{"id":19239,"date":"2021-09-14T13:40:46","date_gmt":"2021-09-14T18:40:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thepapergown.zocdoc.com\/?p=19239"},"modified":"2023-03-20T13:41:11","modified_gmt":"2023-03-20T18:41:11","slug":"a-pretty-thorough-guide-to-reading-lab-results","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/a-pretty-thorough-guide-to-reading-lab-results\/","title":{"rendered":"A Pretty Thorough Guide to Reading Lab Results"},"content":{"rendered":"

If, like most of us, you receive medical information from your doctor\u2019s office through a patient portal, you\u2019re probably familiar with the slight panic that sets in when you receive a message letting you know your lab results are ready.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Lab results often feature dizzying lists of percentages, ratios and mysterious abbreviations. One thing you probably won\u2019t find are clear explanations of what it all means. If anything\u2019s amiss, your doctor should reach out and talk you through the concerning findings. But even if everything looks OK, it\u2019s still useful to know how to decipher your results. Here\u2019s a breakdown of common lab tests and what they tell you.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Understanding lab test basics<\/h2>\n

In the past, average, healthy patients might have received lab tests about once a year. But in recent years, the US Preventive Services Task Force, which makes evidence-based recommendations for preventive care, <\/span>has adjusted its guidelines<\/span><\/a> for routine blood and urine screening. Now, you\u2019re more likely to get lab tests done less frequently, and they’ll be tailored to your symptoms, age and family medical history.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA long time ago, people would come in for a physical and they would get a urine test, a cholesterol test \u2014 even if they were 30 years old,\u201d says Elizabeth Cory, a nurse practitioner at Valley Medical Group in Easthampton, Massachusetts. \u201cBut all of that, when it was studied, turned out not to be beneficial in decreasing mortality.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Some providers do still conduct routine screenings in order to obtain baseline information about their patients’ health. Essentially, this helps them understand what\u2019s normal for your body. <\/span>A standard lab panel measures blood count and cholesterol, and checks for anemia and potential thyroid issues, says Dr. Carl Beauzile, a physician at Chicopee Health Center in Massachusetts.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Doctors might order specific lab tests more often for patients at a high risk of developing life-threatening diseases and others who are currently living with certain conditions.\u00a0<\/span>Obesity, diabetes, smoking, and family history of certain diseases, like cancer or anemia, are common reasons doctors might approach testing this way.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Other lab tests become important as you get older: <\/span>Cholesterol screening<\/span><\/a> for healthy adults generally begins around age 40, while men can get <\/span>PSA tests<\/span><\/a> (prostate cancer screenings) around 55, and women can be tested for thyroid function, called TSH, in their 50s.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How to know if your results are normal<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s not your responsibility to interpret lab results or determine if they warrant follow-up care. Those tasks fall to your doctor. But lab results are a source of insight into your health, and knowing how to read them can be both useful and empowering. Most lab results posted to a patient portal include both absolute values and reference ranges. A reference range gives you a high value and low value \u2014 anything between them is typically considered normal.<\/span><\/p>\n

If a result is outside the reference range, don\u2019t panic. Results that fall slightly out of range are very common and occur for many reasons, and they don\u2019t necessarily require intervention. \u201cThere\u2019s no one-size-fits-all with lab tests; it\u2019s very individualized,\u201d Beauzile explains.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cory adds, \u201cThings can be a little bit off in any of the labs, but it really has to be a pattern for us to be concerned. It all depends on how much it\u2019s out of range, and why we did the test in the first place.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The reference range will be expressed in the same format as the corresponding result, which varies by test. It’s usually listed as a ratio (e.g., 32-36 milligrams per deciliter, or mg\/dL, of blood.)\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Common lab test results and how to understand them<\/h2>\n

\u00a0The most common lab tests require submitting a blood or urine sample. Basic blood and urine tests screen for common medical conditions, such as high cholesterol, pre-diabetes and thyroid disorders. Providers can also order more complex panels from these samples.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

Here’s a breakdown of what’s usually included in common lab tests. (This list isn’t exhaustive, so talk to your doctor if you have questions about specific tests.)<\/span><\/p>\n

Urine tests<\/span><\/h3>\n

Urine tests (also called urinalysis) have been a useful diagnostic tool for millennia. Doctors might order urine tests to screen for prediabetes or diabetes, measure liver and kidney function, and\/or check for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) or other non-sexual infections. Basic information about your urine, like its color and smell, also provide useful insights into your body\u2019s health.<\/span><\/p>\n