Advanced Functional Blood Testing

Extensive functional blood and laboratory testing ordered and interpreted by Dr Ritoo Chhabra at Sydney Functional Medicine. Panels include cardiovascular LDL subfractionation, organic acid testing, mycotoxin and toxic metal analysis, CIRS/biotoxin markers, pharmacogenomics (SonicDiagnostics), genomic profiling (SmartDNA, DNAHealth), GI MAP and GI 360 microbiome panels, SIBO breath testing, and food sensitivity panels (Cyrex, KBMO, Dunwoody labs).

Sydney Functional Medicine provides access to a breadth of advanced laboratory testing not available through standard GP services in Australia, ordered and clinically interpreted by Dr Ritoo Chhabra within a holistic functional medicine framework. The diagnostic menu covers multiple biological systems simultaneously, enabling a root-cause workup for complex, chronic, or unexplained health presentations. Cardiovascular assessment extends beyond standard lipid panels to include LDL particle number analysis and LDL subfractions — a far more sensitive predictor of atherosclerotic risk than LDL-cholesterol alone — alongside inflammatory markers and metabolic risk factors. Metabolic evaluation includes organic acid testing (OAT) via Nutripath, which measures over 70 organic metabolites in urine to assess mitochondrial function, neurotransmitter metabolism, B-vitamin status, oxidative stress, and yeast and bacterial overgrowth in the gut. Environmental toxin assessment covers mycotoxin testing (urine panels via Great Plains Laboratory and Real Time Labs) for patients with suspected mould illness or chronic inflammatory response syndrome (CIRS), as well as toxic metal analysis via hair, urine, and faecal testing to identify heavy metal accumulation. CIRS biotoxin markers (including TGF-beta1, C4a, MMP9, and MSH via Nutripath) are available for patients with chronic multi-system illness and exposure history consistent with water-damaged building illness. Pharmacogenomics via SonicDiagnostics identifies variations in drug-metabolising enzyme genes (CYP2D6, CYP2C19, etc.) to guide prescribing decisions and predict medication response. Gut microbiome assessment uses comprehensive multiplex PCR platforms — GI MAP and GI 360 — to quantify pathogens, commensals, fungi, parasites, and inflammatory markers directly from stool DNA without culture-based limitations. SIBO breath testing (methane and hydrogen gas) identifies small intestinal bacterial overgrowth as a driver of IBS symptoms. Food sensitivity testing panels from Cyrex, KBMO, and Dunwoody labs identify IgG and IgA-mediated immune reactivity to specific foods. All results are reviewed in the context of the patient's clinical presentation at Sydney Functional Medicine's Macquarie Park clinic in New South Wales, with follow-up protocols designed around the integrated test picture.