Pyruvate

Urine
Optimal Result: 0 - 1.9 ug/mg creatinine.

Pyruvate is a key player in energy metabolism, serving as a critical intermediate in the glycolytic pathway, where glucose is converted into pyruvate, and subsequently, pyruvate plays a central role in the Citric Acid Cycle (CAC), also known as the Krebs cycle. Elevated pyruvate levels on the panel can indicate a range of metabolic challenges and disruptions. High pyruvate levels may arise due to factors such as nutritional inhibitions affecting enzymes involved in pyruvate breakdown, the presence of low-activity enzyme variants inherited genetically, an abundance of precursor molecules like glucose and amino acids, or elevated levels of downstream products like lactate and citrate. These findings can signal potential issues with the entry of pyruvate into the CAC, affecting overall energy production and metabolism. Pyruvate's levels can also be influenced by various medical conditions, such as acidosis or chronic fatigue syndrome, which may further impact its metabolic functions. Additionally, pyruvate's interconversion with other metabolites, like lactate, can be compromised in cases of inadequate NAD+ synthesis or the presence of inherited enzyme variants with reduced activity, potentially necessitating vitamin B3 supplementation for improved NAD+ levels. Furthermore, understanding pyruvate's role in the context of environmental exposures, such as arsenic contamination and phthalate exposure, is crucial. Arsenic exposure can disrupt pyruvate metabolism and affect other organic acids, while phthalate exposure may inhibit the enzyme responsible for pyruvate-lactate interconversion. Overall, monitoring pyruvate levels on the US BioTek Organic Acids Panel aids healthcare practitioners in assessing metabolic health, identifying potential enzymatic deficiencies or imbalances, and guiding personalized interventions to optimize overall well-being.

What does it mean if your Pyruvate result is too high?

Elevated pyruvate levels can stem from multiple factors. These may include nutritional inhibition of the enzymes involved in its breakdown, the presence of inherited low-activity enzyme variations along the breakdown pathway, increased levels of precursors like glucose and amino acids, or elevated downstream products such as lactate and citrate. Elevated pyruvate levels can serve as an indicator of potential issues related to its entry into the Citric Acid Cycle (CAC), warranting a closer examination of citrate levels. Medical conditions like acidosis or chronic fatigue syndrome may also contribute to heightened pyruvate levels, potentially impeding the synthesis of essential compounds like carbohydrates, fatty acids, ketone bodies, alanine, and steroids. In cases where pyruvate is elevated while lactate is lower, challenges in interconverting these compounds may arise due to inadequate NAD+ synthesis or inherited low-activity enzyme variants, which may benefit from vitamin B3 supplementation. Additionally, if pyruvate is high and citrate is low, considering support for pyruvate's entry into the CAC with nutrients such as B1, B3, biotin, R-lipoic acid, magnesium, manganese, potassium, zinc, and glutathione is essential. It's worth noting that pyruvate's entry into the CAC may be hindered by arsenic or other toxic metal exposures, with arsenic exposure potentially elevating alpha-ketoglutarate and pyruvate while decreasing citrate and succinate levels. Arsenic contamination can be found in ground and well water, and it is sometimes added to factory-farmed poultry feed and used as a pesticide on fruits. Secondary lactic acidosis can be a contributing factor, associated with conditions like sleep apnea, blood infections, seizures, respiratory or cardiac insufficiency, and elevated dicarboxylic acid levels (cis-aconitate, isocitrate, succinate, malate, suberate, and adipate). Chronic fatigue may manifest with low levels of citrate, cis-aconitate, isocitrate, and malate. Additionally, phthalate exposures may hinder the enzyme responsible for pyruvate-lactate interconversion, prompting consideration of the US BioTek Environmental Pollutants Profile for assessing phthalate exposure.

What does it mean if your Pyruvate result is too low?

 

Low levels of pyruvate may be indicative of several underlying factors. Such deficiencies can result from reduced levels of precursors like glucose and amino acids, nutritional enzyme inhibitions, or the presence of low-activity enzyme variants due to genetic inheritance. Low pyruvate levels can potentially highlight issues within the glycolysis pathway, fatty acid oxidation, or gluconeogenesis. Particularly, patients adhering to low-carbohydrate or ketogenic diets may derive pyruvate precursors from amino acids or fats instead of carbohydrates, and during extended fasting periods, most pyruvate may be channeled into gluconeogenesis rather than entering the Citric Acid Cycle. In such cases, it is crucial to review results in the Fatty Oxidation and Markers for Protein Metabolism sections to assess potential enzyme inhibitions related to pyruvate synthesis. If all three sections indicate low results, the patient may be fasting or following a low-calorie diet. To address low pyruvate levels, considerations should include supporting pyruvate production from carbohydrates or proteins, with nutrients like biotin, R-lipoic acid, B1, B3, B6, magnesium, potassium, zinc, and glutathione (antioxidants). Interestingly, high-lycopene tomato sauce consumption has been shown to increase lactate and pyruvate in human subjects. Furthermore, if pyruvate is low and lactate is elevated, it could suggest an inability to interconvert the two compounds, potentially due to insufficient NAD+ synthesis or inherited low-activity enzyme variants, which may benefit from vitamin B3 supplementation. For patients on high-fat or ketogenic diets, nutritional supports should be consideredv. Additionally, exposure to phthalate chemicals can hinder the enzyme responsible for pyruvate-lactate interconversion, prompting consideration of the US BioTek Environmental Pollutants Profile for assessing phthalate exposure.

Frequently asked questions

Healthmatters is a highly-personalized health dashboard.

Instead of searching for your lab results in different places or tracking them down from different providers, Healthmatters houses, organizes, and interprets them all in one central location.

With a Healthmatters account, you can dive into the details of each biomarker and gain insights into the meaning behind your medical test data, anytime, anywhere.

For our professional users, Healthmatters provides intuitive tools that not only streamline analysis but also save valuable time when delving into your client's lab report history.

Healthmatters.io personal account provides in-depth research on 4000+ biomarkers, including information and suggestions for test panels such as, but not limited to:

  • The GI Effects® Comprehensive Stool Profile,
  • GI-MAP,
  • The NutrEval FMV®,
  • The ION Profile,
  • Amino Acids Profile,
  • Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones (DUTCH),
  • Organic Acids Test,
  • Organix Comprehensive Profile,
  • Toxic Metals,
  • Complete Blood Count (CBC),
  • Metabolic panel,
  • Thyroid panel,
  • Lipid Panel,
  • Urinalysis,
  • And many, many more.

You can combine all test reports inside your Healthmatters account and keep them in one place. It gives you an excellent overview of all your health data. Once you retest, you can add new results and compare them.

If you are still determining whether Healthmatters support your lab results, the rule is that if you can test it, you can upload it to Healthmatters.

While we work with many popular labs, we welcome reports from lots of other places too.

It's as simple as this: if you can get a test done, you can upload it to Healthmatters and we can interpret results from any lab out there. If laboratories can analyze it, we can interpret it.

If you’re on the hunt for a specific biomarker, contact us and we'll add it to our database. Anything from blood, urine, saliva, or stool can be uploaded, understood, and tracked with your Healthmatters account.

There are two ways to add your test reports to your Healthmatters account. One option is to input the data using the data entry forms. The other method is to utilize our "Data entry service."

Our data entry forms offer an easy, fast, and free way for you to input the reports yourself. Self-entry allows you to add an unlimited number of reports at no cost. We make the self-entry process user-friendly, providing dozens of templates that pre-populate the most popular laboratory panels and offering instant feedback on entered values.

For those who prefer assistance, we offer a "Data entry service" to help you input your data. Simply attach an image or file of your lab test results, and a qualified team member from our data entry team will add the results for you.

We support various file types, including PDFs, JPGs, or Excel. This service is particularly useful if you have many reports to upload or if you're too busy to handle the data entry yourself.

Our special data entry service makes it easy to add your results to your private dashboard. Just attach an image or a file of your lab test results, and our skilled data entry team will do the work for you. It's all done by humans, ensuring that your data is entered accurately and with personal care for each client.

Depending on your account, the data entry service can be included for free or come at an additional cost of $15 per report.

For users on the Complete monthly plan, the first report is entered free of charge, and each additional report incurs a fee of $15.

Unlimited account holders enjoy the entry of ten reports without charge. Subsequent reports are subject to a $15 fee per report.

Additionally, users on the Complete plan can upgrade to a yearly subscription from the account settings. The annual subscription includes a data entry service for five reports.

The Unlimited plan is a one-time purchase for $250, and it covers your account for a lifetime with no additional payments.

For the Complete plan, the cost is $15 per month. You have the flexibility to cancel it anytime through your account settings, ensuring no further payments. To avoid charges, remember to cancel at least a day before the renewal date. Once canceled, the subscription remains active until the end of the current billing cycle.

Additionally, you can upgrade to the yearly Advanced plan from within your account. The annual cost is $79, and it comes with a data entry service for five reports.

You can always upgrade to a lifetime version with a prorated price from a monthly or yearly subscription.

Simply log in and navigate to your account settings to cancel your subscription. Scroll down to locate the 'Cancel' button at the bottom of the page. Ensure you cancel at least one day before the renewal date to prevent any charges. Once cancellation is requested, the subscription remains active until the conclusion of the current billing cycle.

Our goal has been to make your Healthmatters account as intuitive as possible.

We’ve crafted multiple ways for you to navigate your data, whether you're glancing at a single report or delving into your historical test reports.

1. Graph View:

Dive into a visual journey with our biomarker graphs, showcasing over 40 data points. Combining years of results unveils trends, empowering you to make informed decisions. Our visualization tools make it a breeze to compare and understand changes over time, even if your results are from different labs. A search function and filters simplify the exploration of extensive data, allowing you to focus on what needs attention.

2. All Tests View

Explore neatly organized reports on a timeline, highlighting crucial details like dates, critical results, and lab/panel names. Each report opens up to reveal in-depth descriptions and additional recommendations for each biomarker. The history of previous results is just a click away, and you can download a comprehensive report for deeper insights. Color-coded and user-friendly, it's designed for easy reading, understanding, and navigation.

3. Table View:

For a holistic view of all biomarkers side by side, our table view is your go-to. Results are neatly displayed in a categorized and dated table, ideal for those with an extensive test history. Utilize sorting, filters, and color-coding to enhance your analysis and gain extra insights.

Yes, you can download information from your account. We can compile your labs into a CSV file. To download all your labs, you can go to Account Settings, and at the bottom of the page, you will find a link to download your information.

Yes, you can print your report. To do so, navigate to "All tests" and open the report you wish to print. You'll find a print button in the right corner of the report. Click on it, and your browser's print window will open. If you prefer to print in a bigger typeface, adjust the scale using the print window settings.

Yes, you can! We highly recommend activating Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) for your account. To do so, please navigate to the "Profile and Security" section of your account, where you will find instructions for activating 2FA.

Yes, you can. When entering values for the biomarker, you will see an "Edit Range" button. Click this button, and you'll have the option to enter a custom range.

A personal account is all about keeping your own lab test results in check. It's just for you and your personal use.

The professional account is designed for health professionals who wish to track and organize their clients' laboratory results.

Use promo code to save 10% off any plan.


We implement proven measures to keep your data safe.

At HealthMatters, we're committed to maintaining the security and confidentiality of your personal information. We've put industry-leading security standards in place to help protect against the loss, misuse, or alteration of the information under our control. We use procedural, physical, and electronic security methods designed to prevent unauthorized people from getting access to this information. Our internal code of conduct adds additional privacy protection. All data is backed up multiple times a day and encrypted using SSL certificates. See our Privacy Policy for more details.