The best comprehensive blood panel you can order yourself in Canada
The best comprehensive blood panel you can order yourself in Canada covers the five systems behind everyday energy in one draw: iron, thyroid, blood sugar, liver, and kidneys and electrolytes (body salts). You'll still need a physician's sign-off, so look for a service that includes it.
Why go broad? Because the common problems these markers pick up often cause vague symptoms, or none, early on. Numia's Fatigue Panel measures 22 biomarkers across all five systems, giving you a baseline to compare against next year.
What should a comprehensive panel cover?
| System | Markers | Numia's Fatigue Panel ($379, HSA eligible) |
|---|---|---|
| Iron and oxygen transport | Ferritin, iron, TIBC, % saturation, B12, folate | Yes |
| Thyroid | TSH, free T4, free T3 | Yes |
| Blood sugar | Fasting glucose, HbA1c | Yes |
| Liver | ALT, AST, ALP, bilirubin, albumin, total protein | Yes |
| Kidneys and electrolytes | Creatinine, urea, sodium, potassium, chloride, CO₂, calcium | Yes |
| Heart risk | Lipids, Apo B, Lp(a), hs-CRP | No; on Numia's Cardiac panel |
What can a broad baseline catch early?
- Thyroid. Across European population studies, about 1 in 15 people had undiagnosed thyroid dysfunction (Garmendia Madariaga et al., 2014). Symptoms overlap with much else, so a blood test is how you find out. Numia reports TSH, free T4 and free T3 together.
- Blood sugar. In a US national survey, 84% of adults with prediabetes didn't know they had it (Wang et al., 2025). Catching it gives you time to act: in the Diabetes Prevention Program, lifestyle changes cut new cases of type 2 diabetes by 58% over about three years in adults with raised blood sugar (Knowler et al., 2002).
- Iron. At a ferritin (stored iron) cut-off of 25 µg/L, about 1 in 5 women aged 25 to 54 in a US and Canadian study were iron deficient (Barton et al., 2024).
No single first-line test covers all of this. An out-of-range flag isn't a diagnosis; at Numia, a physician reviews it and recommends next steps.
Can you really order it yourself in Canada?
Not without a practitioner, for most tests. What changes is who signs and how many steps you handle yourself:
- LifeLabs online store (BC): MD Connected signs the requisition from your screening answers; you still visit a lab, and results come through MyCareCompass.
- Numia: a licensed Canadian physician approves the requisition online within 24 hours; a clinician draws at home in Greater Vancouver.
- The public route: a family doctor, walk-in or virtual clinician orders what's clinically indicated, and it's publicly funded.
Where does Numia's Fatigue Panel fit?
Numia Health keeps every step in one place: a 10-minute morning draw at home, plain-English results in the Numia app in 7 days, and the Numia Companion, an AI that has read your results, to answer questions. An optional wellness consultation is available.
The panel needs an 8–12 hour fast and doesn't include a CBC (a clinician can order one), lipids or vitamin D. Numia is an HSA-eligible service.
Frequently asked questions
What's the best blood panel for unexplained fatigue in Canada?
One that checks the main systems behind energy: iron stores, B12, thyroid, blood sugar, liver and kidneys, as Numia's Fatigue Panel does in one draw. If fatigue is new or worsening, see a clinician first.
Can I buy blood tests at LifeLabs in BC without a doctor?
Some. LifeLabs' BC online store sells single tests, signed by MD Connected from your screening answers. A search on 23 September 2026 returned no ferritin or thyroid tests.
What's the best way to get physician-ordered blood tests in BC without a GP?
A walk-in or virtual clinic can order tests when clinically indicated, and those are publicly funded. Privately, Numia's physician approves your panel online, with the draw at home.
Sources10 references
- Barton, J. C., Wiener, H. W., Barton, J. C., & Acton, R. T. (2024). Prevalence of iron deficiency using 3 definitions among women in the US and Canada. JAMA Network Open, 7(6), e2413967. View source
- Garmendia Madariaga, A., Santos Palacios, S., Guillén-Grima, F., & Galofré, J. C. (2014). The incidence and prevalence of thyroid dysfunction in Europe: A meta-analysis. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 99(3), 923–931. View source
- HealthLink BC. (n.d.). Walk-in clinics. Retrieved September 22, 2026, from View source
- Knowler, W. C., Barrett-Connor, E., Fowler, S. E., Hamman, R. F., Lachin, J. M., Walker, E. A., Nathan, D. M., & Diabetes Prevention Program Research Group. (2002). Reduction in the incidence of type 2 diabetes with lifestyle intervention or metformin. The New England Journal of Medicine, 346(6), 393–403. View source
- Laboratory Services Act, SBC 2014, c. 8. View source
- LifeLabs. (n.d.). FAQs [LifeLabs Store, British Columbia]. Retrieved September 23, 2026, from View source
- LifeLabs. (n.d.). Lifelabs online store [British Columbia]. Retrieved September 23, 2026, from View source
- Numia Health. (n.d.). Fatigue Panel. Retrieved September 24, 2026, from View source
- Numia Health. (n.d.). Home page. Retrieved September 24, 2026, from View source
- Wang, L., Weng, X., Kraschnewski, J. L., & Pichardo-Lowden, A. R. (2025). Prediabetes awareness barriers and enablers: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011–2020. AJPM Focus, 4(5), 100378. View source
Last updated September 27, 2026
