Lab tests, explained in plain language
Got a blood or urine test result and aren’t sure what it means? Here’s what common tests measure, a general reference range, and what high or low results can suggest — summarized from MedlinePlus. A result is never a diagnosis; your clinician interprets it.
- Leukocytes in urine (white blood cells in urine)
- MCHC (mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration)
- MCV (mean corpuscular volume)
- Hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c) test
- Complete blood count (CBC)
- C-reactive protein (CRP) test
- ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate / sed rate)
- Ferritin blood test
- TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) test
- Vitamin D blood test (25-hydroxyvitamin D)
- eGFR (estimated glomerular filtration rate)
- Creatinine blood test
- ALT (alanine aminotransferase) blood test
- AST (aspartate aminotransferase) blood test
- BUN (blood urea nitrogen) test
- Potassium blood test
- PSA (prostate-specific antigen) test
- D-dimer test
- Hematocrit (HCT) test
- Hemoglobin (Hgb) blood test
- Absolute neutrophil count (ANC)
- Platelet count (PLT)
- White blood cell count (WBC)
- Red cell distribution width (RDW)
- Bilirubin (total & direct)
- Albumin (blood / serum albumin)
General reference, not medical advice. Reference ranges vary by laboratory and by individual — the range on your own report applies to you, and a licensed clinician should interpret your results.