Every Marker on Your Blood Test, in One Table
Your results page, translated
Your doctor ordered a blood panel and the results landed in your inbox. The page shows two columns of numbers, each with a "reference range" printed beside it, and flags on anything outside it. Most people spend twenty minutes Googling each item separately, landing on a different ad-heavy site per marker. This page is the one-stop version: all three panels that appear on a standard annual check-up (complete blood count, metabolic panel, lipid panel) in one place, with the range, the unit, and plain-language notes on what high and low usually indicate. It is a reading aid, not a diagnosis. Your own lab's reference range (printed on your results) is always the number to judge against, since ranges vary slightly by analyser and population.
Complete blood count (CBC): what it measures
The CBC counts the cells circulating in your blood. It has three main groups: red cells (which carry oxygen), white cells (which fight infection), and platelets (which seal wounds). A CBC is ordered for almost every annual check-up, every hospital admission, and any time a doctor wants a quick picture of overall health. The six markers below appear on virtually every standard CBC report.
CBC: Complete Blood Count
| Marker | Range (adults) | High usually means | Low usually means |
|---|---|---|---|
| WBC (white blood cells) | 4,500 to 11,000 /mcL | Infection, inflammation, or rarely leukaemia | Bone marrow suppression or immune disorder |
| RBC (red blood cells) | M: 4.6 to 6.2 M/mcL, F: 4.2 to 5.4 M/mcL | Polycythaemia or chronic low oxygen | Anaemia from blood loss or deficiency |
| Haemoglobin | M: 13 to 18 g/dL, F: 12 to 16 g/dL | Dehydration or polycythaemia | Anaemia reducing oxygen delivery |
| Haematocrit | M: 40 to 55 %, F: 36 to 48 % | Dehydration or excess red cells | Anaemia or severe blood loss |
| MCV (mean corpuscular volume) | 80 to 100 fL | Macrocytic anaemia, B12 or folate deficiency | Microcytic anaemia or iron deficiency |
| Platelets | 150,000 to 400,000 /mcL | Reactive thrombocytosis or bone marrow disorder | Bleeding tendency or bone marrow failure |
Metabolic panel (CMP or BMP): what it measures
The comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP) checks how your kidneys, liver, and electrolytes are doing in one draw. A basic metabolic panel (BMP) is the same without the liver markers. The 11 markers below cover everything in a standard CMP. Glucose should be fasting (8 hours without food) for the most useful reading. All other markers are unaffected by fasting.
CMP: Metabolic Panel
| Marker | Range (adults, fasting) | High usually means | Low usually means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glucose | 70 to 100 mg/dL | Diabetes or impaired glucose control | Hypoglycaemia (shakiness, confusion) |
| BUN (blood urea nitrogen) | 6 to 20 mg/dL | Kidney dysfunction or dehydration | Liver disease or malnutrition |
| Creatinine | M: 0.7 to 1.3 mg/dL, F: 0.5 to 1.1 mg/dL | Kidney disease or muscle breakdown | Low muscle mass or severe liver disease |
| Sodium | 135 to 145 mEq/L | Dehydration or kidney disease | Overhydration or adrenal insufficiency |
| Potassium | 3.5 to 5.0 mEq/L | Kidney disease or excess supplementation | Heart arrhythmias or muscle weakness |
| Calcium | 8.5 to 10.5 mg/dL | Hyperparathyroidism or bone disease | Vitamin D deficiency or hypoparathyroidism |
| ALT (alanine aminotransferase) | 7 to 56 U/L | Liver damage, hepatitis, or fatty liver | Rarely clinically significant |
| AST (aspartate aminotransferase) | 10 to 40 U/L | Liver injury or muscle breakdown | Rarely clinically significant |
| Alkaline phosphatase | 44 to 147 U/L | Liver obstruction or bone disease | Malnutrition or hypothyroidism |
| Total bilirubin | 0.1 to 1.2 mg/dL | Liver disease or red cell breakdown | Rare; not usually flagged |
| Albumin | 3.5 to 5.0 g/dL | Dehydration | Liver disease or malnutrition |
Lipid panel: what it measures
A lipid panel measures the fats in your blood that relate to cardiovascular risk. It is almost always ordered fasting (12 hours without food), because triglycerides spike dramatically after a meal. The four markers below appear on every standard lipid panel. Note that for HDL, higher is protective: a low HDL raises cardiovascular risk even if total cholesterol looks fine.
Lipid Panel
| Marker | Range (adults, fasting) | High usually means | Low usually means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total cholesterol | Below 200 mg/dL (desirable) | Elevated cardiovascular risk | Severe malnutrition or liver disease (rare) |
| LDL cholesterol | Below 100 mg/dL (optimal) | Plaque build-up risk in arteries | Rare genetic disorder or malnutrition |
| HDL cholesterol | M: above 40 mg/dL, F: above 50 mg/dL | Protective effect against heart disease | Increased cardiovascular risk |
| Triglycerides | Below 150 mg/dL | Metabolic syndrome, diabetes, or diet | Malnutrition (uncommon finding) |
Four things that shift your numbers before a flag means anything. First, hydration: even mild dehydration concentrates the blood and raises haematocrit, haemoglobin, albumin, and creatinine. Drink normally the morning of your draw. Second, timing: strenuous exercise in the 24 hours before a draw elevates AST, creatinine, and CK (if ordered). Third, fasting: glucose and triglycerides are only meaningful fasting. Fourth, lab variation: each analyser is calibrated to its own population, so a value