The 'Pause Life | Lab Checklist | 3 Labs to discuss with your clinician 5 IRON & ANEMIA PANEL  ASK FOR:  Ferritin (stored iron)  Full anemia panel if ferritin is low (Hemoglobin, Hematocrit, Total Iron, Iron Saturation, TIBC) WHY: Many women enter menopause with years of heavy or irregular bleeding behind them, which can deplete iron stores. Ferritin measures stored iron, which can drop long before hemoglobin does. Low ferritin can cause fatigue, weakness, and brain fog that is easily corrected when you know. If ferritin is low, a full anemia panel helps find the cause. 6 HORMONES  ASK FOR (OPTIONAL):  Estradiol LC/MS — may help confirm where you are on the menopause timeline if you do not have periods due to an IUD, hysterectomy, or early menopause.  Testosterone Free and Total — important for sexual health, muscle mass, bone density, and mood. Levels often drop in midlife, and checking gives you a clearer picture of what may be contributing to low libido or fatigue. WHY: While hormone levels fluctuate throughout perimenopause, checking estradiol and FSH can be helpful in certain cases to assess menopausal status—especially when menstrual patterns aren’t available due to birth control or surgery. Testosterone is frequently overlooked, yet declining levels in midlife can impact energy, motivation, sexual desire, muscle maintenance, and mental clarity. Testing may help guide conversations about treatment options and overall wellbeing. 7 CHRONIC INFLAMMATION TESTING  ASK FOR:  High Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (HsCRP) — is naturally produced in the liver in response to inflammation. A high level of CRP in your blood can occur due to several inflammatory conditions.  Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) — The ESR test is rarely performed alone, as it doesn’t help pinpoint specific causes of inflammation. Instead, it can help your doctor identify that inflammation is occurring. It can also help them monitor your condition. WHY: These tests are great ways to see if you are inflamed, then use them as a marker after nutrition/ lifestyle changes to track progress. However, these markers are nonspecific, meaning that abnormal levels can show that something is wrong, but not what is wrong. Since nutrition and lifestyle changes fight so many of the causes of chronic inflammation — it is worth testing. IMPORTANT: This checklist is in addition to the standard labs your doctor may already run every year — such as your Complete Blood Count (CBC) and Complete Metabolic Panel (CMP). These basics help check liver, kidney, and overall blood health, but they do not cover the menopause-specific risks outlined above. Based on your symptoms, age, and family history, your clinician may also decide to include additional testing beyond this checklist to get a more complete picture of your hormonal, cardiovascular, or metabolic health.