In root cause medicine, doctors often use blood work as a window into a patientβs health. Functional Medicine is a personalized approach to a patientβs chief complaint. An initial blood screen can help practitioners prioritize where they need to dig deeper, often in places overlooked by conventional medicine.
To give you more insight on this subject, we sat down with 5 of Rupaβs MDs to learn more about a functional medicine approach to conventional blood work.
Dr. Jennifer Simmons
Dr. Jennifer Simmons, MD, FACS, Functional Medicine Physician and Founder/Owner of Real Health MD
Dr. Simmons spent the vast majority of her career as one of the countryβs top breast surgeons until an unexpected autoimmune disease diagnosis drastically changed her trajectory. Dr. Simmons dove headfirst into educating herself on root-cause Medicine, through which she was able to regain her health.
In 2019, Dr. Simmons left her position as a renowned breast surgeon to start her functional medicine practice, Real Health MD, focusing on prevention and optimal wellness.
Dr. Simmons Annual Functional Medicine BloodΒ Test
βCBC w/ Diff
βOften used in conventional Medicine to indicate organ failure, a CBC with a functional perspective not only focuses on blood cell count but also analysis of the size of cells. Learn more about the importance of the CBC from Dr. Weatherby in Rupa University.
βCRP, measured in conjunction with an extensive lipid panel, provides a full picture of both inflammation and cardiovascular health, making CRP a key screening tool for most chronic diseases.
βDr. Simmons stresses the importance of paying close attention to both the size and number of HDL and LDL particles. When the LDL size is abnormal, the risk increases. Read more about the importance of advanced lipid testing here.
βFasting Glucose and Fasting Insulin
βPractitioners often only measure fasting glucose, but adding fasting insulin is a practical and effective way to detect insulin resistance and get a better overview of the development of diabetes.
ββThe days of just checking TSH are gone,β said Dr. Simmons as she walked us through the complex interactions of the thyroid gland. Sometimes results do not show a production problem, but instead a conversion problem from T3 or reverse T3, which happens in the gut.
βVitamin D, 25-OH
βSomething conventional MDs often donβt measure. Vitamin D levels should be tested, supplemented, and reassessed until stable.
Dr. Christopher Davis, MD, FACC, Interventional Cardiologist, and Founder & CEO of Reveal Vitality
As an interventional cardiologist, identifying risk early is critical in Dr. Christopher Davisβ practice. After ten years of practicing conventional medicine, Dr. Davis became frustrated with the system in which he was constrained to treat his patients. He felt it was more reactive than preventative, and he wasnβt able to spend the time with his patients that he wanted.
βFrom a reimbursement perspective, I had to see more and more patients to make up for the cost. That wasnβt the career I wanted, and it wasnβt why I wanted to be in medicine. I wanted to learn about nutrition and be an advocate for my patients.β
Similar to Dr. Simmons, Dr. Davis relies on bloodwork to indicate inflammation β often at the root of chronic cardiovascular conditions.
Dr. Davis incorporated functional medicine into his cardiovascular practice as a way to βlook under the hoodβ of someoneβs health. To do that, he uses the following blood tests.
Dr. Davis' Annual Functional Medicine Blood Test
βCBC w/ Diff
βDr. Davis mentions he utilizes this as a strong indicator of liver function. Β
βIn functional medicine, exclusively looking at TSH only scratches the surface. To truly understand autoimmune issues, Dr. Davis emphasizes the importance of a full thyroid panel.
βAdvanced Lipid Panels
βI focus a lot on preventative cardiology. I will not order a regular cholesterol panel. I use advanced lipid panels,β Dr. Davis explains that the standard lipid panels taught in conventional medicine often only provide an entry-level snapshot into cardiac risk. Itβs not just about knowing cholesterol, HDL, and LDL numbers; itβs about the size of the particles, as well.
βMicronutrient Panels
βLaughing, Dr. Davis says, βWe all know about B12, including your regular doctor. But what about B2, B9, B6?β Comprehensive micronutrient panels are often left out of the equations but are necessary to understand methylation reactions and βunderstanding what goes on under the hood.β Dr. Davis explains
Dr. Dave Gordon, MD, IFMCP, ABoIM, Functional Medicine Physician, and Founder of 4 Pillars Health & Wellness
Dr. Dave Gordon opened a conventional internal family medicine practice directly after finishing med school, but it didn't take long for him to realize that the things he'd learned in medical school didn't actually improve his patients' health β at least, not in the ways that he wanted to.
"So the rest of my career, I started learning, talking to folks, and incorporating different tools to expand my practice to be more integrative. By the time I heard the term 'functional medicine,' I was already doing it."
Like many functional doctors, Dr. Gordon tailors his blood panels depending on his patient's age and needs. However, as a starting point, Dr. Gordon typically uses the following tests:
Dr. Gordon Functional Medicine Annual Blood Test
βCBC w/ Differential
Basic Lipid
Comprehensive Metabolic Profile
TSH
Vitamin D
βFor patients who need to dig a bit deeper, Dr. Gordon recommends adding on his Expanded Thyroid and Cardiac Panels.
βLike all of the physicians we spoke to, Dr. Gordon adjusts his panels based on his patient's needs.
Functional medicine is about taking a personalized approach, and not all testing is necessary for everyone. For his patients over the age of 50, he errs on the extensive side of cardiovascular testing. For those under 50, he focuses more on metabolic health and chronic disease.
Dr. Indira Maharaj-Mikiel, MD, Family Medicine Doctor at Mikiel Integrative Health
Dr. Maharaj-Mikiel is a family medicine doctor who began incorporating functional approaches to her practice after identifying gaps in the conventional system.
She did her own research to start connecting the dots, well before there was formal training for functional medicine practitioners.
βI remember thinking when I was in med school, βHow do people function when we take out a third of them β [their whole appendix]? So much of your system is involved, and conventional testing doesnβt connect it all.β
Dr. Maharaj-Mikiel believes in the simplicity of care and acting as a teacher and guide for her patients to reach optimal health. She laughs as she describes to me how shocked her patients are when she tells them her philosophy:
βThere is nothing I can do to make you healthy.β
But instead, she views her role as a teacher, educator, and coach, to equip her patients with the necessary tools to become healthy on their ownβa simple philosophy and one that dramatically differentiates conventional doctors from integrative and functional practitioners.
Dr. Maharaj-Mikiel's Annual Functional Medicine Blood Test
βCBC W/ Differential and Platelets
CMP
Iron
TSH
ο»ΏCRP
β
Order Dr. Maharaj-Mikiel's Blood Panel on Rupa Here
β
Dr. John Sosa
John Sosa, MD, DipABLM,Β Family and Lifestyle Medicine Physician, Founder at Botaniq Health
Dr. John Sosa is a Board Certified Family and Medicine Lifestyle Physician who emphasizes the importance of diet and lifestyle changes to replace prescription medications with healthy behavior and supplements. He focuses on primary, holistic care to prevent, treat, and reverse chronic diseases.
For Dr. Sosa, analyzing blood work becomes an opportunity to educate his patients, modify behavior, and improve their overall health.
βAs a root cause practitioner, you have to weigh the risk. You have to be comfortable with finding something abnormal and up for the challenge of navigating your patients through that. You need to know what youβre looking for, and more importantly, you need to know what youβre going to do once you find it.β
βReady to jump in with your own root cause approach?
None of the physicians we chatted with originally planned on incorporating functional medicine into their practice. In fact, the majority of them were adopting the root-cause approach well before they knew it had a name.
Through research, self-education, sometimes self-experimentation, and patience, these medical doctors discovered what works: personalized and systemic approaches to care.
They werenβt afraid to challenge the norms that conventional structures had imposed on them and instead relied on their medical intuition.
It can be a scary leap to convert your practice to root cause medicine, but our MDsβ advice? Start simple. Pick one area of your patientβs health that seems less than optimal, and dig deeper. Trust that the time, energy, and effort you will put into connecting the dots will pay off. Education is key, and Rupa has many educational resources, like Rupaβs Live Classes, Podcast, and Magazine, to help get you there faster.
In root cause medicine, doctors often use blood work as a window into a patientβs health. Functional Medicine is a personalized approach to a patientβs chief complaint. An initial blood screen can help practitioners prioritize where they need to explore further, often in areas that may be overlooked by conventional medicine.
To give you more insight on this subject, we sat down with 5 of Rupaβs MDs to learn more about a functional medicine approach to conventional blood work.
Dr. Jennifer Simmons
Dr. Jennifer Simmons, MD, FACS, Functional Medicine Physician and Founder/Owner of Real Health MD
Dr. Simmons spent the vast majority of her career as one of the countryβs top breast surgeons until an unexpected autoimmune condition changed her trajectory. Dr. Simmons immersed herself in learning about root-cause Medicine, through which she was able to support her health.
In 2019, Dr. Simmons left her position as a renowned breast surgeon to start her functional medicine practice, Real Health MD, focusing on prevention and optimal wellness.
Dr. Simmons Annual Functional Medicine BloodΒ Test
βCBC w/ Diff
βOften used in conventional Medicine to indicate organ function, a CBC with a functional perspective not only focuses on blood cell count but also analysis of the size of cells. Learn more about the importance of the CBC from Dr. Weatherby in Rupa University.
βCRP, measured in conjunction with an extensive lipid panel, provides a fuller picture of both inflammation and cardiovascular health, making CRP a useful screening tool for many chronic conditions.
βDr. Simmons highlights the importance of paying close attention to both the size and number of HDL and LDL particles. When the LDL size is atypical, the risk may increase. Read more about the importance of advanced lipid testing here.
βFasting Glucose and Fasting Insulin
βPractitioners often only measure fasting glucose, but adding fasting insulin can be a practical way to detect insulin resistance and get a better overview of the development of diabetes.
ββThe days of just checking TSH are gone,β said Dr. Simmons as she walked us through the complex interactions of the thyroid gland. Sometimes results do not show a production issue, but instead a conversion issue from T3 or reverse T3, which happens in the gut.
βVitamin D, 25-OH
βSomething conventional MDs often donβt measure. Vitamin D levels should be tested, supplemented, and reassessed until stable.
Dr. Christopher Davis, MD, FACC, Interventional Cardiologist, and Founder & CEO of Reveal Vitality
As an interventional cardiologist, identifying risk early is critical in Dr. Christopher Davisβ practice. After ten years of practicing conventional medicine, Dr. Davis became frustrated with the system in which he was constrained to treat his patients. He felt it was more reactive than preventative, and he wasnβt able to spend the time with his patients that he wanted.
βFrom a reimbursement perspective, I had to see more and more patients to make up for the cost. That wasnβt the career I wanted, and it wasnβt why I wanted to be in medicine. I wanted to learn about nutrition and be an advocate for my patients.β
Similar to Dr. Simmons, Dr. Davis relies on bloodwork to indicate inflammation β often at the root of chronic cardiovascular conditions.
Dr. Davis incorporated functional medicine into his cardiovascular practice as a way to βlook under the hoodβ of someoneβs health. To do that, he uses the following blood tests.
Dr. Davis' Annual Functional Medicine Blood Test
βCBC w/ Diff
βDr. Davis mentions he utilizes this as a strong indicator of liver function. Β
βIn functional medicine, exclusively looking at TSH only scratches the surface. To truly understand autoimmune issues, Dr. Davis emphasizes the importance of a full thyroid panel.
βAdvanced Lipid Panels
βI focus a lot on preventative cardiology. I will not order a regular cholesterol panel. I use advanced lipid panels,β Dr. Davis explains that the standard lipid panels taught in conventional medicine often only provide an entry-level snapshot into cardiac risk. Itβs not just about knowing cholesterol, HDL, and LDL numbers; itβs about the size of the particles, as well.
βMicronutrient Panels
βLaughing, Dr. Davis says, βWe all know about B12, including your regular doctor. But what about B2, B9, B6?β Comprehensive micronutrient panels are often left out of the equations but are necessary to understand methylation reactions and βunderstanding what goes on under the hood.β Dr. Davis explains
Dr. Dave Gordon, MD, IFMCP, ABoIM, Functional Medicine Physician, and Founder of 4 Pillars Health & Wellness
Dr. Dave Gordon opened a conventional internal family medicine practice directly after finishing med school, but it didn't take long for him to realize that the things he'd learned in medical school didn't actually improve his patients' health β at least, not in the ways that he wanted to.
"So the rest of my career, I started learning, talking to folks, and incorporating different tools to expand my practice to be more integrative. By the time I heard the term 'functional medicine,' I was already doing it."
Like many functional doctors, Dr. Gordon tailors his blood panels depending on his patient's age and needs. However, as a starting point, Dr. Gordon typically uses the following tests:
Dr. Gordon Functional Medicine Annual Blood Test
βCBC w/ Differential
Basic Lipid
Comprehensive Metabolic Profile
TSH
Vitamin D
βFor patients who need to explore further, Dr. Gordon recommends adding on his Expanded Thyroid and Cardiac Panels.
βLike all of the physicians we spoke to, Dr. Gordon adjusts his panels based on his patient's needs.
Functional medicine is about taking a personalized approach, and not all testing is necessary for everyone. For his patients over the age of 50, he errs on the extensive side of cardiovascular testing. For those under 50, he focuses more on metabolic health and chronic conditions.
Dr. Indira Maharaj-Mikiel, MD, Family Medicine Doctor at Mikiel Integrative Health
Dr. Maharaj-Mikiel is a family medicine doctor who began incorporating functional approaches to her practice after identifying gaps in the conventional system.
She did her own research to start connecting the dots, well before there was formal training for functional medicine practitioners.
βI remember thinking when I was in med school, βHow do people function when we take out a third of them β [their whole appendix]? So much of your system is involved, and conventional testing doesnβt connect it all.β
Dr. Maharaj-Mikiel believes in the simplicity of care and acting as a teacher and guide for her patients to reach optimal health. She laughs as she describes to me how shocked her patients are when she tells them her philosophy:
βThere is nothing I can do to make you healthy.β
But instead, she views her role as a teacher, educator, and coach, to equip her patients with the necessary tools to become healthy on their ownβa simple philosophy and one that dramatically differentiates conventional doctors from integrative and functional practitioners.
Dr. Maharaj-Mikiel's Annual Functional Medicine Blood Test
βCBC W/ Differential and Platelets
CMP
Iron
TSH
ο»ΏCRP
β
Order Dr. Maharaj-Mikiel's Blood Panel on Rupa Here
β
Dr. John Sosa
John Sosa, MD, DipABLM,Β Family and Lifestyle Medicine Physician, Founder at Botaniq Health
Dr. John Sosa is a Board Certified Family and Medicine Lifestyle Physician who emphasizes the importance of diet and lifestyle changes to replace prescription medications with healthy behavior and supplements. He focuses on primary, holistic care to support, manage, and potentially improve chronic conditions.
For Dr. Sosa, analyzing blood work becomes an opportunity to educate his patients, modify behavior, and improve their overall health.
βAs a root cause practitioner, you have to weigh the risk. You have to be comfortable with finding something atypical and up for the challenge of navigating your patients through that. You need to know what youβre looking for, and more importantly, you need to know what youβre going to do once you find it.β
None of the physicians we chatted with originally planned on incorporating functional medicine into their practice. In fact, the majority of them were adopting the root-cause approach well before they knew it had a name.
Through research, self-education, sometimes self-experimentation, and patience, these medical doctors discovered what works: personalized and systemic approaches to care.
They werenβt afraid to challenge the norms that conventional structures had imposed on them and instead relied on their medical intuition.
It can be a daunting step to convert your practice to root cause medicine, but our MDsβ advice? Start simple. Pick one area of your patientβs health that seems less than optimal, and explore further. Trust that the time, energy, and effort you will put into connecting the dots will pay off. Education is key, and Rupa has many educational resources, like Rupaβs Live Classes, Podcast, and Magazine, to help get you there faster.
The information in this article is designed for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for informed medical advice or care. This information should not be used to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting a doctor. Consult with a health care practitioner before relying on any information in this article or on this website.
Hey practitioners! π Join Dr. Chris Magryta and Dr. Erik Lundquist for a comprehensive 6-week course on evaluating functional medicine labs from two perspectives: adult and pediatric. In this course, youβll explore the convergence of lab results across different diseases and age groups, understanding how human lab values vary on a continuum influenced by age, genetics, and time. Register Here! Register Here.
Hey practitioners! π Join Dr. Terry Wahls for a 3-week bootcamp on integrating functional medicine into conventional practice, focusing on complex cases like Multiple Sclerosis. Learn to analyze labs through a functional lens, perform nutrition-focused physical exams, and develop personalized care strategies. Register Here.
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