Blood test
Recognizing prediabetes: which values matter
Recognizing prediabetes: which values matter The key points at a glance Prediabetes is not a distinct disease with its own symptoms, but a range of numerical values. The MSD Manual, Professional Edition, puts it this way: Prediabetes is diagnosed when...
Prolactin: what affects the level and what shifts it
Prolactin: what affects the level and what can shift it The essentials at a glance Prolactin is a hormone produced by the pituitary gland. It is known from breastfeeding, but it also appears on hormone test results outside that context...
Perimenopause: Which hormone levels change first
Perimenopause: which hormone levels change first The key points at a glance Perimenopause refers to several years before and one year after the final menstrual period, with the duration varying considerably (MSD Manual, professional edition, as of January 2024). The...
Homocysteine: what the level means and what it leaves unanswered
Homocysteine: what the value means and what it leaves unanswered The essentials at a glance Homocysteine is an intermediate product of protein metabolism. It is produced when the amino acid methionine is metabolized and is normally processed onward quickly. The...
Free testosterone or total testosterone: what the difference means
Free testosterone or total testosterone: what the difference means The key points at a glance Total testosterone includes all testosterone in the blood, both bound and unbound. By far the largest proportion is attached to transport proteins and is not...
Cortisol blood test: which time of day matters?
Drawing cortisol blood: which time matters The essentials at a glance For cortisol, early morning is the reference point. The MSD Manual, Professional Edition, gives a range of 5 to 25 micrograms per deciliter for the period between 6 and...
Cystatin C: what the level reveals about your kidney function
Cystatin C: what the value shows about your kidney function The essentials at a glance Cystatin C is a protein produced by all nucleated cells and filtered from the blood by the kidneys. The kidneys’ filtration capacity can be estimated...
Blood phosphate level: what the number means—and what it doesn’t
Blood phosphate level: what the number means and what it does not The essentials at a glance The reference range for phosphate in serum in adults is approximately 0.81 to 1.45 mmol/L, with slight variation depending on the laboratory. Approximately...
Magnesium deficiency despite normal blood levels: what the serum level shows
Magnesium deficiency despite normal blood values: what the serum value shows The essentials at a glance A magnesium value within the reference range does not rule out inadequate magnesium status. The reason is a figure: only one to two percent...