Taking care of our health should not start when something goes wrong. Prevention and knowledge of our physical condition can make the difference between acting in time or too late. In this context, tools such as clinical analyses have become essential allies to better understand what is going on inside our bodies.
Beyond being a simple medical routine, analyses offer us an internal snapshot of our organism: they alert us to possible imbalances, allow us to monitor treatments and even anticipate problems before symptoms appear. For this reason, at Ambar Lab we offer more than 3,000 laboratory tests with professional support to help you better understand your state of health, resolve your doubts and make medical decisions with clear, precise and personalised information.
Here’s what exactly clinical tests are, what types exist and how they can help you make more informed decisions about your health.
What are clinical tests for?
Clinical analyses serve multiple functions with the aim of improving people’s quality of life. It is not only about detecting diseases, but also provides an essential tool for prevention and personalised treatment.
Diagnosis of diseases
One of the main objectives of clinical testing is to identify pathologies, whether infectious, autoimmune, metabolic or genetic. The quantitative and qualitative parameters of these tests enable healthcare professionals to make accurate diagnoses and informed decisions.
Prevention and early detection
Many diseases are silent in their early stages. For example, high cholesterol, diabetes or certain forms of cancer have no obvious symptoms until the damage is already advanced. With regular clinical tests it is possible to detect early warning signs and act before the problem becomes more serious.
Control and monitoring of medical treatments
After starting a treatment, tests allow the effectiveness of the treatment to be evaluated and medication to be adjusted if necessary. For example, in patients with hypothyroidism, TSH and free T4 levels indicate whether the dose is adequate or needs to be modified.
Review of general health status
Routine check-ups help to establish a baseline of the patient’s health status. In preventive medicine and at annual check-ups, this is very useful because it seeks to confirm that everything is working properly or to detect changes from previous tests.
What are the most common clinical tests?
The variety of tests is wide and each responds to different needs. The following is a list we have created at Ambar Lab with some of the most requested ones:
Blood tests
Complete blood count
It assesses the cellular components of the blood: red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. It is useful for detecting anaemias, infections, leukaemias or coagulation disorders.
Blood biochemistry
It contains parameters such as glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, liver enzymes, creatinine, urea, among others. It is used to evaluate the state of metabolism, renal and liver function.
Tumour markers
These are substances produced by the body in response to cancer or by the tumour cells themselves. Examples are PSA (prostate), CA 125 (ovarian) or CEA (colon).
Serologies
They are used to detect viral or bacterial infections through antibodies. This is the case for tests for HIV, hepatitis B and C, syphilis or mononucleosis.
Urinalysis
Urinary sediment
It allows for microscopic observation of elements such as cells, crystals, bacteria or cylinders. It helps in the diagnosis of urinary tract infections, renal or metabolic diseases.
Screening for kidney infections or diseases
Parameters such as the presence of protein, glucose or blood in the urine can be used to identify pathologies such as uncontrolled diabetes, urinary tract infections or kidney disease.
Stool analysis
Search for occult blood
It is key in the early detection of colorectal cancer. It is recommended for people over 50 years of age as part of preventive screening.
Intestinal parasites
It is used to identify infections by giardiasis, amoebae or other parasites. It is most useful in patients with persistent gastrointestinal symptoms or after travel to endemic areas.
Other specialised analyses
Cerebrospinal fluid, sputum, synovial fluid
These samples are tested in specific cases such as meningitis, respiratory diseases or inflammatory arthritis.
Genetic or molecular analysis
They are used to detect hereditary mutations, predisposition to diseases or to personalise treatments in oncology or rare diseases.
How is a clinical analysis performed?
The clinical analysis process is standardised to ensure accurate and reliable results.
General process
It all starts with the collection of a biological sample: blood, urine, faeces, saliva, among others. In most cases, the sample is taken at the specialised centre. The sample is transported to the laboratory under controlled conditions, where it is analysed with automated equipment and qualified technical staff. Finally, the results are validated by specialists and delivered to the patient or the requesting physician.
Recommendations before being tested
To ensure the quality of the result, it is important to follow certain indications. Some tests require fasting for at least 8 hours (glucose, lipid profile). Others must be performed at a specific time of day (cortisol, sex hormones). It is also necessary to report any medication or supplements taken, as they may alter the values.
In any case, at Ambar Lab we provide personalised instructions to each patient before any test is carried out, to ensure that it arrives in optimum conditions.
Role of the clinical laboratory
Our laboratory not only analyses the samples. It also validates the quality of the process, interprets results and collaborates with doctors in the diagnosis. We have a team of biochemists, technicians and consultants who work with state-of-the-art technology and demanding protocols to provide reliable results.
How to interpret the results?
Receiving test results may raise doubts if you are not trained in health care. It is therefore important to understand what the values mean and how they should be used.
Reference values
Each parameter is compared to a reference range established for the general population. If the value is within the range, it is considered normal. If it is outside the range, it may indicate an abnormality, although it is not always pathological. For example, a mild elevation of transaminases may be due to intense physical exercise and not necessarily to liver disease.
Do not self-interpret
It is never a good idea to draw conclusions without the accompaniment of a medical professional because clinical tests are a diagnostic tool, not a diagnosis in themselves. Interpretation should always be done in the clinical context of the patient, taking into account the patient’s history, symptoms and other complementary tests.
Factors that can influence
Age, sex, diet, physical exercise, hormonal cycles, stress or certain drugs can modify the values obtained. For this reason, at Ambar Lab we review each result taking these factors into account to avoid interpretation errors.
Ambar Lab: we take care of you every step of the way
For the care of our health, clinical analyses are an excellent answer that helps both in prevention and in the diagnosis and monitoring of treatments. Thanks to their results, we can know in detail what is happening in our organism and act accordingly. At Ambar Lab we accompany you in this process, with a professional, friendly service and access to thousands of laboratory tests.
Investing in your health is investing in quality of life. We invite you to learn more about our services or to contact us, we are here to help you!
