Ask Sawal

Discussion Forum
Notification Icon1
Write Answer Icon
Add Question Icon

What is fne in blood work?

3 Answer(s) Available
Answer # 1 #

“Metabolic” refers to all of the ways your body uses and stores energy. Normally, you have to fast for at least 8 hours before getting a metabolic panel panel, which includes:

Glucose: also referred to as blood sugar. A fasting glucose test measures how well the body is regulating blood sugar and it can help determine diabetes status. Normal range is 70 to 99 mg/dL for most adults, although values can vary with age.

Want to go more in depth into your biomarkers? Download this comprehensive guide.

Electrolytes: indicates if there is an acid-base imbalance in your body. Electrolyte levels are affected by how much is taken in through the diet, the amount of water in a person’s body, and the amount of electrolytes excreted by the kidneys.

Kidney function measures

Creatine: Excessive creatine in the blood can be an indication that your kidneys are not functioning properly in removing waste from the blood. Normal creatine levels are around 0.7 to 0.3 mg/dL for men and 0.6 to 1.1 mg/dL for women.

Total Protein: Abnormal blood protein levels can be an indication of kidney or liver abnormalities. Normal blood protein levels are between 6.0 and 8.3 gm/dL.

Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN): Urea nitrogen is found in the blood when protein is broken down. High levels of BUN may indicate kidney disease, dehydration, or urinary track obstruction. Normal levels are generally between 6 and 20 mg/dL.

Liver function measures

Total bilirubin: Bilirubin is a yellowish pigment found in bile from liver. It’s yellow coloring is what causes jaundice. While some bilirubin in the blood is normal, high levels of bilirubin can indicate liver disease.Normal levels are between 0.2 and 1.9 mg/dL.

Liver Enzymes. High blood levels of any of these enzymes could be an indication that your liver is not functioning properly:

The CBC is a simple blood test from which the lab can give a quick estimate of the types of cells and parts of cells in your blood:

Red blood cells (RBCs): RBCs help carry oxygen throughout the body. A normal range of RBC is between 4.2 and 5.9 million cells per cubic millimeter, or ccm.

White blood cells (WBCs): WBCs help you fight infections, so a high WBC count could be an indication that you have an infection or some type of inflammation. A normal WBC range is between 4,300 and 10,800 cmm.

Hgb (Hemoglobin): Hemoglobin is a protein found on red blood cells that is responsible for transporting oxygen. Abnormal hemoglobin levels could be a sign of anemia or another blood disorder. Hgb, like Hct, differs from men to women and is measured in grams per deciliter or g/dl. Normal range for Hgb is 13 to 18 g/dL for men and 12 to 16 g/dL for women.

Hct (Hematocrit) test: Hematocrit is a blood test that measures the percentage of the volume of whole blood that is made up of red blood cells. Hct is oftentimes used to diagnose forms of anemia and other conditions. Hematocrit test values will vary from men to women(men generally have higher values) and also between laboratories. Generally speaking, Hct results will range between 36% and 52%.

Ferritin: A ferritin test indirectly measures the amount of iron in your blood. Anemia and digestive problems are the two main causes of low iron. Normal ferritin levels for men are between 12 and 300 ng/mL; and for women, they are between 12 and 150 ng/mL.

Note: Normal lab value ranges for all tests may vary slightly among different laboratories, and by patient age and sex. The values described in this article represent those provided by Medline Plus, a service of the U.S. Libraries of Medicine and the National Institutes for Health.

Get help interpreting your blood test results

To save yourself the headache of trying to interpret your blood test results, try InsideTracker’s Do-It-Yourself (DIY) option. Just enter the results of any recent blood test(s) into our online program, and we’ll take it from there. We go further than your doctor’s office, which typically only tells you if your biomarkers are “normal.”

We can tell you if your biomarkers are in the optimal ranges, based on your age, gender, ethnicity, athletic activity, and other factors. If your blood levels are less than optimal, we’ll offer nutrition and health advice to help you improve your biomarkers, your wellness, and even your athletic performance.

Haven’t had any blood work done recently? No problem. Let InsideTracker help. And the labs listed here aren't the only ones included in an InsideTracker plan.

Learn more about your other biomarkers by downloading this guide.

[4]
Edit
Query
Report
Siena Domingo
Advanced Practice Nursing
Answer # 2 #

When you have cancer, you will probably need lab, imaging, or other tests. These tests are done to help watch your body’s response to treatment. They can show small changes before problems get serious. Keeping track of your lab results lets your doctor take action as soon as your blood counts change to help prevent many cancer-related problems and cancer treatment side effects.

Some people find it helps to ask for a copy of their lab results and have a member of their cancer care team go over the numbers with them. By getting a copy, you can also see what the normal ranges are for the lab that tested your blood and where your numbers fall within that range.

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) enacted the Cures Act. The Cures Act is intended to make it easier for people to be able to see their medical records, clinical notes, and their costs of care. But, it doesn't always allow health care providers to delay the release of health information to patients, including lab, imaging, pathology, and other test results. This means that patients may see their results on a patient portal at the same time as their health care provider or before their health care provider has had a chance to review and explain them.

Abnormal or unclear test results can make patients worry, especially if they have been waiting to see them. Talking to the health care provider who is ordering the tests ahead of time might help; you might want to ask them:

Here are 2 of the most common types of blood tests and what they can tell the doctor about your health: the complete blood count (CBC) and the chemistry panel.

The most common lab test that you’ll have done during treatment is called a complete blood count, or CBC. Blood is made up of water, proteins, nutrients, and living cells. A CBC tells your cancer care team about the cells in your blood. It measures 3 basic types of blood cells:

Each of these cells has a special purpose. And each can be harmed by cancer and cancer treatments.

RBCs carry oxygen to and carbon dioxide away from the cells in your body. The CBC measures red blood cells in many ways, but the simplest measure is either

Hemoglobin (Hgb), the part of each RBC that carries iron  or Hematocrit (Hct), the percent of RBCs in the blood

When the Hgb and Hct values fall too low, it’s called anemia.

WBCs fight infection. There are many types of white blood cells and each fights infection in a special way.

The most important infection-fighting WBC is the neutrophil . The number doctors look at is called your absolute neutrophil count (ANC). A healthy person has an ANC between 2,500 and 6,000.

The ANC is found by multiplying the WBC count by the percent of neutrophils in the blood. For instance, if the WBC count is 8,000 and 50% of the WBCs are neutrophils, the ANC is 4,000 (8,000 × 0.50 = 4,000).

When the ANC drops below 1,000 it is called neutropenia . Your doctor will watch your ANC closely because the risk of infection is much higher when the ANC is below 500.

Platelets help control bleeding. You may bruise or bleed easily when your platelet levels are low. The risk of bleeding goes up when platelet levels drop below 20,000.

When your platelet count is low, your health care team may call it thrombocytopenia.

Another type of blood test looks at blood chemistry. Chemistry panels may also be called by other names, such as metabolic profile or blood chemistry profile. One blood sample can be used to measure many things like:

Certain blood chemistry tests can show how well your organs are working. For instance, liver function studies tell your doctor how well your liver is working. Other tests look at how well your kidneys are working. The chemistry panel may also show other problems with body function.

Some treatments can cause changes in your body’s blood chemistry, such as a drop in the amount of potassium in your blood. Your blood chemistry balance can also be changed by dehydration (not enough fluid in the body), which may be caused by nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. Your doctor will do blood chemistry tests if there’s concern that you may have any of these problems.

If the tests show that certain electrolytes are too low, your doctor may decide to replace them. If the tests show you are dehydrated, you may be given intravenous (IV) fluids. It’s important to get the tests your doctor wants because most of the time you won’t have any symptoms until one or more blood chemistry values are dangerously low or high.

[1]
Edit
Query
Report
Nik Eckert
Essayist
Answer # 3 #
  • Complete blood count (CBC).
  • Basic metabolic panel.
  • Blood enzyme tests.
  • Blood tests to check for heart disease.
  • Blood clotting tests, also known as a coagulation panel.
[0]
Edit
Query
Report
Lai Betuel
Pipefitter