Lab marker · High

High Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH): what it means

A Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) result above the normal range is considered high. Here is what a raised Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) can point to, and when it is worth discussing with a doctor.

Reference range: ~140–280 U/L in most labs; a non-specific marker of cell turnover, interpreted in context

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What a high Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) can mean

  • Haemolysis — red cells breaking down; LDH high with low haptoglobin, high reticulocytes and bilirubin.
  • Sample haemolysis (artefact) — a common false cause from difficult venepuncture.
  • Tissue injury — heart, liver, muscle, kidney, lung (e.g. pulmonary embolism, infarction).
  • Cancer — lymphoma, leukaemia, germ-cell tumours; used for staging and monitoring.
  • Infection / inflammation — including severe pneumonia.
  • Megaloblastic anaemia (B12/folate deficiency) — very high from ineffective marrow turnover.

When to discuss with a doctor

LDH is almost never interpreted alone — its value is as part of a pattern. A high LDH with low haptoglobin and high reticulocytes points to haemolysis and prompts a cause hunt. In a known lymphoma or germ-cell tumour, LDH is tracked to gauge bulk and response. An isolated mildly raised LDH with no symptoms is often an artefact or non-specific and is repeated in context. Mediora.AI shows LDH alongside the haemolysis markers and flags the pattern rather than the number in isolation; deciding what a raised LDH means belongs with your doctor, who reads it with the rest of the picture.

Conditions this can relate to

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Mediora.AI is informational - interpretation, not a diagnosis. A single out-of-range value is common and often benign; always discuss decisions with your doctor.