Laboratory Assessment of Vitamin Status

Book excerpt: Laboratory Assessment of Vitamin Status provides a comprehensive understanding of the limitations of commonly used approaches used for the evaluation of vitamin status, reducing harm in the general health setting. It outlines the application of 'Best Practice' approaches to the evaluation of vitamin status, giving physicians and other healthcare professionals the opportunity to make evidence-based interventions. Nearly every metabolic and developmental pathway in the human body has a dependency on at least one micronutrient. Currently, the clinical utility of approaches taken by laboratories for the assessment of vitamin status is generally poorly understood, missing the opportunity to diagnosis vitamin deficiencies. This essential reference gives clinical and biomedical scientists an understanding of the limitations of commonly used approaches to the evaluation of vitamin status in the general health setting through change in practice. Nutritionists and dietitians gain an understanding of more sophisticated markers of vitamin status. - Describes specialist assays in sufficient detail to enable laboratories to replicate what is being performed by expert groups - Provides detailed information that supports laboratories in the setting up of methods for the evaluation of vitamin status - Informs laboratories looking for third party providers of specialist investigations - Provides an essential overview of reference ranges for each vitamin