bacteria that can cause peptic ulcers. It is a very common infection of the digestive tract that impacts half of the world’s population. Most people with an H. pylori infection never even know they have it because they do not experience any symptoms. However, having an H. pylori infection increases your risk of developing peptic ulcer disease, persistent stomach inflammation, and stomach cancer. The bacteria impacts the production of mucus in the stomach, thereby making it more susceptible to damage from digestive acid and peptic ulcers. 

Some of the signs and symptoms of an H. pylori infection include: 

• An ache or burning pain in your abdomen
• Abdominal pain that’s worse when your stomach is empty
• Nausea
• Loss of appetite
• Frequent burping
• Bloating
• Unintentional weight loss  

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder triggered by eating grains that contain gluten such as wheat, rye and barley. It occurs in about 1% of Canadians and symptoms can vary dramatically and easily be mistaken for food allergies or intolerance. Undiagnosed celiac disease can:

• cause irreversible damage to the small intestine
• prevent your body from absorbing nutrients critical for good health
• lead to long-term complications

If you have been exhibiting the symptoms of celiac disease, or have a family history of celiac disease, this blood test can help you find the answers you are looking for.

IBS is a functional disorder that doesn’t affect your bowel tissue, but requires long term management and lifestyle changes. However, IBD causes chronic inflammation in your gastrointestinal tract, and can be even life-threatening if not treated properly.

Calprotectin is a protein normally found in the body in certain amounts. If the test finds a large amount of calprotectin present in the stool, it is more likely that you have IBD, while if the test comes back with low or normal levels, it points towards IBS. The Calprotectin test is hence very useful to differentiate between IBS and IBD.

The Infectious Diarrhea Panel (IDP) is a molecular panel test that replaces three separate tests for stool culture, O&P and
C.difficile. It tests over 14 of the most common viruses, bacteria and protozoa that cause diarrhea.

This test is available in British Columbia only; it is part of a provincial initiative to move to panel-based molecular gastrointestinal
testing.

Liver fibrosis occurs when the healthy tissue of the liver becomes scarred due to repetitive or long-lasting injury or inflammation. As a result, fibrosis can reduce how well the liver works, and can also impair its ability to self-repair. Fibrosis is the first stage of liver scarring, and most types of chronic liver disease can eventually lead to fibrosis.

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of chronic liver disease in developed countries. In Canada, it is estimated that 7.8 million people have this disease. NAFLD induced fibrosis is reversible when discovered at early stages, as such, it is recommended to screen NAFLD patients for liver fibrosis. By understanding the risk of liver disease progression through simple, non-invasive markers for liver fibrosis, the chances of early management and recovery are increased.

Approximately 25% of Canadians aged 12 years and older report having allergies that have been diagnosed through allergy tests on a yearly basis. Our body’s immune system is designed to protect us from getting sick but sometimes it mistakenly interprets a substance that isn’t harmful as a threat and produces an immune response. The substances that elicit this reaction are called allergens and they fall into some of the following categories:

• Seasonal (e.g., tree, grass and weed pollen)
• Food
• Occupational (e.g., latex)
• Mold and yeast
• Drug allergies (e.g., penicillin)
• Insects and venoms (e.g., wasp or bee venom)
• Animals (e.g., cat and dog dander)

The daily pain, stiffness and swelling of rheumatoid arthritis can go undiagnosed for months causing permanent damage to your body. Diagnosing rheumatoid arthritis at its earliest stages can prevent damage and improve long-term quality of life. Cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) antibodies are frequently detected in the blood of people with rheumatoid arthritis. The Anti-CCP test is a highly accurate test and can diagnose the rheumatoid arthritis at a very early stage, sometimes years before the development of symptoms. Early detection of rheumatoid arthritis can help:

• Prevent permanent damage to your body
• Improve long-term quality of life

Early Detection of Cervical Cancer

The human papillomavirus, or HPV, is a group of over 100 related viruses which are primarily spread through sexual activity. Most adults will develop an HPV infection in their lifetime without knowing it as HPV often doesn’t have any symptoms. An infection with high-risk HPV can cause cells to change or become abnormal. In the cervix, these changes can lead to a precancerous condition known as dysplasia. Dysplasia, if not treated, can lead to cervical cancer. An HPV test can:

• detect high-risk HPV cells

Mycoplasma genitalium (commonly known as M. genitalium), is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that affects the mucous cells responsible for protecting the body from irritants of the urinary and genital tracts in humans.

Mycoplasma genitalium is becoming increasingly common. Canadian studies estimate the prevalence of M. genitalium infection at 3-8%

M. genitalium is associated with a variety of clinical conditions, including:

• Persistent urethritis in the male sex
• Cervicitis or pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), Pre-term birth, pregnancy loss, or infertility in the female sex

LifeLabs uses NAAT technology to screen for Mycoplasma genitalium.

QuantiFERON®-TB Gold (QFT) is a simple blood test that aids in the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacteria which causes tuberculosis (TB). QFT is an interferon gamma release assay, commonly known as an IGRA, and is a modern alternative to the tuberculin skin test (TST). Unlike the TST, QFT is a controlled laboratory test that requires only one patient visit and works on patients who have previously been vaccinated against TB with the Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccination.

A highly sensitive and personalized molecular residual disease (MRD) test using circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), custom designed for each patient to help quantify tumour burden and identify relapse earlier than the standard of care tools. The test is appropriate for patients diagnosed with cancer (solid tumours), and may help answer several important questions:

• Is there cancer left in the body?
• Is additional treatment beneficial?
• Is the treatment working?

Please talk to your physician and/or follow the link below to learn more

One in seven men in Canada will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. The third leading cause of cancer death, when prostate cancer is detected early, the more likely it can be successfully treated. Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a protein produced within the prostate gland. Measuring PSA levels can be a useful tool in diagnosing prostate cancer as well as:

• predicting a prognosis (outcome) for prostate cancer
• predicting if cancer has spread outside the prostate
• planning treatment for prostate cancer
• monitoring you if you are already being treated for prostate cancer
• determining if cancer treatments are working
• determining if cancer has come back after treatment

With one in six couples across Canada experiencing difficulty in becoming pregnant, AMH levels can provide valuable insight into predicting a response for IVF treatment. Measuring AMH levels can help to:

• evaluate ovarian reserve (number of eggs)
• predict likelihood of IVF success
• predict the age of menopause
• confirm diagnosis of premature ovarian failure
• assess the risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS)
• diagnose polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Circulating testosterone levels in all individuals can be an indicator of reproductive health. The Bioavailable Testosterone test by LifeLabs can help identify potential conditions impacting overall wellness.

Bioavailable Testosterone is associated with a variety of conditions including:

• Erectile disfunction, mood changes, and hypogonadism in the male sex
• Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) and hyperandrogenism in the female sex

 Fecal Immunochemical Test (FIT)

FIT is a safe and painless stool-based test used for screening people at average risk of developing colorectal cancer. FIT checks for the presence of occult blood in the stool, which can be an early sign of colorectal cancer and/or pre-cancerous lesions. When colorectal cancer is found and treated early, the chances of successful treatment are better.

The Immigration Medical Exam (IME) is a standard government requirement for individuals applying for Canadian permanent residency, and for persons who plan to visit, study or work in Canada for more than six months. Our panel offers test solutions to fulfill your immigration medical exam needs.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a significant health problem in Canada that affects about 1 in 10 Canadians, and most are unaware of it. Living with kidney disease can present tremendous challenges to patients and their caregivers. Depending on the stage of disease and treatment, they may have to deal with:

• significant morbidity and physical discomfort
• emotional distress
• financial challenges
• major lifestyle changes
• premature death

Understanding the risk of CKD progression and actively managing patients at risk can slow the progression to kidney failure. LifeLabs is partnering with Klinrisk, a research-based company to exclusively offer an algorithm-based test tool for risk stratification of kidney failure progression at early stages for at-risk patients. The algorithm generates a score for every patient with CKD, which helps guide decisions about referrals, treatments, and goals of care.