Most Patients Don’t Need Pricey At-Home Testing Kits

Eleanor Yusupov, D.O., assistant professor in the College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM), is quoted extensively in a Women’s Health article about the growing popularity of functional medicine subscription services. While these pricey, at-home blood tests claim to unlock key health insights by decoding patients’ biomarkers, Yusupov notes that they are not necessary for most patients. Many of the tests offered by functional medicine companies—for example, complete blood count, glucose levels, kidney, liver, and thyroid function tests, HIV and other screenings for sexually transmitted infections—are already routinely ordered by primary care physicians and gynecologists, she says.

“It’s important to perform comprehensive lab tests periodically (at least once a year) for most adults, and testing done by primary care doctors is usually sufficient for most people,” says Yusupov. She adds that, for some patients with specific health conditions, such as heart disease, anemia, or diabetes, traditional labs may not be sufficient. In these cases, doctors will need to order additional tests specific to the patient’s condition.