The 'Pause Life | Lab Checklist | 2 Labs to discuss with your clinician 1 ADVANCED LIPID PANEL  ASK FOR: ApoB (Apolipoprotein B) LDL and HDL  Lp(a) (Lipoprotein(a)) Small Dense LDL Particles  Total Cholesterol WHY: Estrogen loss changes how cholesterol moves in the body. LDL often rises, and small dense LDL particles — which are more likely to stick inside artery walls — can increase. ApoB shows the total number of particles putting pressure on your arteries. Lp(a) is a genetic risk factor for heart disease that many women do not even know they carry. Together, these give you and your doctor a clearer picture of your true cardiovascular risk. 2 BLOOD SUGAR & INSULIN  ASK FOR: Fasting Glucose Hemoglobin A1c  Fasting Insulin  HOMA-IR (Insulin Resistance Score) WHY: Hormone changes during menopause shift how your body stores fat and handles sugar. Many women develop insulin resistance that can lead to stubborn weight gain and higher diabetes and heart risk. HOMA- IR shows how your body is responding to insulin, often years before full diabetes develops. 3 BONE HEALTH  ASK FOR:  Baseline DEXA Scan (Bone Density Scan) Vitamin D WHY: After menopause, the drop in estrogen speeds up bone loss. Many women lose up to 20% of their bone mass in the first years of menopause without knowing it. A DEXA scan checks the hips and spine where fractures matter most. Vitamin D is essential for calcium absorption and bone strength — low levels are common and fixable. Together, these help you plan how to protect your bones with hormone therapy if appropriate, plus nutrition, strength training, calcium, and vitamin D support. 4 THYROID CHECK  ASK FOR:  TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) Free T4   Free T3 (optional if needed) WHY: An underactive thyroid can mimic menopause symptoms — fatigue, hair loss, mood swings, brain fog. A simple blood test rules this out or finds a treatable cause for symptoms that should not be brushed off.