MetabolicMarkers

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Current promotion

Annual Physical Blood Work: Order Lab Tests Before Your Visit

Walk into your annual physical with results in hand instead of walking out with a lab slip.

Affiliate disclosure: we earn a commission when you purchase lab tests through links on this site, at no extra cost to you. Learn more

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Panels from $94.48 with the 50% promotion (Basic Plus, regularly $188.95); Advanced $139.98 and Advanced Plus $508.98 at time of writing.

At a glance

Annual physical blood work covers the core labs most doctors want to see at a yearly exam: a complete blood count, comprehensive metabolic panel, lipid panel, thyroid markers, glucose and hemoglobin A1c, iron and ferritin, and vitamin D. Ordering these tests online before your appointment means your visit can be spent discussing results rather than waiting on a lab slip. A doctor's order is included with the purchase, and results are typically ready within 24 to 48 hours.

Best suited for

  • Anyone with an annual physical coming up who wants results ready to discuss at the visit
  • Patients whose insurance-covered labs skip markers like vitamin D, ferritin, A1c, or Free T3/Free T4
  • People who switched doctors or insurers and want a portable year-over-year lab record
  • Telehealth users who need recent blood work before a virtual consult
  • Those who prefer to preview their own results before deciding what to raise with their doctor

What's included

General Health - Basic Plus Lab Panel

8 tests, 66 biomarkers, core pre-visit baseline

General Health - Advanced Lab Panel

13 tests, 86 biomarkers, broader pre-visit workup

General Health - Advanced Plus Lab Panel

23 tests, 113 biomarkers, most comprehensive option

Complete Blood Count (CBC)

A standard component of yearly exam labs

Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP)

Liver, kidney, and electrolyte markers

Lipid Panel

Total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglycerides

Thyroid Markers (TSH, with Free T3/Free T4 on select panels)

Often omitted from basic physicals unless requested

Glucose & Hemoglobin A1c

Current blood sugar plus the three-month trend

Iron & Ferritin

Iron stores and oxygen transport

Vitamin D

Frequently excluded from insurance-covered lab orders

Deep-dive the key markers: Fasting Glucose, HbA1c, LDL-C, HDL-C, Triglycerides, TSH, Free T3, Free T4, Vitamin D, Ferritin, eGFR, ALT

Key biomarker ranges

Commonly used adult reference ranges for markers this panel measures, labs vary, so always interpret results against your lab's stated ranges and with your doctor.

Fasting Glucose (mg/dL)

Commonly used reference ranges place fasting glucose at 70–99 mg/dL; results vary with sleep, stress, and recent illness, and labs differ slightly.

Fasting Glucose reference ranges (mg/dL)
ZoneRange
Low50–70 mg/dL
Optimal70–100 mg/dL
Prediabetic range100–126 mg/dL
Diabetic range126–160 mg/dL
Hemoglobin A1c (%)

Commonly used reference ranges place HbA1c below 5.7%; conditions affecting red blood cells can skew results, so labs and clinicians interpret in context.

Hemoglobin A1c reference ranges (%)
ZoneRange
Optimal4–5.7 %
Prediabetic range5.7–6.5 %
Diabetic range6.5–10 %
LDL Cholesterol (mg/dL)

Commonly used reference ranges label LDL-C under 100 mg/dL optimal; ideal targets depend on your overall cardiovascular risk profile.

LDL Cholesterol reference ranges (mg/dL)
ZoneRange
Optimal0–100 mg/dL
Near optimal100–130 mg/dL
Borderline high130–160 mg/dL
High160–190 mg/dL
Very high190–220 mg/dL

The importance of testing

The typical annual physical follows a frustrating sequence: you see your doctor, get sent for labs afterward, and receive results by portal message days later, often with no time booked to discuss them. Flipping the order changes the appointment. When you arrive with recent, physician-reviewed results for your CBC, metabolic panel, lipids, thyroid, A1c, iron, and vitamin D, the visit becomes a working session about what the numbers mean.

These panels also tend to be broader than the minimum labs an insurance-driven physical covers. Vitamin D, ferritin, hemoglobin A1c, and Free T3/Free T4 are frequently left off standard orders unless you ask; the general health panel tiers include them by default on most configurations, giving you and your doctor more to work with.

There is also a continuity benefit. Ordering the same panel before each annual visit builds a year-over-year record under your control, independent of which clinic or insurer you use. Trends across visits, a drifting A1c, rising liver enzymes, falling ferritin, are exactly the kind of pattern worth flagging for your doctor early.

Testing happens at any of roughly 2,100 Quest locations, no insurance is required, and HSA/FSA payment is accepted. Bring the printed or portal report to your appointment and let the conversation start from data.

Part of our complete guide to Metabolic Health Lab Tests — browse every panel and biomarker guide in this hub.

Promo code

ULTAGHB49

Save 50% with code ULTAGHB49, current promotion; confirm final pricing on the partner page.

Ready to get your numbers? Order online, visit a nearby draw site, and receive private results to review with your doctor.

Order Now

Frequently asked questions

Can I order my own blood work before an annual physical?

Yes, a doctor's order is included with every purchase, so no separate appointment or referral is needed to order these panels. You order online, test at a Quest location, and bring the physician-reviewed report to your physical.

Which labs should I have done before a yearly exam?

A CBC, comprehensive metabolic panel, and lipid panel form the core that most annual exams review, and these panels add thyroid markers, glucose and A1c, iron and ferritin, and vitamin D. The Advanced tier (13 tests, 86 biomarkers) is a common middle-ground choice for pre-visit blood work.

Will my results be ready in time for my appointment?

Most results arrive within 24 to 48 hours, so testing about a week before your visit usually leaves comfortable margin. A few individual tests can take longer, and all results are physician-reviewed before release.

Will my doctor accept self-ordered lab results?

Results come as physician-reviewed reports from Quest, the same national lab network many clinics already use, and they are designed to be shared with your doctor. Your doctor decides how to use them, some may still order their own confirmatory labs, which is a reasonable topic to raise at the visit.

Can residents of every state order these tests?

No, direct-to-consumer lab testing is restricted or prohibited in New York, New Jersey, and Rhode Island, so residents of those states may be blocked at the partner's checkout. In other states, you can test at any of roughly 2,100 Quest locations, with HSA/FSA accepted and no insurance required.

References

  1. [1] Hidden Risks behind Normal Fasting Glucose: Is It Significant? — Diabetes & Metabolism Journal (Korean Diabetes Association, via PMC)
  2. [2] Good to Know: Factors Affecting Blood Glucose — Clinical Diabetes, American Diabetes Association (via PMC)
  3. [3] Insulin Resistance & Prediabetes — National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
  4. [4] Interpreting A1C: Principles of the A1C Assay — National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
  5. [5] Interpreting A1C: Diabetes and Hemoglobin Variants — National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
  6. [6] The A1C Test & Diabetes — National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
  7. [7] LDL: The 'Bad' Cholesterol — MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine, NIH)
  8. [8] Low-density lipoproteins cause atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease: A consensus statement from the European Atherosclerosis Society Consensus Panel — European Heart Journal
  9. [9] Familial Hypercholesterolemia — GeneReviews, NCBI Bookshelf (NIH)
  10. [10] Hypercholesterolemia — StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf (NIH)
  11. [11] Low HDL Cholesterol — StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf (NIH)
  12. [12] HPS2-THRIVE, AIM-HIGH and dal-OUTCOMES: HDL-cholesterol under attack — Global Cardiology Science & Practice
  13. [13] Metabolic syndrome — MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine, NIH)
  14. [14] Cholesterol Levels: What You Need to Know — MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine, NIH)
  15. [15] Triglycerides — MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine, NIH)
  16. [16] Hypertriglyceridemia — StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf (NIH/NLM)
  17. [17] High Blood Triglycerides — National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NIH)
  18. [18] TSH (Thyroid-stimulating hormone) Test — MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine, NIH)
  19. [19] Thyroid Function Tests — American Thyroid Association
  20. [20] Subclinical Hypothyroidism — StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf (NIH/NLM)
  21. [21] Thyroid Function Tests — American Thyroid Association
  22. [22] Effects of fasting on thyroid hormone profiles: a systematic review and meta-analysis of TSH, FT3, FT4, and total T3 responses — Frontiers in Endocrinology
  23. [23] Hyperthyroidism — StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf (NIH/NLM)
  24. [24] Thyroid Hormone Serum Transport Proteins — Endotext, NCBI Bookshelf (NIH/NLM)
  25. [25] Pregnancy disrupts the accuracy of automated fT4 immunoassays — European Thyroid Journal
  26. [26] Free T4 — University of Rochester Medical Center Health Encyclopedia
  27. [27] Vitamin D - Health Professional Fact Sheet — NIH Office of Dietary Supplements
  28. [28] Evaluation, Treatment, and Prevention of Vitamin D Deficiency: An Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline — Endocrine Society (Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism)
  29. [29] Vitamin D - Health Professional Fact Sheet — NIH Office of Dietary Supplements
  30. [30] Iron-Deficiency Anemia — StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf (NIH)
  31. [31] Limitations of Serum Ferritin in Diagnosing Iron Deficiency in Inflammatory Conditions — International Journal of Chronic Diseases
  32. [32] Diagnosis of Hemochromatosis — NIDDK (NIH)
  33. [33] Dose–response relationship of serum ferritin and dietary iron intake with metabolic syndrome and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease incidence: a systematic review and meta-analysis — Frontiers in Nutrition
  34. [34] Physiology, Glomerular Filtration Rate — StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf (NIH)
  35. [35] Stages of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) — National Kidney Foundation
  36. [36] What Is Chronic Kidney Disease in Adults? — NIDDK (NIH)
  37. [37] Is It Time for a Requiem for Creatine Supplementation-Induced Kidney Failure? A Narrative Review — Nutrients
  38. [38] Estimated GFR (eGFR) Test: Kidney Function Levels, Stages, and What to Do Next — National Kidney Foundation
  39. [39] Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) Test — StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf (NIH)
  40. [40] Definition & Facts of NAFLD & NASH — NIDDK (NIH)
  41. [42] Liver Function Tests — StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf (NIH)

Reviewed by

Jason August

Jason August

Founder & Editorial Lead

Jason August is the founder of Metabolic Markers and its parent company, Advancing Development. He has spent his career building and scaling real-world ventures, including as a founding team member at Build-A-Bear Workshop during its growth from startup to global public company, and since then across capital, real estate, adaptive reuse, and hospitality. He founded Metabolic Markers to make blood-biomarker testing easier to understand and access, and oversees the site’s content and editorial accuracy. Jason is not a medical professional; all content on this site is educational, reviewed for accuracy, and never a substitute for advice from a licensed physician.

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