Your entry panel. 40+ biomarkers across the systems that drive 70% of your FitScore: CBC, CMP, lipids with ApoB and Lp(a), HbA1c and insulin, thyroid (TSH), Vitamin D, ferritin and homocysteine. Atlas AI maps every result against optimal ranges, not just "normal", gives you a FitScore, and flags what to focus on. Perfect for first-time testers or annual re-checks.
The FitScript Essential panel is a comprehensive blood test that measures blood cell, metabolic, cardiovascular, liver, kidney, thyroid screening, nutrient and inflammation markers from one fasted draw. It suits adults who want a broad baseline of how their body is running, whether they feel well or have questions they want data behind.
This article is educational and is not medical advice.
The panel measures eight groups of markers from a single blood sample, covering blood cells and immune balance, metabolic and blood sugar control, lipids and particle markers, liver enzymes, kidney filtration and electrolytes, a thyroid screen, vitamin D status and inflammation.
| Group | Markers | What they show |
|---|---|---|
| Blood Cells & Immune | WBC, RBC, Hemoglobin, Hematocrit, MCV, MCH, MCHC, RDW, Platelets, MPV, Neutrophils, Lymphocytes, Monocytes, Eosinophils, Basophils | Oxygen carrying capacity, the mix of immune cells circulating on the day of the draw, and the cells involved in clotting |
| Metabolic | Fasting Glucose, Fasting Insulin, HbA1c, HOMA-IR, Uric Acid, Total Protein, Albumin, Globulin, A/G Ratio | How the body handles sugar at rest and across recent months, how hard insulin is working, and protein status in blood |
| Cardiovascular | Total Cholesterol, LDL Cholesterol, HDL Cholesterol, Triglycerides, VLDL Cholesterol, Non-HDL Cholesterol, TC/HDL Ratio, ApoB, Lp(a), Homocysteine | How cholesterol is carried through the blood, the burden of particles that can enter artery walls, and a largely inherited particle marker |
| Liver | AST, ALT, GGT, Alkaline Phosphatase, Bilirubin (Total), Bilirubin (Direct) | Enzyme release and bile handling that labs regard as a window on liver and bile duct activity |
| Kidney | BUN, Creatinine, eGFR, BUN/Creatinine Ratio, Sodium, Potassium, Chloride, Calcium, Phosphorus, CO2 | An estimate of filtration plus the electrolyte and mineral balance the kidneys help maintain |
| Thyroid Screen | TSH | The pituitary signal that labs use as a first look at thyroid status |
| Nutrients | Vitamin D (25-OH) | Circulating vitamin D status, the form labs use to assess stores |
| Inflammation | hs-CRP, Uric Acid | A low grade inflammatory signal, with uric acid read alongside the metabolic markers |
No marker outside these groups is included, and the panel does not report sex hormones.
Markers are grouped because one value rarely explains itself, while a cluster usually does. A low hemoglobin result means little on its own, but read next to red cell size and variation it points in very different directions, which is why reviews of anemia in adults describe the red cell indices as the first branch point in any workup 1.
The blood count works as a set. RBC, Hemoglobin and Hematocrit describe how much oxygen carrying material is in circulation. MCV, MCH and MCHC describe the size and hemoglobin content of those cells, and RDW describes how uniform they are. On the immune side, Total WBCs give the headline number while Neutrophils % and Lymphocytes % describe the mix behind it, since the same white cell count can reflect very different patterns. Platelets and MPV sit together for the same reason, one counting the cells and one describing their average size.
The same logic runs across the other groups. Fasting glucose is a single moment, HbA1c reflects a longer window, and fasting insulin with HOMA-IR suggests how much insulin output is being used to hold that glucose steady. Lipids behave the same way, where ApoB and non-HDL cholesterol describe particle burden rather than the cholesterol mass that total cholesterol reports. Liver enzymes are read as a pattern across AST, ALT, GGT and alkaline phosphatase, and kidney markers only make sense when creatinine, eGFR, BUN and the electrolytes are read as one picture. TSH is included because it is the standard first line screen for thyroid status, with further testing decided by a clinician when it falls outside the expected range 2.
This panel suits adults who want a broad, repeatable baseline across several systems rather than a single targeted test. That includes people in their twenties and thirties setting a reference point while everything is quiet, people in midlife who want metabolic and cardiovascular markers tracked over time, and people with a family history of heart disease, diabetes, thyroid conditions or kidney disease who want those systems watched.
It also suits people making a real change in training, body composition or nutrition, where knowing the starting values makes the follow up test meaningful. Athletes and heavy trainers often want red cell markers, liver enzymes and inflammation looked at together, because training load itself can move several of those numbers.
Some people come to a panel because of symptoms they want looked into. Persistent fatigue, unexplained weight change, numbness or tingling, muscle weakness, or memory concerns are all reasons people want bloodwork. Broad laboratory screening is routinely part of how clinicians evaluate these complaints, since glucose and HbA1c are standard first tests in the evaluation of distal symmetric polyneuropathy 3, electrolytes, calcium and thyroid testing feature in the differential for muscle weakness in adults 4, and basic laboratory testing is one component of the structured evaluation of suspected dementia 5. A panel does not replace that evaluation. It gives a clinician data to work from.
This is not a statement that anyone needs this test. Symptoms that are new, severe or worsening are worth discussing with a clinician promptly rather than waiting on bloodwork.
The process runs online from order to results. You order the panel, and the lab requisition is emailed to you. You then visit a Quest or partner lab location for the blood draw, with locations available nationwide.
Fast for 12 hours before the draw, since fasting glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR and triglycerides are all read as fasting values. Results come back in 3 to 5 business days. Once they land, Atlas, FitScript's AI health advisor, reads every marker against optimal ranges and explains what each value sits alongside, which is the part most people find missing from a plain lab printout. Add-on panels can be run from the same sample, so a wider question can often be answered without a second visit.
For context, FitScript is a labs first membership built around 150+ biomarkers tested per year, and this panel is one of the entry points into that testing.
Preparation matters because several of these markers move with what you did in the hours before the draw. Fast for 12 hours, taking water only, and keep drinking water, since being well hydrated makes the draw easier and reduces the hemoconcentration that can nudge several values.
Morning draws are the usual choice, partly for convenience after an overnight fast and partly because it keeps your timing consistent between tests. Try to keep alcohol and very hard training out of the day or two before the draw, both of which can move liver enzymes and inflammatory markers.
Sample handling matters too. Reviews of glucose measurement describe how collection and processing conditions, not just biology, influence the number that gets reported, which is one reason a single out of range glucose is read cautiously 6.
Supplements deserve a specific mention. High dose biotin, common in hair and nail products, can interfere with immunoassays and distort results including thyroid testing, so it is worth telling the lab and your clinician what you take 7. Some prescription medicines also change biology directly rather than interfering with the assay, and amiodarone is a well described example in thyroid function 8. Keep taking any prescribed medication as directed unless your own clinician tells you otherwise, and bring the list to the conversation about your results.
Read every value as an observation first, then as something that may reflect a pattern, then as something to discuss with a clinician. A standard lab reference range describes where most results from a reference population fall, and it varies by laboratory, assay, age and sex. An optimal range is narrower, and Atlas uses optimal ranges as optimization targets rather than diagnostic cut offs. A result inside the standard range but outside an optimal range is not a diagnosis of anything, it is a prompt to look closer.
One panel is a snapshot. Glucose, white cell counts and inflammatory markers in particular can move with sleep, a recent illness, training or stress, so a single value outside the standard range is best confirmed before anything is built on it. Trends across two or three draws carry more information than any one number.
Most people retest a baseline panel on a regular cadence once a year, or sooner when a clinician wants a specific marker followed after a change in training, nutrition or medication. A licensed clinician should interpret your results in the context of your history and examination, and any result flagged as markedly outside the standard range is worth discussing with a clinician promptly.
A blood panel describes chemistry, not structure, and it does not diagnose disease. It cannot see a narrowed artery, a thyroid nodule, a kidney stone or a tumour, and imaging, functional testing, a physical examination or specialist referral may be needed to answer questions bloodwork only raises.
There are also gaps inside the chemistry. This panel includes TSH as a screen but not the full thyroid hormone picture, and research suggests that a single pituitary signal can miss patterns that only appear on broader testing 7. It does not include sex hormones, iron studies, vitamin B12 or folate, cortisol, or markers of infection beyond the general picture the white cell count gives. Values can also look reassuring early in a process, which is why symptoms that persist deserve clinical attention even when a panel reads unremarkable.
Finally, a lab result is information, not a decision. Any question about treatment, including prescription therapy, is evaluated by a licensed provider who decides what is appropriate after reviewing the person in front of them.
The Essential panel is the broad general baseline, and the sibling panels extend it in specific directions. FitScript Complete for Him and Baseline + Hormones each list their own marker sets on their panel pages, and those lists are the accurate source for exactly what is added beyond the groups described here.
The practical difference is scope rather than quality. If the question is broad and general, a baseline across blood cells, metabolic, cardiovascular, liver, kidney, thyroid screening, vitamin D and inflammation markers answers it. If the question is specifically hormonal, a panel that includes hormone markers is the one that addresses it. Add-on panels run from the same sample, so scope can often be widened at the point of the draw rather than with a second appointment.
The FitScript Essential panel costs $149, and it is HSA/FSA eligible, so it can usually be paid for with those accounts. No other pricing applies to this panel, and it is not billed through insurance.
The 40+ biomarkers that drive 70% of your Atlas Health Score: full CBC and CMP (blood cells, liver, kidney, electrolytes), advanced lipids (ApoB and Lp(a), not just cholesterol), glucose/HbA1c/insulin for metabolic health, TSH for thyroid screening, Vitamin D, ferritin and homocysteine.
Most doctors order about 15 markers and flag results against "normal" ranges. Essential includes 40+ biomarkers scored against optimal ranges. You get fasting insulin, ApoB, Lp(a), and Homocysteine, advanced markers that standard annual physicals skip.
Essential covers the core systems, lipids with ApoB and Lp(a), metabolic, liver, kidney, CBC, basic thyroid, Vitamin D, ferritin and homocysteine. FitScript Complete adds sex-specific hormones, a deeper thyroid panel (Free T3, Free T4, Reverse T3 and thyroid antibodies), fibrinogen, B12, folate, zinc, a full iron panel and IGF-1. Upgrade when you want the full picture.
Yes, fast for 10-12 hours before your blood draw. This is essential for accurate glucose, insulin, and lipid results. Water is fine and encouraged. Draw blood before 10am for the most accurate results.
A comprehensive blood panel tests for broad signals across several systems at once. In this panel that means blood cell and immune markers, blood sugar and insulin markers, cholesterol and particle markers, liver enzymes, kidney filtration and electrolytes, a TSH thyroid screen, vitamin D and inflammation. It screens and flags patterns, it does not diagnose.
It is a broad general panel, not an exhaustive one. A full blood panel in the everyday sense covers blood count, metabolic, lipid, liver, kidney, thyroid screening and inflammation markers, which this panel does. It does not include sex hormones, iron studies or B12, so a hormone focused question needs a different panel.
Most people run an annual blood work panel once a year as a baseline, and retest sooner when a clinician wants a specific marker followed. Timing also depends on whether you have changed training, nutrition or medication, since a follow up draw is most useful once a change has had time to show up.
Yes, a 12 hour fast before the draw is the instruction for this panel. Fasting glucose, fasting insulin, HOMA-IR and triglycerides are all interpreted as fasting values, so eating beforehand changes what those numbers mean. Water is fine during the fast, and staying hydrated also makes the blood draw easier.
Results come back in 3 to 5 business days after the draw. Atlas, FitScript's AI health advisor, then reads every marker against optimal ranges and explains how the values sit alongside each other. A licensed clinician interprets results in the context of your history, and decides on any treatment that may be appropriate.
No. A blood panel describes chemistry at one moment and flags patterns worth looking into, but a diagnosis requires a clinician, your history, an examination and often further testing such as imaging. A single out of range value is a prompt to look closer, not a conclusion about what is happening.
Yes. High dose biotin, common in hair and nail supplements, can interfere with some laboratory assays including thyroid testing, and certain prescription medicines change biology directly. Tell the lab and your clinician what you take, and keep taking prescribed medication as directed unless your own clinician advises otherwise.
The draw happens at a Quest or partner lab location, with locations available nationwide. You order the panel online, the requisition is emailed to you, and you take it to the location you choose. Add-on panels can be run from the same sample, so a wider question often needs only one visit.