Lab test results explained
One page for each result: what it measures, the unit it is reported in, what can move it, and what to compare it with.
These pages explain the tests people meet on a blood report, from HbA1c and LDL cholesterol to MCV, TSH, and NT-proBNP. Each covers what the test measures, its units, what can move it, and what to compare it with. None prints a reference range, because the range on your report is the one that applies.
| System | Tests covered | Panel |
|---|---|---|
| Metabolic | HbA1c, fasting glucose, fasting insulin, HOMA-IR, post-prandial glucose | Diabetes panel |
| Lipids and cardiac risk | Total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, triglycerides, non-HDL, ApoB, Lp(a), hs-CRP, homocysteine | Lipid profile, Cardiac risk |
| Liver | ALT, AST, ALP, GGT, bilirubin, albumin, total protein | Liver function test |
| Kidney | Creatinine, eGFR, urea, uric acid, UACR | Kidney function test |
| Blood count | Haemoglobin, haematocrit, MCV, MCH, RDW, platelets, MPV, WBC, neutrophils, lymphocytes, eosinophils, ESR | Complete blood count |
| Thyroid, vitamins, and iron | TSH, free T4, free T3, TPO antibodies, vitamin D, B12, folate, ferritin, iron | Thyroid, Vitamin, Iron |
| Electrolytes and hormones | Sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, testosterone, cortisol, prolactin, PSA | Hormone panel |
| Other | D-dimer, INR, LDH, amylase, lipase, NT-proBNP | No single panel |
Metabolic
Glucose and insulin
HbA1c
The longer glucose view, its two scales, and what can move it.
Read →Fasting glucose
Glucose after a fast: a snapshot, not an average.
Read →Fasting insulin
Insulin after a fast, read with glucose rather than alone.
Read →HOMA-IR
A calculated index from fasting insulin and glucose.
Read →Post-prandial glucose
Glucose after a meal, where timing is part of the result.
Read →Lipids
Cholesterol and triglycerides
Total cholesterol
The sum of cholesterol carried in lipoproteins.
Read →LDL cholesterol
Cholesterol in LDL particles, often calculated.
Read →HDL cholesterol
Cholesterol in HDL particles, and why one number is not the whole picture.
Read →Triglycerides
The fat carried in lipoproteins, sensitive to recent food.
Read →Non-HDL cholesterol
Total minus HDL, a calculated atherogenic fraction.
Read →Apolipoprotein B
A count of atherogenic particles, not the same as LDL cholesterol.
Read →Lipoprotein(a)
A genetically influenced lipoprotein, measured separately.
Read →hs-CRP
A low-grade inflammation marker, not specific to the heart.
Read →Homocysteine
An amino acid intermediate with many possible contributors.
Read →Liver
Liver enzymes and proteins
ALT (SGPT)
A liver enzyme read with AST and the rest of the panel.
Read →AST (SGOT)
An enzyme from liver and muscle, read with ALT.
Read →ALP
An enzyme from liver and bone, not always a liver signal.
Read →GGT
A liver and bile-duct enzyme, read with ALP.
Read →Bilirubin
A breakdown product of haemoglobin, reported in fractions.
Read →Albumin
The main protein made by the liver, affected by more than the liver.
Read →Total protein
Albumin plus globulins, a sum rather than one measurement.
Read →Kidney
Filtration and urine protein
Creatinine
A muscle breakdown product cleared by the kidneys.
Read →eGFR
An estimate of filtration, calculated rather than measured.
Read →Urea (BUN)
A nitrogen waste product; BUN and urea are different scales.
Read →Uric acid
A purine breakdown product affected by diet and excretion.
Read →Urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio
A calculated urine ratio, not a single urine test.
Read →Blood count
Cells and indices
Haemoglobin
The oxygen-carrying protein, read with the red cell indices.
Read →Haematocrit
The share of blood volume occupied by red cells.
Read →MCV
The average red cell size, a calculated index.
Read →MCH
The average haemoglobin per red cell.
Read →RDW
Variation in red cell size, a calculated index.
Read →Platelets
Cell fragments involved in clotting, read with the film.
Read →MPV
Average platelet volume, not standardized across analysers.
Read →White blood cell count
The white cell count, read with the differential.
Read →Neutrophils
The most common white cell, as a percentage and a count.
Read →Lymphocytes
White cells of the immune response, percentage and count.
Read →Eosinophils
White cells linked to allergic and parasitic responses.
Read →ESR
An indirect inflammation marker, not specific.
Read →Thyroid, vitamins, and iron
Hormones, vitamins, and iron
TSH
The pituitary signal that regulates thyroid hormones.
Read →Free T4
The unbound thyroid hormone, read with TSH.
Read →Free T3
The active thyroid hormone, not the only thyroid test.
Read →TPO antibodies
An autoimmune marker that can be present without disease.
Read →Vitamin D
25-hydroxyvitamin D, the storage measure.
Read →Vitamin B12
A vitamin with dietary and absorption causes of low values.
Read →Folate
A vitamin read with B12 and the blood count.
Read →Ferritin
An iron-storage protein and an acute-phase reactant.
Read →Serum iron
The circulating iron fraction, which fluctuates.
Read →Electrolytes and hormones
Minerals and hormones
Sodium
The main electrolyte outside cells, tied to water balance.
Read →Potassium
The main electrolyte inside cells, sensitive to sample handling.
Read →Calcium
Total and ionised calcium, read with albumin.
Read →Magnesium
A mostly intracellular mineral, imperfectly measured in serum.
Read →Testosterone
A sex hormone where timing and repeat testing matter.
Read →Cortisol
A stress hormone with a daily rhythm.
Read →Prolactin
A pituitary hormone raised by many states and medicines.
Read →PSA
A prostate protein, not specific to cancer.
Read →Other
Clotting, enzymes, and cardiac markers
D-dimer
A fibrin breakdown product used in specific contexts.
Read →INR
A standardized clotting time, unitless.
Read →LDH
An enzyme found in many tissues, not organ-specific.
Read →Amylase
An enzyme from the pancreas and salivary glands.
Read →Lipase
A pancreatic enzyme, more specific than amylase.
Read →NT-proBNP
A cardiac peptide released under strain.
Read →Questions
Test page questions
Tests are grouped by system: metabolic, lipids, liver, kidney, blood count, thyroid and vitamins, electrolytes and hormones, and other tests. Start with the heading printed on your report, then open the test page for that result.
Reference ranges differ by laboratory, method, age, sex, and clinical context. The range printed on the report that produced a value is the one that applies, and Doctano keeps that range with the result instead of replacing it with a general chart.
Start with the value that was flagged or that you are asking about, then open its panel page and the related tests. A result is easier to read with the panel and the earlier report beside it.
No. They explain what a test measures, its units, and what can move it. They do not diagnose, interpret an individual result, or recommend treatment. Discuss your results with a qualified professional.
Related
Related pages
All panels
The panels that arrive together on a report, explained as a group.
Browse →Tools
Unit conversion, eGFR, LDL, HOMA-IR, and HbA1c calculators.
Open →How to read a lab report
Seven steps from the test name to the trend.
Read →Reference ranges
Why the range on the paper wins over a chart.
Read →Start with your first report
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