Understanding your results
Blood test results explained: common tests A–Z
Plain-English guides to the tests that come up most often on results sheets: what each one measures, why it is done, what a high or low result can mean, and what to ask your doctor.
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Explain my results →Full blood count (FBC / CBC)
- Haemoglobin (Hb)
What a haemoglobin (Hb) result measures, what a low or high level can mean, and what to ask your doctor.
- White blood cell count (WBC)
What your white blood cell count (WBC) measures, what high or low white cells can mean, and what to ask your doctor.
- Platelet count (PLT)
What your platelet count (PLT) measures, what high or low platelets can mean, and what to ask your doctor.
- Mean cell volume (MCV)
What MCV (mean cell volume) on a blood test means, why red cells can be small or large, and what to ask your doctor.
- Neutrophils
What a neutrophil count means on your blood test, what high or low neutrophils can mean, and what to ask your doctor.
Iron, vitamins and folate
- Ferritin
What a ferritin blood test measures, what low or high ferritin can mean, and what to ask your doctor.
- Vitamin B12
What a vitamin B12 blood test measures, what low or high B12 can mean, and what to ask your doctor.
- Folate
What a folate blood test measures, what low folate can mean, and what to ask your doctor.
- Vitamin D
What a vitamin D blood test measures, what low or high vitamin D can mean, and what to ask your doctor.
Kidneys, electrolytes and minerals
- eGFR (estimated glomerular filtration rate)
What eGFR means on your blood test, why it might be low, and what to ask your doctor about your kidney function.
- Creatinine
What a creatinine blood test measures, what high or low creatinine can mean, and what to ask your doctor.
- Urea
What a urea (or BUN) blood test measures, what high or low urea can mean, and what to ask your doctor.
- Potassium (K+)
What a potassium blood test measures, what high or low potassium can mean, and what to ask your doctor.
- Sodium (Na+)
What a sodium blood test measures, what high or low sodium can mean, and what to ask your doctor.
- Urine albumin to creatinine ratio (ACR)
What a urine ACR (albumin to creatinine ratio) test measures, what a raised result can mean, and what to ask your doctor.
- Calcium
What a calcium blood test measures, what high or low calcium can mean, and what to ask your doctor.
Liver function (LFTs)
- ALT (alanine aminotransferase)
What an ALT result on a liver function test means, why ALT can be raised, and what to ask your doctor.
- ALP (alkaline phosphatase)
What an ALP (alkaline phosphatase) result means, why ALP can be high, and what to ask your doctor.
- Bilirubin
What a bilirubin result means, why bilirubin can be high, and what to ask your doctor.
- GGT (gamma-glutamyl transferase)
What a GGT (gamma GT) result means, why GGT can be raised, and what to ask your doctor.
- Albumin
What an albumin blood test measures, what low albumin can mean, and what to ask your doctor.
Blood sugar and diabetes
- HbA1c
What an HbA1c (A1c) blood test measures, what a high result can mean for diabetes, and what to ask your doctor.
- Blood glucose
What a blood glucose (blood sugar) result means, what high or low glucose can mean, and what to ask your doctor.
Thyroid
- TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone)
What a TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) result means, what high or low TSH can mean, and what to ask your doctor.
- Free T4 (free thyroxine)
What a free T4 (free thyroxine) result means, what high or low free T4 can mean, and what to ask your doctor.
Inflammation
- CRP (C-reactive protein)
What a CRP (C-reactive protein) result means, why CRP can be raised, and what to ask your doctor.
- ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate)
What an ESR (sed rate) result means, why ESR can be high, and what to ask your doctor.
Cholesterol and heart health
- Total cholesterol
What a total cholesterol result means, what the parts of a lipid profile show, and what to ask your doctor.
- LDL cholesterol
What LDL ('bad') cholesterol means on your results, why it matters, and what to ask your doctor.
- HDL cholesterol
What HDL ('good') cholesterol means on your results, what low HDL can mean, and what to ask your doctor.
- Triglycerides
What a triglycerides result means, what high triglycerides can mean, and what to ask your doctor.
Other common tests
- PSA (prostate-specific antigen)
What a PSA (prostate-specific antigen) result means, why PSA can be raised, and what to ask your doctor.