What your blood test means

Vitamin levels your body needs from food or supplements.

• Vitamin D (25-OH) ng/mLYour body's vitamin D store, for bones, immunity and mood
• Vitamin B12 pg/mLFor nerves, energy and red blood cells
• Folate (serum) ng/mLFor DNA, red blood cells and early pregnancy
• RBC folate ng/mLLonger-term folate status, held in red blood cells
• Vitamin B6 (PLP) µg/LFor brain chemicals and homocysteine clearance
• Vitamin C mg/dLAntioxidant for immunity, skin and iron absorption

Red blood cells, iron stores and anaemia.

• Hemoglobin g/dLThe oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells
• Ferritin ng/mLYour stored iron
• Serum iron µg/dLIron circulating in your blood right now
• TIBC µg/dLHow much iron your blood could carry
• Transferrin saturation %How full your iron carriers are
• Complete blood count (CBC)A snapshot of your red cells, white cells and platelets
• MCV fLThe average size of your red blood cells

Magnesium, zinc, selenium, calcium and iodine.

• Magnesium (serum) mg/dLMineral for muscles, nerves, sleep and blood sugar
• RBC magnesium mg/dLMagnesium inside your red blood cells
• Zinc (serum) µg/dLFor immunity, skin, hormones, taste and smell
• Selenium µg/LAntioxidant mineral that helps make thyroid hormone
• Calcium (total) mg/dLBlood calcium, tightly controlled by hormones
• Ionised calcium mmol/LThe active, free form of calcium in blood
• Iodine (serum) µg/LIodine in your blood, needed for thyroid hormone
• Urinary iodine µg/LIodine in urine, a measure of recent intake

How your thyroid is working.

• TSH µIU/mLThe signal your brain sends to the thyroid
• Free T4 ng/dLThe main thyroid hormone in circulation
• Total T4 µg/dLAll T4 hormone, bound and free
• Free T3 pg/mLThe most active thyroid hormone
• Total T3 ng/dLAll T3 hormone, bound and free
• Anti-TPO antibodies IU/mLAntibodies that signal autoimmune thyroid disease

Diabetes and prediabetes screening.

• Fasting glucose mg/dLYour blood sugar after an overnight fast
• HbA1c %Your average blood sugar over about 3 months

Cholesterol and blood fats.

• Total cholesterol mg/dLAll the cholesterol in your blood
• LDL cholesterol mg/dLThe cholesterol most linked to heart disease
• HDL cholesterol mg/dLThe cholesterol carrier that helps clear excess
• Triglycerides mg/dLFats in your blood, linked to sugar and refined carbs

Liver enzymes.

• ALT (SGPT) U/LA liver enzyme that rises when liver cells are stressed
• AST (SGOT) U/LAn enzyme from the liver and muscles

Inflammation and heart-risk markers.

• hs-CRP mg/LA sensitive marker of inflammation and heart risk
• Homocysteine µmol/LAn amino acid that rises when B vitamins run low
• Omega-3 index %The share of EPA and DHA in your red blood cells
• CoQ10 level µg/mLCoenzyme Q10 in your blood

Sex hormones.

• Total testosterone ng/dLThe main male hormone, also important in women