Seasonal · 10 September 2026 · 4 min read
Winter in the Valley: 5 blood tests worth doing before Dashain
Cold mornings, festival feasts and travel home — why autumn is the right time to check sugar, lipids, vitamin D and more.
Dashain and Tihar bring families together — and bring rich food, late nights and long bus journeys. For many families in Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur it is also the season when blood pressure and blood sugar quietly climb.
1. HbA1c and fasting glucose
Diabetes is common and often undiagnosed in Nepal. HbA1c shows your average sugar over three months, so it is a good baseline before festival sweets like sel roti and laddu.
2. Lipid profile
Cholesterol and triglycerides help estimate heart risk. Winter is when heart problems tend to rise, so knowing your numbers early matters.
3. Vitamin D3
Despite sunshine, many Valley residents spend most of the day indoors or under smog. Low vitamin D is linked to tiredness, bone pain and weaker immunity.
4. Thyroid (T3, T4, TSH)
Thyroid problems are especially common among women and can explain weight changes, fatigue and feeling cold.
5. Complete blood count
A CBC catches anaemia and infection. It is simple, fast and included in NanoCard.
With NanoCard, all five tests are covered — as often as you need for a year — with home collection anywhere in the Valley.
This article is for general information and is not a substitute for advice from your doctor.