Understanding Your Lab Results: Complete Guide to Blood Work Analysis

What Are Lab Results?

Laboratory results are measurements of various substances in your blood, urine, or other body fluids. These tests help healthcare providers assess your overall health, diagnose medical conditions, and monitor treatment progress.

Common Blood Tests and What They Mean

Complete Blood Count (CBC)

A CBC measures different components of your blood:

• White Blood Cells (WBC): Normal range 4,000-11,000 cells/μL. High levels may indicate infection or immune system disorders.
• Red Blood Cells (RBC): Normal range varies by gender. Low levels may suggest anemia.
• Hemoglobin: Normal range 12-16 g/dL for women, 14-18 g/dL for men. Measures oxygen-carrying capacity.
• Platelets: Normal range 150,000-450,000 cells/μL. Important for blood clotting.

Cholesterol Panel

Understanding your cholesterol levels is crucial for heart health:

• Total Cholesterol: Ideal < 200 mg/dL
• LDL ("Bad") Cholesterol: Ideal < 100 mg/dL
• HDL ("Good") Cholesterol: Ideal > 40 mg/dL (men), > 50 mg/dL (women)
• Triglycerides: Ideal < 150 mg/dL

Blood Sugar Tests

These tests help screen for diabetes and prediabetes:

• Fasting Glucose: Normal 70-99 mg/dL, Prediabetes 100-125 mg/dL, Diabetes ≥126 mg/dL
• HbA1c: Normal < 5.7%, Prediabetes 5.7-6.4%, Diabetes ≥6.5%
• Random Glucose: Diabetes if ≥200 mg/dL with symptoms

How an AI Doctor-Style Assistant Explains Your Lab Report

Reading a lab report on your own can be confusing. An AI medical assistant like Dr. Khan AI can walk through each value with you, explain what is high, low, or borderline, and suggest which results are usually most important to discuss with your doctor. It does not replace your clinician, but it can make your follow‑up visit more productive and less stressful.

• Plain‑language explanations: Turns numbers and abbreviations into everyday language
• Pattern recognition: Helps you see trends across multiple tests over time
• Question preparation: Suggests specific questions to ask your doctor about abnormal values
• Privacy-first review: Lets you upload and discuss lab data without creating an account or storing your identity

After reviewing this guide, you can use Dr. Khan AI to analyze your actual lab report so you feel more prepared for your next medical appointment.

Kidney Function Tests

These tests assess how well your kidneys are working:

• Creatinine: Normal 0.7-1.3 mg/dL for men, 0.6-1.1 mg/dL for women
• Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN): Normal 6-20 mg/dL
• Estimated GFR (eGFR): Normal > 60 mL/min/1.73m²

Liver Function Tests

These tests check your liver health:

• ALT (Alanine aminotransferase): Normal 7-56 units/L
• AST (Aspartate aminotransferase): Normal 10-40 units/L
• Bilirubin: Normal 0.1-1.2 mg/dL
• Alkaline Phosphatase: Normal 44-147 units/L

When to Be Concerned

Contact your healthcare provider if you notice:

• Values significantly outside normal ranges
• Sudden changes from previous results
• Multiple abnormal values
• Results that don't match how you're feeling

Tips for Better Lab Results

• Follow fasting instructions: Some tests require 8-12 hours of fasting
• Stay hydrated: Drink water before blood draws (unless fasting)
• Avoid alcohol: 24 hours before liver function tests
• List medications: Some drugs can affect test results
• Get consistent timing: Take tests at similar times for trending

Understanding Reference Ranges

Reference ranges can vary between laboratories and may be affected by:

• Age and gender
• Time of day the sample was taken
• Laboratory methods used
• Your individual health status
• Medications you're taking

Important: This guide provides general information. Always discuss your specific results with your healthcare provider, as they can interpret results in the context of your overall health and medical history.