Lab marker library

Doctor-reviewed, plain-language explanations of every lab marker we cover. Use the cards below as a glossary, or upload your own report and Mediora.AI will walk through each marker in context.

ng/mL

Ferritin

Ferritin is the body's main iron-storage protein. A low value usually means iron stores are depleted; a high value can mean inflammation or iron overload.

Read → %

Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c)

HbA1c shows your average blood glucose over the last 2–3 months. It is the standard test for diagnosing and monitoring diabetes.

Read → mIU/L

Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH)

TSH is the pituitary's signal to the thyroid gland. It is the single most informative thyroid screening test — high TSH suggests an under-active thyroid, low TSH an over-active one.

Read → ng/mL

Vitamin D (25-OH)

25-hydroxyvitamin D is the storage form of vitamin D and the standard way to measure your vitamin D status.

Read → mg/dL

LDL Cholesterol

LDL ("bad") cholesterol is the cholesterol fraction most directly tied to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk.

Read → mg/dL

Creatinine

Creatinine is a muscle-breakdown waste filtered out by the kidneys. A high level means the kidneys are clearing less than they should.

Read → mg/dL

Fasting Blood Glucose

Fasting blood glucose is the snapshot of your blood sugar after 8+ hours without food — the most basic screening test for diabetes.

Read → U/L

Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT)

ALT is an enzyme that leaks into the blood when liver cells are damaged. It is the most liver-specific of the routine "liver function tests".

Read → mg/dL

HDL Cholesterol

HDL is the cholesterol fraction that helps clear excess cholesterol from artery walls. Higher values are generally associated with lower cardiovascular risk.

Read → pg/mL

Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin)

Vitamin B12 is essential for DNA synthesis, red blood cell formation and nerve function. Deficiency causes macrocytic anaemia and neurological symptoms.

Read → mg/dL

Triglycerides

Triglycerides are the body's main form of stored fat. Elevated levels are a marker of metabolic dysregulation and pancreatitis risk.

Read → U/L

Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST)

AST is an enzyme released by damaged liver, heart and skeletal-muscle cells. Less liver-specific than ALT but a key part of the routine liver panel.

Read → mL/min/1.73m²

Estimated GFR (eGFR)

eGFR is the clinically useful measure of kidney filtration capacity. It is the threshold metric for diagnosing chronic kidney disease.

Read → mg/dL

Total Cholesterol

Total cholesterol is the sum of LDL + HDL + ~20% of triglycerides. It's a coarse marker — the LDL and HDL fractions matter more than the headline number.

Read → mmol/L

Sodium

Sodium is the body's main extracellular electrolyte. Abnormal levels reflect water imbalance more than salt intake.

Read → mmol/L

Potassium

Potassium is the body's main intracellular electrolyte. Both high and low values are arrhythmia risks — every laboratory treats it as critical.

Read → mg/dL

Calcium (Total)

Calcium drives nerve transmission, muscle contraction, blood clotting and bone strength. Levels are tightly regulated; deviations always have a cause worth chasing.

Read → mg/L

C-Reactive Protein (CRP)

CRP is a liver-made acute-phase protein that rises within hours of any inflammatory stimulus. The most useful general marker of "something is inflamed".

Read → mg/dL

Magnesium

Magnesium is the fourth most abundant cation in the body and a cofactor for 300+ enzymes. Low magnesium is common, frequently missed, and explains many "refractory" potassium and calcium issues.

Read → mg/dL

Bilirubin

Bilirubin is the yellow waste pigment from haemoglobin breakdown. Elevated levels cause jaundice and signal liver, bile-duct or haemolytic problems.

Read → U/L

Gamma-Glutamyl Transferase (GGT)

GGT is a bile-duct enzyme — its rise alongside alkaline phosphatase confirms the elevated ALP comes from the liver, not bone.

Read → mg/dL

Uric Acid

Uric acid is the breakdown product of purines. Elevated levels predispose to gout, kidney stones, and (controversially) cardiovascular risk.

Read → ng/mL

Folate (Vitamin B9)

Folate is essential for DNA synthesis and red blood cell formation. Deficiency causes macrocytic anaemia and (in pregnancy) neural-tube defects.

Read → ng/mL

Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA)

PSA is a glycoprotein made almost exclusively by the prostate. Elevations can mean cancer, benign enlargement, prostatitis or recent ejaculation — the test is sensitive but not specific.

Read → µU/mL

Insulin (Fasting)

Insulin is the hormone driving glucose uptake into cells. A high fasting insulin reflects insulin resistance — the upstream lesion of type 2 diabetes — often years before glucose rises.

Read → µg/dL

Cortisol

Cortisol is the body's primary stress hormone. Both excess and deficiency cause distinct, recognisable clinical syndromes — interpretation is time-of-day dependent.

Read → g/dL

Albumin

Albumin is the most abundant plasma protein. It carries hormones, drugs and calcium, and maintains osmotic pressure. Low albumin is a sensitive marker of liver synthesis, malnutrition and chronic illness.

Read → fL

Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV)

MCV is the average size of a red blood cell. It's the most useful single number for classifying anaemia — small, normal, or large.

Read → 10^12/L

Red Blood Cell Count (RBC)

RBC is the number of red blood cells per litre of blood. Combined with haemoglobin and MCV, it underpins every CBC anaemia interpretation.

Read → mg/dL

Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN)

BUN is a kidney-cleared waste product from protein metabolism. Interpreted alongside creatinine; the BUN/creatinine ratio distinguishes pre-renal causes from intrinsic kidney disease.

Read → U/L

Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP)

ALP is an enzyme on bone-forming and biliary-duct cells. Elevation can mean liver, bone, intestinal or placental origin — GGT helps tie-break.

Read → 10^9/L

Platelet Count

Platelets initiate clotting at sites of vascular injury. Both very low (bleeding risk) and very high (thrombosis risk) values matter clinically — bone-marrow disease, immune destruction or reactive elevation are the leading causes.

Read → 10^9/L

White Blood Cell Count (WBC)

WBC is the total leukocyte concentration. The differential — neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, basophils — adds specificity. Always interpret together.

Read → ng/mL

Troponin

Troponin is a structural protein of heart muscle. Elevated blood levels indicate cardiac muscle injury — the cornerstone test for diagnosing heart attack, but other causes exist.

Read → pg/mL

NT-proBNP

Cardiac neurohormone released by ventricular wall stretch. Elevated in heart failure and cardiac stress — the rule-out test for shortness of breath of unclear origin.

Read → ng/mL

Prolactin

Pituitary hormone that drives lactation and is suppressed by dopamine. Elevated outside pregnancy points at prolactinoma, medication effect or stress.

Read → U/L

Lipase

Pancreatic enzyme released into blood during pancreatic inflammation. The single most useful test for diagnosing acute pancreatitis — more specific than amylase.

Read → g/dL

Hemoglobin

Hemoglobin is the oxygen-carrying protein inside red blood cells. A low value defines anaemia.

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