Diagnostic testing

A urine microalbumin test can detect early signs of kidney damage in people who have increased risk of developing kidney disease. The test identifies small amounts of protein, or albumin, in urine. Albumin in your urine indicates kidney problems. Your body should hold onto this protein, but unhealthy kidneys allow it to leak out and into your urine.

When a woman becomes pregnant, her body starts to produce a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG). This hormone can start to appear in the blood and urine of a pregnant woman shortly after conception.

A pregnancy test can detect if the HCG hormone is present and can measure HCG levels. The test can be done with a blood or urine sample. Knowing the level can help a healthcare provider determine a due date.

PSA is a protein produced by the cells in the prostate. The prostate is a gland located in the male reproductive system that produces a large part of the fluid that makes up semen. The prostate is located below the bladder and in front of the rectum. It is about the size of a walnut.

A PSA test is a blood test used to measure PSA levels. Elevated PSA can be a sign of prostate cancer, although many other factors, such as urinary tract infections, recent bladder or prostate testing, catheters, infection, inflammation or certain medications, can cause high PSA, too. A PSA test alone doesn’t provide enough information to diagnose prostate cancer, but it can alert you before you begin experiencing symptoms.

Consider getting a PSA test:

• If you’re 50 or older
• If you’re African American
• If you have a family history of prostate cancer
• To determine what’s causing an abnormality on your prostate
• To decide when to begin treatment if you have prostate cancer
• To monitor your treatment

A stool blood test is also called a fecal occult blood (FOB) test. Several different types of fecal occult blood tests check for hidden blood in your stool.

Hidden blood may be an indicator of colon cancer or polyps in the colon or rectum. Usually, the blood produced by these conditions is in amounts too small for the naked eye. Stool tests use chemicals or antibodies to detect hidden blood. There are several variations of the test.

Testosterone is a hormone that affects sex drive, as well as bone and muscle health. Both men and women have testosterone, but men have much more of it. A testosterone test measures the amount of testosterone in the blood.

Low testosterone levels in men can cause a lower sex drive, erectile dysfunction, infertility, weight gain, depression and decreased bone density, among other symptoms. Too much testosterone in women can cause acne, decreased breast size, excess body and facial hair, changes in your period, and hair thinning or baldness.

Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) is released by the pituitary gland in the brain. TSH stimulates the thyroid gland in your neck to make thyroid hormones.

A thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) test is a blood test that screens for the level of TSH in your body. Low levels or high levels of TSH can signal a thyroid disorder.

A thyroid panel evaluates thyroid function and helps diagnose thyroid disorders. The tests included in a thyroid panel measure the amount of thyroid hormones in the blood.

Thyroid hormones are chemicals that travel through the blood and control the body's metabolism, or how the body functions and uses energy.

A uric acid blood test detects the level of uric acid in your blood. Uric acid typically dissolves in the blood and then travels through the kidneys. The kidneys should get rid of most uric acid in urine. When this does not happen, excess uric acid remains in the blood.

A high level of uric acid, or hyperuricemia, is common (found in about one in five people). Most people with high uric acid levels have no problems, but some develop gout or kidney stones.