Your health is more than a collection of symptoms. Advanced lab testing helps us look beneath the surface to better understand how your body is functioning, identify potential imbalances, and make more informed decisions about your care.
At OWM Integrative Wellness, we use specialized diagnostic testing to explore areas of health that routine bloodwork may not fully evaluate. From hormones and metabolism to genetics, gut health, and cognitive function, these tests provide additional information that helps our clinical team develop a personalized approach to your health.
What Is Advanced Lab Testing?
Advanced lab testing goes beyond routine health screenings to examine specific aspects of how your body works.
While standard bloodwork provides valuable information about your general health, specialized tests can offer a closer look at your hormones, nutrient status, metabolism, genetic characteristics, and other biological processes.
These insights may help explain certain symptoms, identify areas that deserve further attention, and establish a baseline for monitoring your health over time.
What Types of Advanced Testing Does OWM Offer?
Genetic & Biological Age Testing
Nutrition Genome DNA Testing: Examines genetic variations related to how your body may process nutrients and respond to certain dietary and lifestyle factors. Results can help guide conversations about personalized nutrition and healthy habits.
Biological Age Testing: Analyzes patterns in your DNA associated with aging to estimate your biological age compared with your chronological age. This emerging testing method offers additional insight into biological aging, although it cannot predict exactly how long someone will live.
Hormone Testing
DUTCH Hormone Testing: Uses dried urine samples to measure certain hormones, hormone byproducts, and patterns of cortisol activity. It may provide additional information when evaluating hormonal concerns, although it is not necessary for everyone considering hormone therapy.
ZRT Laboratory Testing: Offers specialized saliva, urine, and other testing options for evaluating selected hormone levels. Your provider determines which type of test is most appropriate for your symptoms.
Metabolic & Cardiovascular Testing
Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR): Measures how many calories your body burns at rest, helping guide personalized nutrition and weight-management plans.
VO₂ Max Testing: Measures how efficiently your body uses oxygen during exercise, providing insight into cardiovascular fitness and endurance.
InBody Body Composition Scan: Looks beyond your weight to estimate muscle mass, body fat, and body water distribution.
Biosense Breath Ketone Monitoring: Measures ketones in your breath to help track ketosis during certain nutritional programs.
24-Hour Blood Pressure Monitoring: Records blood pressure throughout the day and night to provide a more complete picture than a single office reading.
Gut & Environmental Health Testing
Advanced Gut & Stool Testing: Evaluates selected markers of digestive health, including certain microorganisms, digestive function, and inflammation. Tests such as Gut Zoomer and organic acid panels may be considered depending on your symptoms.
GENIE Testing: Examines patterns of gene activity being studied in relation to chronic inflammatory conditions. Its ability to diagnose illness caused by environmental exposure has not been established.
MARCoNS Nasal Swab: Tests for certain antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the nasal passages. Results must be interpreted in context, since detecting these organisms does not necessarily indicate that they are causing symptoms.
Cognitive & Brain Health Testing
ViewMind Cognitive Assessment: Uses virtual reality and eye-tracking technology to evaluate aspects of cognitive performance, including attention and memory.
CNS Vital Signs: A computerized assessment that measures areas such as memory, processing speed, and attention. Results can help establish a baseline and monitor cognitive changes over time.
Advanced Imaging & Cancer Screening
Prenuvo Whole-Body MRI: Uses magnetic resonance imaging to capture detailed pictures of internal structures without ionizing radiation. Whole-body MRI may identify unexpected findings, although routine screening in people without symptoms also carries a risk of false alarms and unnecessary follow-up testing.
SonoCiné Automated Whole Breast Ultrasound: Uses ultrasound technology to create detailed breast images without radiation. It may provide additional information for women with dense breast tissue when used alongside recommended breast screening.
DATAR Cancer Testing: A specialized blood-based test designed to examine tumor-associated signals. Its clinical usefulness for routine cancer screening and surveillance requires further validation, and it should not replace established cancer screening or monitoring.
What Are the Benefits of Advanced Lab Testing?
When selected appropriately, advanced testing can help:
- Provide clarity: Investigate possible contributors to symptoms that have been difficult to explain.
- Personalize your care: Guide nutrition, lifestyle, and clinical recommendations using information specific to you.
- Establish a baseline: Understand where certain health markers stand today and monitor meaningful changes over time.
- Identify potential concerns: Recognize findings that may warrant additional evaluation.
- Make informed decisions: Replace uncertainty with a clearer understanding of your available options.
Not every test is necessary or beneficial for every patient. The goal is to choose testing that can meaningfully inform your care.
Who May Benefit From Advanced Lab Testing?
Advanced testing may be considered for individuals experiencing persistent fatigue, hormonal changes, digestive concerns, difficulty managing weight, changes in cognitive performance, or other ongoing symptoms.
It may also be useful for those seeking a more detailed understanding of their metabolic health, cardiovascular fitness, or specific risk factors.
A More Informed Approach to Your Health
Understanding your health starts with asking the right questions.
At OWM Integrative Wellness, our clinical team considers your symptoms, health history, goals, and diagnostic results together to develop a more complete picture of your well-being.
Because better information can lead to more thoughtful decisions about your health.
