Pushpa
Doctor visits Note · 6 min read
Reading her lab report without panicking
A number in bold isn't always a problem. What the common tests on an older parent's report mean, in plain words
The Pushpa team · 8 sources
A number in bold isn't always a problem. What the common tests on an older parent's report mean, in plain words
The Pushpa team · 8 sourcesThe report arrives as a PDF on WhatsApp, three pages long, with a few numbers in bold. Before you search each one at midnight, two things from MedlinePlus are worth knowing. Labs often use different reference ranges, so compare against the range printed on her own report. And it's common for healthy people to sometimes fall outside the range
Her average blood sugar over the past two to three months. Below 5.7% is normal, 5.7 to 6.4% is prediabetes, and 6.5% or more is diabetes. If she already has diabetes, her doctor may aim for a less strict target at her age
Usually taken after fasting for 9 to 12 hours. For healthy adults, MedlinePlus gives total cholesterol under 200 mg/dL and LDL, the “bad” cholesterol, under 100. For HDL, the “good” one, higher is better: 60 or more is best, and under 50 is low for women, under 40 for men. Her doctor may set different targets if she has heart disease or diabetes
Creatinine is a waste product from normal wear and tear on muscles, and the kidneys clear it. The eGFR uses creatinine, age and sex to estimate how well the kidneys filter. Roughly: 90 or more is probably healthy, 60 to 90 may be early kidney disease, and below 60 may mean kidney disease. Being over 60 is itself a risk factor, so a slow drift matters more than one result
Haemoglobin is the iron-rich protein that carries oxygen. Low haemoglobin can point to anaemia, from low iron or other causes. A high white cell count may mean an infection. Low haemoglobin can also make an HbA1c read falsely high, so look at the two together
A thyroid test. A high TSH usually means an underactive thyroid, a low one usually means overactive. Age, especially over 80, can shift the result
B12 below about 299 pg/mL may mean a deficiency, and long-term metformin or acid-reducing tablets can affect it. Doctors also check B12 when there is new confusion. Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium, and people who rarely get sun are at risk of running low
How Pushpa helpsSend Pushpa a photo of the report and she reads it, explains each result in plain words, and lays it next to the last one. The questions it raises go straight onto the list for her next visit
General information, not medical advice. In an emergency in India, call 112
Report sent to the family
Pushpa