Blood Sugar
Fasting Blood Glucose
This test measures the glucose in your blood at a single moment, after fasting for at least eight hours. It is a…
Lab Tests — 30 tests explained in plain English
Your lab results, explained simply
What each test measures, why it is ordered, and how to read the number on your report — without the jargon. Every page is written in general terms and checked against published sources.
These pages explain what a test measures — they cannot interpret your result. Your laboratory's reference ranges and your doctor come first. Full disclaimer
Start with the most looked-up tests
Most looked-up
HbA1c (Glycated Haemoglobin)
HbA1c reflects your average blood glucose over roughly the…
Most looked-up
Vitamin D (25-Hydroxyvitamin D)
This blood test measures 25-hydroxyvitamin D, the storage form…
Most looked-up
Ferritin
Ferritin reflects the amount of iron stored in your…
Most looked-up
Lipid Profile
A lipid profile reports total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL…
Browse by panel
Blood Sugar
2 tests
Blood Sugar
HbA1c (Glycated Haemoglobin)
HbA1c reflects your average blood glucose over roughly the previous two to three months, because glucose sticks to haemoglobin inside red blood…
Lipids
5 tests
Lipids
Apolipoprotein B (ApoB)
ApoB is a protein found on each atherogenic lipoprotein particle, so its level effectively counts the number of those particles in your…
Lipids
HDL Cholesterol
HDL cholesterol is the fraction carried in high-density lipoprotein particles, involved in transporting cholesterol away from tissues toward the liver. It is…
Lipids
LDL Cholesterol
LDL cholesterol is the cholesterol carried in low-density lipoprotein particles, the fraction most directly linked in research with plaque build-up in arteries.…
Lipids
Lipid Profile
A lipid profile reports total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol (often calculated) and triglycerides in one blood sample. Together these values describe…
Lipids
Triglycerides
Triglycerides are the main form in which fat is stored and transported in the body. The blood level reflects recent meals, alcohol,…
Blood Count
6 tests
Blood Count
Complete Blood Count (CBC)
This test counts and describes your red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets, and reports haemoglobin and related red-cell indices. It…
Blood Count
Ferritin
Ferritin reflects the amount of iron stored in your body and is often checked alongside haemoglobin when iron status is being looked…
Blood Count
Haemoglobin
Haemoglobin is the oxygen-carrying protein inside red blood cells, reported as part of the complete blood count. It is the value most…
Blood Count
Platelet Count
Platelets are the small blood particles that form clots to stop bleeding. Their count is part of the complete blood count and…
Blood Count
Serum Iron
Serum iron measures the iron currently circulating in your blood attached to its transport protein. Unlike ferritin, which reflects stores, serum iron…
Blood Count
White Blood Cell Count
This count measures your total white blood cells, the immune cells that respond to infection and inflammation. It is part of the…
Thyroid
2 tests
Thyroid
Free T4 (Free Thyroxine)
Free T4 measures the unbound, active fraction of thyroxine, one of the main hormones the thyroid gland produces. It is often measured…
Thyroid
TSH (Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone)
TSH is a pituitary hormone that tells the thyroid gland how much thyroid hormone to make, so it is usually the first…
Kidney
5 tests
Kidney
Creatinine
Creatinine is a waste product of normal muscle metabolism that the kidneys filter from the blood. Its level is used, together with…
Kidney
eGFR (Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate)
eGFR is not measured directly; it is calculated from your creatinine result plus your age and sex to estimate how much blood…
Kidney
Potassium
Potassium is the main electrolyte inside your cells and is essential for normal heart rhythm and muscle function. Blood potassium is part…
Kidney
Sodium
Sodium is the main electrolyte in the fluid outside your cells and is central to fluid balance and nerve function. It is…
Kidney
Uric Acid
Uric acid is a waste product made when the body breaks down purines from food and its own cells. The kidneys remove…
Liver
2 tests
Liver
ALT (Alanine Aminotransferase)
ALT is an enzyme concentrated inside liver cells, and its level in blood is used as one signal of liver cell irritation…
Liver
AST (Aspartate Aminotransferase)
AST is an enzyme found in liver, muscle and other tissues, reported as part of a standard liver panel alongside ALT. Because…
Vitamins
3 tests
Vitamins
Folate
Folate testing measures a B vitamin needed to build DNA and red blood cells. It is commonly checked alongside B12 because the…
Vitamins
Vitamin B12
This test measures cobalamin, a vitamin needed for red blood cell formation and normal nerve function. It is often checked when anaemia,…
Vitamins
Vitamin D (25-Hydroxyvitamin D)
This blood test measures 25-hydroxyvitamin D, the storage form your body uses to keep vitamin D available. It is the standard way…
Minerals
1 tests
Minerals
Calcium (Total)
This test measures the total calcium in your blood, both the portion bound to proteins and the free, active portion. Calcium is…
Hormones
4 tests
Hormones
Cortisol (Morning)
Cortisol is the adrenal hormone that helps regulate energy, blood pressure and the stress response, following a daily rhythm that peaks in…
Hormones
LH (Luteinising Hormone)
LH is a pituitary hormone that signals the ovaries or testes to produce sex hormones and, in women, triggers ovulation. It is…
Hormones
Prolactin
Prolactin is a pituitary hormone best known for its role in milk production after childbirth. Outside pregnancy it is checked when investigating…
Hormones
Testosterone (Total)
This test measures the total amount of testosterone circulating in the blood, including the fraction bound to proteins. It is one of…
All tests, A to Z
ALT (Alanine Aminotransferase) LiverApolipoprotein B (ApoB) LipidsAST (Aspartate Aminotransferase) LiverCalcium (Total) MineralsComplete Blood Count (CBC) Blood CountCortisol (Morning) HormonesCreatinine KidneyeGFR (Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate) KidneyFasting Blood Glucose Blood SugarFerritin Blood CountFolate VitaminsFree T4 (Free Thyroxine) ThyroidHaemoglobin Blood CountHbA1c (Glycated Haemoglobin) Blood SugarHDL Cholesterol LipidsLDL Cholesterol LipidsLH (Luteinising Hormone) HormonesLipid Profile LipidsPlatelet Count Blood CountPotassium KidneyProlactin HormonesSerum Iron Blood CountSodium KidneyTestosterone (Total) HormonesTriglycerides LipidsTSH (Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone) ThyroidUric Acid KidneyVitamin B12 VitaminsVitamin D (25-Hydroxyvitamin D) VitaminsWhite Blood Cell Count Blood Count
Lab test questions
How do I read a lab result?
Start with three things: the value itself, the unit, and the reference range printed beside it on your own report. The range matters more than any number you find online, because ranges are set by each laboratory for its method and population. Then read the test's page here to understand what the marker reflects — and discuss what it means for you with your doctor.
Why do reference ranges differ between laboratories?
Laboratories use different analysers, methods and reference populations, and ranges also vary with age and sex. A result flagged "high" at one lab might sit inside another lab's range. That is why these pages explain what a test measures in general terms instead of printing one universal range.
Do I need to fast before a blood test?
Some tests — fasting glucose and parts of a lipid profile, for example — are traditionally measured after an 8–12 hour fast, while many others need no preparation at all. Follow the instructions on your own test request: they override any general guidance, including ours.
Can this site interpret my result?
No — and no website honestly can. A number only means something alongside your history, symptoms, medicines and other results. These pages explain the tests so you can have a better conversation with your clinician; they are not medical advice and cannot diagnose anything.