Understanding your lab results
The numbers in brackets, the asterisk next to a value, the twelve-hour fast. Here we explain what each part of a report means and how to read it alongside your own history.
HOMA-IR: what it is, how it is calculated and what the result means
What the HOMA-IR index is, how it is calculated from fasting glucose and insulin, why there is no single cut-off and which data give the result meaning.
Thyroid panel: TSH, free T4 and T3, what each one measures and why «normal» is not always normal
What TSH, free T4 and T3 measure, which combinations your doctor describes, what moves TSH without disease and why it is worth repeating before concluding.
High fasting glucose: what it means, what prediabetes is and what to record at home
A high fasting glucose is not a diagnosis. What pushes it up on a single day, which categories guidelines use, what prediabetes is and what to record at home.
High uric acid: what it means, what raises it and when to worry
High uric acid without symptoms is not gout. What urate is, the 6.8 mg/dL point, what raises it (beer, soft drinks, diuretics) and what to take to the doctor.
Complete blood count: what it includes and how to read each line
What each line of the complete blood count measures: red series, white series and platelets, which are read together, why ranges change and what it leaves out.
Blood chemistry panels of 6, 12, 24 and 35 markers: what each includes and which to order
The Mexican “blood chemistry of 6, 12, 24 or 35 elements” is not a medical standard. Which blocks each version carries, what each answers and which to order.
High cholesterol: what it means, when to worry and what to ask for
You searched for high cholesterol symptoms and there are none. What LDL, HDL and non-HDL mean, which thresholds guidelines use and what to bring to your doctor.
High triglycerides: what the number means and what to check before repeating the test
High triglycerides in your results: what each band means, why they change with dinner and alcohol, and what to check before repeating the test.
High creatinine: what it means, what raises it without the kidney, and what to ask for
Your creatinine came out high on a blood test. What raises it without the kidney being involved, what eGFR is, why it is repeated in three months and what to ask for.
Why the laboratory reference range is not your personal norm
The lab range describes a population, not you. What those numbers in brackets actually mean and how to read them alongside your own history.
How to read your lab results without panicking
A flagged value is not a diagnosis. What moves your results when nothing is wrong, why something almost always comes back out of range, and how to read your report in five steps.