A normal range is the interval that contains most results from a healthy reference group, usually the middle 95 percent. The table below lists commonly used adult ranges from one published source. Ranges vary by lab, method, sex, and age, so the range printed on your own report always wins.
A reference table is useful for orientation. It is not a target list, and it cannot replace the range printed next to your result.
The chart
The values below are reproduced from Medscape, Lab Values, Normal Adult, updated 28 July 2025. The article cites its own sources. Some entries are population reference intervals; others, such as LDL cholesterol, are thresholds used in guidelines, and the notes column says which is which.
| Test | Unit | Range as published | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haemoglobin (Hb, Hgb) | g/dL | Men 14-18; women 12-16 | Sex-specific |
| Haematocrit (PCV) | % | Men 42-50; women 37-47 | Sex-specific |
| MCV | fL | 80-95 | |
| MCH | pg | 27-31 | |
| MCHC | g/dL | 32-36 | |
| RDW | % | 11-14.5 | |
| White cells (WBC, TLC) | x10^9/L | 5-10 | |
| Neutrophils | % | 55-70 | 2.5-8.0 x10^9/L |
| Lymphocytes | % | 20-40 | 1.0-4.0 x10^9/L |
| Eosinophils | % | 1-4 | 0.05-0.5 x10^9/L |
| Platelets (PLT) | x10^9/L | 150-400 | |
| ESR | mm/h | Men below 15; women up to 20 | Age and sex affect it |
| Fasting glucose | mg/dL | 74-106 | About 4.1-5.9 mmol/L |
| HbA1c | % | 4.0-5.9 | Upper limit varies |
| Creatinine | mg/dL | Men 0.6-1.2; women 0.5-1.1 | Muscle mass matters |
| BUN | mg/dL | 10-20 | Urea uses another scale |
| Sodium (Na) | mmol/L | 136-145 | |
| Potassium (K) | mmol/L | 3.5-5.0 | Haemolysis can raise it |
| Chloride (Cl) | mmol/L | 98-106 | |
| Total calcium | mg/dL | 9-10.5 | Depends on albumin |
| Uric acid | mg/dL | Men 4-8.5; women 2.7-7.3 | Sex-specific |
| Total cholesterol | mg/dL | Below 200 | |
| LDL cholesterol | mg/dL | Below 130 | Guideline threshold, not a range |
| HDL cholesterol | mg/dL | Men above 45; women above 55 | Guideline cut-off |
| Triglycerides | mg/dL | Men 40-160; women 35-135 | Sex-specific; fasting |
| ALT (SGPT) | U/L | 4-36 | |
| AST (SGOT) | U/L | 0-35 | |
| ALP | U/L | 30-120 | Liver and bone |
| GGT | U/L | 8-38 at 45 and older; 5-27 in women under 45 | Age, sex, alcohol |
| Total bilirubin | mg/dL | 0.3-1.0 | |
| Albumin | g/dL | 3.5-5.5 | |
| Total protein | g/dL | 6.4-8.3 | |
| TSH | mIU/L | 0.5-4.0 | Pregnancy and age |
| Free T4 | ng/dL | 0.8-1.8 | |
| Vitamin B12 | pg/mL | 200-800 | |
| Vitamin D, 25-hydroxy | ng/mL | 30-60 | Assay and target vary |
| Ferritin | ng/mL | Men 12-300; women 10-150 | Sex-specific; inflammation |
| CRP | mg/L | Below 10 | Infection or inflammation |
| PSA | ng/mL | 0-2.5 | Age-specific ranges |
Source: Medscape, Lab Values, Normal Adult, updated 28 July 2025. The table reproduces the published values and is not a consensus guideline.
Why your report can print a different range
A laboratory establishes or validates its own reference intervals for the method and instrument it uses. Different assays, different calibration, and different reference populations produce different numbers for the same test. Some labs also separate ranges by age, sex, or pregnancy.
Units are another difference. Glucose of 100 mg/dL and 5.6 mmol/L are the same measurement on two scales. A range copied from this page or another website is a guess about your report until you check the unit and the range printed beside the value.
What five percent means
A two-sided range built from the middle 95 percent leaves about 2.5 percent of the reference group below it and 2.5 percent above it. A value outside the range is therefore not rare among healthy people. With twenty markers on one report, it is not unusual for one of them to sit outside.
That does not make every flag meaningless. It means a single flagged value is a prompt to look at the number, the unit, the range, any remark, and your earlier results, not a conclusion by itself.
How to read a result outside the chart
- Check the unit on your report before comparing the number.
- Use the range printed on that report, not the range here.
- Read the flag, if the lab printed one.
- Read any remark about the sample or fasting.
- Look at earlier results for the same test.
- Ask a qualified professional about your own result.
What this chart cannot do
- It cannot diagnose a condition or rule one out.
- It cannot replace the range of the lab that ran your test.
- It does not account for symptoms, medicines, pregnancy, or recent illness.
- It cannot show whether a value is changing over time.
How Doctano handles a range
Doctano keeps the reference range printed on each report and compares the result with that range. It does not replace it with a standard range from the internet. A result without a usable numeric range stays unknown rather than being guessed.