New Course: Advanced Blood Labs 201

In this episode, Dr. Kate Kresge talks with pediatrician Dr. Chris Magryta and integrative physician Dr. Erik Lundquist about their course, Advanced Blood Labs 201, a deep dive into metabolic and immune biomarkers for proactive, data-informed care. They explain why catching metabolic and immune imbalances early matters, especially in kids, and how markers like C-peptide, fructosamine, adiponectin, leptin, LDH, and GGT add depth to a standard panel. They also show how affordable CBC-derived indices like SII and SIRI can offer immunometabolic insight, and why trends over time tell you more than a single snapshot. If you love labs, this one's for you.

3 Key Takeaways

• C-peptide reflects your patient's own insulin production. It's released in equal amounts to endogenous insulin, cleared at a steadier rate, and widely used to assess beta-cell function. (Leighton 2017)
• Your CBC holds more than you think. The systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) combines platelet, neutrophil, and lymphocyte counts into a single inflammation marker, and SIRI adds monocytes. (Hu 2014) (Qi 2016) Both can be calculated from a routine CBC.
• Trends beat snapshots. The guests emphasize pattern recognition across repeated labs rather than reacting to one out-of-range value.

Guest: Dr. Chris Magryta is a pediatrician at Salisbury Pediatrics and host of Women and Children First, focused on identifying root causes of pediatric chronic illness through biomarkers, nutrition, and early intervention. Dr. Erik Lundquist is the founder of Temecula Center for Integrative Medicine and host of The Root Cause Business of Medicine Podcast. Together, they teach the Blood Labs 101 and Advanced Blood Labs 201 courses.

Clinical FAQ

What does fructosamine add to HbA1c?

Fructosamine reflects average glucose over roughly two to three weeks, offering faster feedback than HbA1c on short-term changes. (Danese 2015)

Why look at adiponectin and leptin together?

Adiponectin regulates glucose and lipid metabolism and has anti-inflammatory effects, while leptin signals energy balance. The guests discuss how high leptin with low adiponectin can point toward metabolic dysfunction. (Frühbeck 2018)

Are these markers useful in children?

The guests believe so. Dr. Magryta explains how early metabolic and immune patterns can appear in childhood, before chronic disease develops.

Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction and course overview

02:03 – Early biomarker detection and childhood metabolic health

04:07 – From Blood Labs 101 to 201

08:27 – C-peptide and insulin activity

11:08 – Fructosamine and short-term glucose trends

13:24 – Adiponectin and leptin

15:20 – Oxidative stress, LDH, glutathione, and DNA damage

17:20 – GGT and antioxidant balance

20:54 – Cytokines, NK cells, and the SIRI index

26:07 – Monocytes and immune pattern recognition

32:41 – Why each clinician chose medicine

50:52 – Personal growth beyond the clinic

54:00 – Final reflections

Ready to elevate your practice? This episode is sponsored by Fullscript, a comprehensive care delivery platform designed to support whole-person, integrative healthcare. Fullscript helps clinicians bring supplement dispensing, lab ordering, and patient education into one centralized workflow. For more practitioner education on supplements, nutrition, and evidence-informed clinical care, visit Fullscript Academy at academy.fullscript.com.

Disclaimer: The views expressed on this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of Fullscript or any affiliated organizations. This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended to be medical advice. For your safety, always check with your doctor or healthcare provider before making changes to your health routine.