Do I need to bring lab tests to my first consultation?
By far, it's the question I get most before a first visit. And the short answer is: it's not mandatory, but if you already have them, bring them. Here's the reasoning behind both parts.
If you don't have any tests, that's fine
The first consultation starts with the most valuable thing in medicine: your medical history. We talk about your background, your symptoms, your habits, your previous attempts to improve your weight or health, and I do a complete physical exam.
With that information I decide exactly which tests you need —not a generic list— and order them so you can have them done at the lab of your choice. At your review visit we interpret them together and define the plan.
If you already have recent tests, use them
If you had tests done in the last 3 to 6 months, bring them to your first visit (printed or on your phone). In many cases they're enough to start your plan from day one, saving you time and the cost of repeating them.
Which tests do I usually request?
It depends on each case, but the most frequent ones in a metabolic and weight-management assessment are:
- Complete blood count (CBC): the general state of your blood.
- Comprehensive metabolic panel: glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, liver and kidney function, among others.
- Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c): your average glucose over the last 3 months; key to detect prediabetes and diabetes.
- Thyroid profile (TSH and free T4): the thyroid directly influences weight and metabolism.
- Fasting insulin: helps detect insulin resistance, very common in people who struggle to lose weight.
- Urinalysis and kidney-function markers (albumin/creatinine ratio, glomerular filtration rate).
Why do I give lab work so much importance?
Because two people with the same weight may need completely different treatments. One may have insulin resistance; another, a thyroid disorder; another, neither. Without tests, any plan is a guess. With tests, it's a treatment designed for your body.
This also applies to deciding whether a medication is indicated in your case: weight-management treatments —oral or injectable— are prescribed based on your metabolic profile, never as an automatic starting point.
In short
- First visit with no tests? Perfectly valid: that's where we define which ones you need.
- Tests from the last 3–6 months? Bring them, they'll probably be useful.
- Very old tests? Bring them too: they serve as a reference for your progress.