Lab results
Understand your lab results
Plain-language explanations of the value combinations that actually show up on a report — what usually causes them, how a clinician tells those causes apart, and when to seek care sooner.
- A High Basophil Count
- A High Eosinophil Count with a Normal White Cell Count
- All Three Counts Raised Together
- A High Hemoglobin with Small Red Cells
- A High Lymphocyte Count with Normal Neutrophils
- A Lymphocyte Count That Has Stayed High for Months
- A High MCHC
- Large Red Cells with a Normal Hemoglobin
- A High Monocyte Count with a Normal White Cell Count
- A High MPV with a Normal Platelet Count
- A High Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio
- A High Neutrophil Count with a Normal CRP
- Nucleated Red Cells Reported on the Count
- High Platelets with a High White Count
- A High Platelet Count with the Rest of the Count Normal
- Large Red Cells of Mixed Size
- A High RDW with a Normal MCV
- A High Reticulocyte Count with a Normal Hemoglobin
- Neutrophils High, Lymphocytes Low, CRP Raised
- A High White Cell Count with a Normal Differential
- Low Eosinophils with Low Lymphocytes
- Low Hemoglobin with Large Red Cells
- Anemia with a High Reticulocyte Count
- Low Hemoglobin with Small Red Cells and a Low Ferritin
- Anemia with a Low Reticulocyte Count
- All Three Blood Counts Low
- A Falling Hemoglobin in Pregnancy with a Normal Ferritin
- Anemia Alongside Reduced Kidney Function
- Low Hemoglobin with Normal-Sized Red Cells
- Anemia with Target Cells on the Film
- A Low Lymphocyte Count on Its Own
- A Lymphocyte Count That Has Stayed Low
- A Low MCHC with a Normal MCV
- Small Red Cells of Mixed Size
- Small Red Cells That Are All the Same Size
- Small Red Cells with a Normal Ferritin
- A Neutrophil Count That Fell After Starting a Medicine
- A Low Neutrophil Count in Someone Who Feels Well
- A Low Platelet Count with Large Platelets
- Low Platelets with a Low Hemoglobin
- Low Platelets with a Low White Count and a Normal Hemoglobin
- A Low Platelet Count That Was Normal When Repeated
- A Low Platelet Count with the Rest of the Count Normal
- A Low White Count Driven by Low Neutrophils
- A Normal Blood Count with an Abnormal Film Comment
- A Ferritin Checked While Unwell
- A Ferritin That Fell Again After Stopping Iron
- A Ferritin That Has Not Risen Despite Taking Iron
- A High Ferritin with a High Transferrin Saturation
- A High Ferritin with a Normal Transferrin Saturation
- A High Serum Iron with a Normal Ferritin
- A High TIBC with a Low Ferritin
- A High Transferrin Saturation with a Normal Ferritin
- Iron Studies Taken After an Iron Infusion
- Iron Studies in a Regular Blood Donor
- A Low Ferritin in a Teenager
- A Low Ferritin on a Vegetarian or Vegan Diet
- Low Ferritin with Normal Hemoglobin
- A Low Ferritin with Heavy Periods
- A Low Transferrin Saturation with a Normal Ferritin
- Abnormal Liver Tests When Everything Else Came Back Normal
- Fatty Liver on a Scan with Normal Liver Enzymes
- A Raised ALP and GGT with a Normal ALT
- A High ALP in a Teenager
- Liver Enzymes That Rose After a Course of Antibiotics
- Liver Enzymes That Rose After a Herbal or Gym Supplement
- Liver Enzymes That Rose After Starting a Statin
- Liver Enzymes in the Hundreds or Thousands
- A Raised ALT in Someone Who Is Not Overweight
- ALT Raised with a Normal AST and Bilirubin
- A Raised ALT with a Raised Ferritin
- An AST Higher Than the ALT
- A Raised Bilirubin with a Raised ALP and GGT
- A Raised Bilirubin with the Rest of the Liver Panel Normal
- A Raised Bilirubin with a Low Hemoglobin
- A Raised GGT on Its Own
- A Raised AST with the Rest of the Panel Normal
- Liver Enzymes After Weight-Loss Surgery or Rapid Weight Loss
- Liver Enzymes in Someone with Heart Failure
- Liver Enzymes in Pregnancy
- Liver Enzymes Still Raised After Stopping Alcohol
- Liver Enzymes That Go Up and Down Between Tests
- Low Albumin with a Raised INR and Bilirubin
- A High FIB-4 Score with Normal Liver Enzymes
- Normal Liver Enzymes with a Falling Platelet Count
- Several Electrolytes Slightly Outside Their Ranges
- A Creatinine That Rose After Starting a New Medicine
- An eGFR That Has Been Falling Year on Year
- A Raised ALP with a Normal GGT
- A High AST with a High CK and a Normal ALT
- High Calcium with a Low Phosphate
- A High Calcium with a Normal Albumin
- A High Calcium with a PTH That Is Not Suppressed
- A High CK with Normal Liver Enzymes
- Creatinine and Urea Both Raised
- A High Creatinine with a Normal eGFR
- A Raised Lactate
- A Raised LDH with Nothing Else Abnormal
- A High Phosphate with Reduced Kidney Function
- A High Potassium with a Low Sodium
- A High Potassium with Normal Kidney Function
- A High Glucose on a Random Sample with a Normal HbA1c
- A High Sodium with Normal Kidney Function
- A High Total Protein with a Normal Albumin
- A High Urea with a Normal Creatinine
- A High Uric Acid with High Triglycerides
- A High Uric Acid Without Gout
- A Low Albumin with Normal Liver Enzymes
- A Low Bicarbonate with a Raised Anion Gap
- A Low Bicarbonate with a Normal Anion Gap
- A Low Calcium with a Low Albumin
- A Low Calcium with a Normal Albumin
- A Low eGFR with a Creatinine Inside Its Range
- A Low Phosphate
- Low Potassium with a High Bicarbonate
- Low Potassium with a Low Magnesium
- A Low Potassium with Normal Kidney Function
- A Low Sodium After Starting an Antidepressant
- Low Sodium with Low Potassium
- A Mildly Low Sodium with Normal Kidney Function
- A Low Sodium with a Normal Serum Osmolality
- A Low Urea
- Kidney Numbers in Someone Who Trains Heavily
- A Normal eGFR with Protein in the Urine
- When the Laboratory Reports the Sample as Hemolyzed
- A Glucose That Rose After Starting a New Medicine
- An HbA1c Sitting Right on the Diagnostic Line
- An HbA1c in Someone with Reduced Kidney Function
- An HbA1c Taken During Pregnancy
- An HbA1c That Does Not Match Home Glucose Readings
- An HbA1c That Has Not Fallen on Treatment
- An HbA1c Climbing Each Year but Still in Range
- An HbA1c Target in Someone Older or Frail
- An HbA1c in Someone with a Hemoglobin Variant
- A High Fasting Glucose with a Normal HbA1c
- A High Fasting Insulin with a Normal Glucose
- A Raised HbA1c with a Normal Fasting Glucose
- A Low Glucose in Someone Not on Diabetes Medication
- Two HbA1c Results That Disagree
- A Very High Glucose with Ketones Present
- A Cholesterol That Rose After Starting a New Medicine
- A High Cholesterol with a Raised TSH
- A High Cholesterol in Someone Over Seventy-Five
- A High Cholesterol in Pregnancy
- A High Cholesterol with Protein in the Urine
- A High LDL in Someone Under Forty
- A High LDL with Normal Triglycerides and HDL
- A High Lp(a) with an Otherwise Normal Panel
- A High Total Cholesterol Driven by a High HDL
- High Triglycerides with a Low HDL
- An LDL That Has Not Fallen Enough on a Statin
- Lipid Results That Changed a Lot Between Two Tests
- A Lipid Panel Taken After a Heart Attack or Stroke
- A Low LDL Cholesterol
- A Lipid Panel Taken Without Fasting
- A Normal LDL with a Raised ApoB
- Normal Lipids with a Strong Family History of Early Heart Disease
- Triglycerides in the Many Hundreds
- A High TSH with a High Free T4
- A Raised TSH in Pregnancy
- A High TSH with a Low Free T4
- A High TSH with a Normal Free T4
- A Thyroid Lump or Swelling with an Abnormal TSH
- A Low Free T3 with a Normal TSH and T4
- A Low TSH with a Raised Free T4
- A Low TSH with a Low Free T4
- A Low TSH with a Normal Free T4
- Positive Thyroid Antibodies with Normal Thyroid Function
- Normal Thyroid Tests with Symptoms That Have Not Gone
- A Low Free T4 with a TSH That Is Not Raised
- Thyroid Tests Taken During or Just After an Illness
- Thyroid Tests in Someone Over Seventy
- Thyroid Tests While Taking Amiodarone or Lithium
- Thyroid Tests in the Year After Giving Birth
- A TSH That Keeps Moving on a Stable Levothyroxine Dose
- A Suppressed TSH While Taking Levothyroxine
- An Autoimmune Panel That Came Back with Several Positives
- A CRP Being Followed During Treatment
- A Raised CRP with a Normal ESR
- A CRP That Stays Up with No Cause Found
- A High ESR with New Headache or Shoulder Stiffness
- A Raised ESR with a Normal CRP
- Inflammatory Markers After Surgery or an Injury
- A Slightly Raised CRP in Someone Who Feels Well
- A Normal CRP in Someone Who Is Clearly Unwell
- Normal Inflammatory Markers with Painful Joints
- A Positive ANA in Someone Without Symptoms
- A Positive Rheumatoid Factor with No Joint Symptoms
- Blood and Protein in the Urine Together
- Blood in the Urine with No Infection
- Casts or Crystals Reported on Urine Microscopy
- Dark or Red Urine
- Glucose in the Urine with a Normal Blood Glucose
- A Raised Urine Albumin in Someone with Diabetes
- Ketones in the Urine
- Leukocytes Positive with Nitrites Negative
- A Positive Urine Test with No Symptoms
- Protein on the Dipstick with a Normal Albumin-to-Creatinine Ratio
- A Urine Dipstick in Pregnancy
- A Urine Test in an Older Adult Who Has Become Confused