HEME
The Depletion Report Find my test

Bloodwork intelligence for women

Your health,
decoded.

Plain-English guides to blood tests, biomarkers and the women's health questions most clinics never explain properly.

Take the 3-minute HEME quiz Explore biomarker guides

Educational only. Not medical advice.

Built to help women understand their bloodwork before, during and after the doctor's appointment — with plain-English explainers on ferritin, thyroid, hormones, vitamin D, B12, cortisol and the markers your results never explain.

Why Heme exists

Most women leave appointments with numbers, not answers.

Bloodwork can surface real clues about energy, mood, hormones, cycle health, skin, hair, metabolism and long-term risk. But results arrive as ranges, abbreviations and vague "normal" flags — often without the context that would make them useful.

Heme turns the key markers into plain-English explanations, so you can understand what's worth discussing with a qualified healthcare provider — and walk into your next appointment with better questions.

Start where you are

What's most on your mind?

Six ways in. Each one points to the markers worth asking about.

Symptom

I'm always tired

Iron, thyroid, B12, vitamin D — the four most-overlooked drivers of "just tired."

Explore → Symptom

I'm shedding hair

Ferritin, thyroid, vitamin D — the bloodwork patterns most often behind telogen effluvium.

Explore → Symptom

My periods are heavy

Ferritin, CBC, iron panel, thyroid — what to ask if cycles are draining you.

Explore → Stage

I'm in perimenopause

The 5–10 hormone-shift years most clinics miss entirely — and the labs worth asking for.

Explore → Decode

I want to understand my results

Plain-English guides to 14 biomarkers — ferritin, TSH, estradiol, B12, vitamin D and more.

Explore → Compare

I want to compare tests

Function Health, LetsGetChecked and traditional labs — scored on the same framework.

Explore →
The signal map

These feelings. These markers.

How women actually feel rarely shows up in a single test. Heme connects the symptom to the markers worth understanding.

How you feel
Markers worth understanding
Ferritin
TSH · Free T4
Serum Iron
B12 · Folate
Vitamin D
Cortisol
Testosterone
Always tired
FerritinTSHB12Vit D
Heavy periods
FerritinIronTSH
Hair shedding
FerritinTSHVit D
Brain fog
B12TSHCortisol
Hormonal acne
TestosteroneInsulin
Mood swings, anxiety
CortisolB12TSH

Not a diagnosis — a clearer starting point. Take the Heme Check →

How Heme works

Three steps. Clearer questions.

No diagnoses. No noise. A quiet, editorial walk from how you feel to the right test, in plain English.

01
Tell us

Start with how you feel.

A short, considered questionnaire — energy, cycle, sleep, history. No symptom-checker drama.

02
Match

Get matched to the right test.

We point you to the panel that may surface the answers — and the questions worth asking your doctor.

03
Decode

Read your results, plainly.

Ferritin, TSH, estradiol — what each number means for you, without the medical jargon.

Start the Heme Check Explore biomarkers
Numbers, not answers

Your results arrived. The explanation didn't.

This is what a typical bloodwork printout looks like — and what a Heme translation adds.

LABCORP · PT 482-9183 COLLECTED 04/12/2026
HEMOGLOBIN13.2 g/dLN
HEMATOCRIT39.4 %N
FERRITIN18 ng/mLN
TSH3.8 mIU/LN
VITAMIN D, 25-OH22 ng/mLL
VITAMIN B12412 pg/mLN
REF RANGE: 10–291 ng/mL · Flag = N (within reference)
Normal
Heme translation

Within the lab range, but at 18 ng/mL you sit in the bottom 8% — below where most women in your age group feel like themselves.

Lab "normal": 10–291 Heme optimal: 50–150
Worth asking your provider
  1. Could heavy periods be driving my ferritin down?
  2. Would a 12-week course of supplemental iron be appropriate?
  3. When should we re-test — six weeks or three months?

Not a diagnosis — a clearer starting point. Take the Heme Check →

A sample report

This is what Heme looks like.

A preview of what arrives after the Heme Check — your numbers, decoded with care. No diagnoses. Just clearer questions.

Report · Vol. I
Prepared for Sarah, 34 · 14 markers reviewed
The story your bloodwork is telling

Your energy story, in three numbers.

We looked at 14 markers across iron, thyroid, vitamins and hormones. These three are the ones we’d flag as worth a conversation with a qualified healthcare provider.

Ferritin Low
18ng/mL
Iron storage · ref. 30–150
Low Optimal High

Below the level where most women feel like themselves.

TSH Borderline
3.8mIU/L
Thyroid signal · ref. 0.4–4.0
Low Optimal High

Within range, but at the edge that may be worth re-testing.

Vitamin D Low
22ng/mL
Vitamin status · ref. 30–100
Low Optimal High

Common in cooler months · may relate to mood and energy.

What this may mean

Your fatigue may be a story your iron stores and vitamin D are telling together. Heavy periods are the most common cause of low ferritin in women your age — and the thyroid result is worth keeping an eye on.

Three questions worth asking your doctor
  1. Could a 12-week course of supplemental iron be appropriate, given my ferritin and periods?
  2. Should we re-test TSH alongside free T4 in 6–8 weeks to see the trend?
  3. Is my vitamin D level affecting my energy — and would a winter dose be appropriate?
Educational only. Not medical advice. 12-page full report · refreshed quarterly

This is a sample. Yours will be based on your numbers, your story.

Take the Heme Check →
What Heme helps you understand

The biomarkers behind how you actually feel.

Energy, mood, cycle, skin, metabolism. The numbers translated.

Cluster 01

Energy & vitality

FerritinIronB12Folate
Cluster 02

Thyroid signal

TSHFree T3Free T4TPO Ab
Cluster 03

Cycle & hormones

EstradiolProgesteroneTestosteroneSHBG
Cluster 04

Mood & stress

CortisolB12Vit DThyroid
Cluster 05

Skin, hair & nails

FerritinVit DZincThyroid
Cluster 06

Metabolic & cardio

InsulinApoBhsCRPHbA1c
The Heme Explorer

Drag the marker. Decode the range.

Move the marker. Read what your number may mean.

Ferritin ng/mL
42
Low end of range
0 50 100 150 200+
Reference range 30 – 150 ng/mL
Optimal for many women 50 – 100 ng/mL

Low end of typical range. Many women in this band describe fatigue, shortness of breath, or hair shedding.

What may drive this
  • Heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding
  • Recent pregnancy or breastfeeding
  • Low-meat or vegan eating without supplementation
Worth asking your provider
  • Could we run a full iron panel, not just ferritin?
  • Is a 6–12 week iron trial appropriate?
  • When should we re-test?

Educational only. Not medical advice.

Compare your options

At-home vs lab. In one glance.

Scored on the same seven-criterion framework Heme uses across every comparison page.

Criterion
Option A
At-home finger-prick
Function Health · LetsGetChecked · Everlywell
Option B
Traditional lab draw
LabCorp · Quest · hospital networks
Privacy
Who sees your results, and how
Results stay in your app.
No insurance record, no chart trail.
Goes in your medical record.
Visible to insurer, future providers.
Cost per panel
Out-of-pocket, no insurance
$199–$499 typical.
Higher sticker, but no co-pay or visit fee.
$0–$300 with coverage.
Free if covered. Variable if not.
Markers included
Breadth of the standard panel
40–100+ markers, curated.
Includes ferritin, thyroid, hormones, vitamins.
Only what your doctor orders.
Often skips ferritin, free T3, vitamin D.
Doctor review
Clinical interpretation included
Built-in telehealth review.
Brief, generalist. Not your primary care.
Your own provider, in context.
Knows your history, medications, family.
Convenience
Time, location, scheduling
Kitchen table, 10 minutes.
No appointment, no commute, no fasting room.
Requisition, drive, draw, wait.
Often early-morning fasting window.
Repeat testing
For tracking trends over time
Built for it.
Quarterly subscriptions, side-by-side trends.
Per-visit, per-order.
Trend graphs depend on your portal.
Best for
When this option earns its place
Curiosity, prep, tracking.
Before an appointment, or between them.
Symptoms, diagnosis, treatment.
When something specific needs investigating.
Scored across 10 test providers · updated April 2026 Heme is independent. No paid placement.
See all comparisons Read provider reviews
Your hormone snapshot Sample · cycle day 21
Estradiol
146pg/mL
In range
Progesterone
7.2ng/mL
Worth tracking
FSH
8.1mIU/mL
In range
TSH
1.21mIU/L
In range
Ferritin
52ng/mL
Low end

Pattern worth noticingFerritin low end + luteal progesterone trending below typical. Worth raising at your next appointment.

Biomarker snapshot

Numbers, with the plain-English part.

Where your number sits. What may be worth raising. Never a diagnosis.

See sample dashboard
By the numbers

The biggest questions, in a small group of markers.

0 in 0

menstruating U.S. women meets clinical criteria for heavy menstrual bleeding — yet ferritin is rarely tested at the annual visit.

Read the guide
0%

of women in perimenopause are unaware they're in it — symptoms are routinely attributed to stress, sleep or motherhood.

Decode perimenopause
0 markers

explain a meaningful share of the energy, mood, cycle and metabolic concerns women describe in primary care visits.

Explore biomarkers
Health is not linear

For every phase. Decoded with care.

The markers worth knowing shift with each stage. Heme moves with you.

Cycle health

Mid-luteal progesterone, estradiol patterns and what a "normal" cycle could look like for you.

Explore

Perimenopause

The 5–10 years before menopause. The hormone shifts most women are told are "just stress".

Explore

Postpartum

Iron, thyroid and the after-birth biomarkers that may explain the fog 12+ months later.

Explore

Fertility & TTC

AMH, day-3 panels and the markers worth knowing if you're thinking ahead — solo or as a couple.

Explore

Energy & fatigue

The four most common biomarker drivers of "just tired" — and the panel worth asking for.

Explore

Skin & hair

Hormonal acne, hair shedding and the nutrient + hormone patterns behind them.

Explore

Mood & mind

Thyroid, vitamin D, B12 and the cycle-tied patterns that may explain mood shifts.

Explore

Cardiometabolic

The modern panel — ApoB, Lp(a), hsCRP, fasting insulin — worth asking for earlier rather than later.

Explore
Editorial guides

The reads worth your time.

Plain English. Carefully reviewed. Never diagnostic.

Long read · 8 min

"Your iron is fine." But did they check your ferritin?

Iron and ferritin are not the same number. What to ask for, plainly.

The Heme Editorial Read →
Decode · 7 min

The thyroid panel, explained

TSH alone misses too much. The full panel worth asking for.

Hannah Reilly Read →
Stage · 9 min

Perimenopause bloodwork: what's worth asking about

The 5–10 hormone-shift years most clinics miss entirely.

Hannah Reilly Read →
Symptom · 6 min

Heavy periods and iron deficiency

An estimated 1 in 5 menstruating U.S. women quietly meets clinical criteria.

Hannah Reilly Read →
Compare · 10 min

At-home blood tests vs the traditional lab

Seven criteria, head-to-head. No paid placement.

Hannah Reilly Read →
Editorial portrait — biomarker overlay
Not sure where to start?

A few questions. A clearer next step.

Three minutes in. Markers, tests and questions worth bringing to your provider out.

01
Tell us how you feel

Energy, cycle, mood, hair, skin — your context, in your own words.

02
See the biomarkers that matter

A short list of markers most relevant to where you are right now.

03
Get questions worth asking

Plain-English prompts to bring to a qualified healthcare provider.

Take the 3-minute Heme Quiz
Editorial

Wellness intelligence, without the noise.

Slow, careful writing on the questions women are left to figure out alone.

Long read

"Your iron is fine." But did they check your ferritin?

Iron and ferritin are not the same number. We unpack why most U.S. annual physicals don't check the marker most likely to explain women's fatigue — and what to ask for, in plain English, at your next appointment.

Read the guide
The Heme Editorial 8 minute read
Reviews with receipts

What's actually worth your money.

Same seven criteria. Published methodology. No paid placement.

At-home test 8.6/10

Function Health

110+ biomarkers, $499/year. The most comprehensive at-home panel in the U.S. — best for women who want a yearly deep dive.

Reviewed · May 2026 Read review
At-home test 8.2/10

LetsGetChecked

Single-condition panels (iron, thyroid, women's health) with nurse follow-up. Best for targeted, repeat testing rather than full annual.

Reviewed · May 2026 Read review
Supplement category —

Iron supplements for women

The four iron forms worth comparing, the bioavailability claims worth ignoring, and the brands that hold up to scrutiny.

Updated · May 2026 Read review
For brands

Build with the most trusted voice in women's bloodwork.

A small number of category-leading brands work with Heme each year — through sponsored editorial, the Heme Reviewed badge program, lead-gen partnerships and newsletter sponsorship. Independence, methodology and disclosure are non-negotiable.

Partner with Heme

Educational only. Not medical advice. Heme is an editorial comparison platform and does not provide medical diagnosis, treatment or emergency advice. Always speak to a qualified healthcare provider about symptoms, blood results or treatment decisions. Some links on this site are affiliate links — they may earn us a small commission at no cost to you. How we make money.