Your Blood Never Lies: How to Read a Blood Test for a Longer, Healthier Life

Clinical pharmacist and nutrition and metabolism expert LaValle (Cracking the Metabolic Code), who heads the company Life Time Fitness, offers a comprehensive guide to understanding blood tests in this useful volume. The book is divided into logical sections that reflect the blood test itself: “The Lipid Panel,” “The Basic Metabolic Panel,” “The Hepatic Function Panel,” “Complete Blood Count,” “Hormones,” and “Optional Tests.” In each section, LaValle clearly explains what the numbers mean, noting that “normal” does not necessarily translate into “healthy” or “optimal.” Arguing that blood tests should be read much like trends in the stock market, LaValle urges readers to probe deeply and examine the results, employing the blood test as a preventive-care tool that can help ward off such problems as diabetes and heart disease. The blood test, he asserts, should serve as a “blueprint” for present as well as future health. In each section, LaValle also thoroughly describes medication, lifestyle, and dietary changes that may be required to address issues uncovered by test results; readers can identify what the suggested medical treatment would likely be and also discover alternative methods for improving their numbers. This patient-empowering text will help readers decipher their blood test results, and, more importantly, it serves as a guide to preventive care. (July)