Labs & Trends

White blood cells are part of the immune system. Counts outside the reference range can reflect infection, inflammation, or other immune system activity.

Red blood cells carry oxygen throughout the body. This count is one of several measures, along with hemoglobin and hematocrit, used to screen for anemia or other blood disorders.

Hemoglobin is the oxygen-carrying protein inside red blood cells, and is the primary lab value used to screen for anemia.

Hematocrit is the percentage of blood volume made up of red blood cells, used alongside hemoglobin to evaluate oxygen-carrying capacity and hydration status.

MCV measures the average size of red blood cells, which helps classify the type of anemia, if present, as related to iron, B12/folate, or other causes.

MCH measures the average amount of hemoglobin per red blood cell, used alongside MCV to characterize red blood cell size and content.

MCHC measures the concentration of hemoglobin within red blood cells, another standard part of the anemia workup.

Platelets are blood cell fragments involved in clotting. Counts outside range can relate to bleeding or clotting risk, bone marrow activity, or other conditions.

RDW measures how much red blood cells vary in size. An elevated value can be an early sign of nutrient deficiency or mixed types of anemia.

MPV measures the average size of platelets. Larger platelets are sometimes associated with increased platelet turnover or production; a low platelet count combined with a high MPV may indicate an unusually high rate of platelet destruction.

• Jul 21, 2023: Flagged high
• Aug 14, 2024: Flagged high
• Dec 20, 2024: Flagged high

Eosinophils are white blood cells involved in allergic responses and parasitic infections. Elevated counts are often linked to allergies, asthma, or certain immune conditions.

• Feb 22, 2022: Flagged high

Blood glucose measures circulating blood sugar at the time of the draw. It's used to screen for diabetes and blood sugar regulation issues, and is significantly affected by fasting status.

• Nov 19, 2024: Flagged high

BUN measures a waste product filtered by the kidneys. It's used alongside creatinine to assess kidney function, but is also affected by protein intake and hydration.

• Feb 22, 2022: Flagged high
• Jul 21, 2023: Flagged high
• Feb 9, 2024: Flagged high
• Dec 20, 2024: Flagged high
• Jan 29, 2026: Flagged high

Creatinine is a muscle metabolism byproduct filtered by the kidneys, and is one of the primary lab markers used to estimate kidney function.

eGFR (estimated glomerular filtration rate) is a calculated estimate of how well the kidneys are filtering blood, derived from creatinine and other factors.

This ratio compares BUN to creatinine, and can help indicate whether an abnormal BUN is more likely related to kidney function, hydration, or dietary protein intake.

• Jul 21, 2023: Flagged high
• Feb 9, 2024: Flagged high

Sodium is an electrolyte that helps regulate fluid balance, nerve function, and muscle function.

Potassium is an electrolyte important for heart and muscle function; levels outside range can affect cardiac rhythm.

Chloride is an electrolyte that works alongside sodium and bicarbonate to help maintain fluid balance and acid-base status.

This measures bicarbonate (reported as carbon dioxide), an electrolyte reflecting the body's acid-base balance.

Calcium is essential for bone health, nerve signaling, and muscle function; levels are tightly regulated by the body and influenced by parathyroid hormone and vitamin D.

ALT is an enzyme found mainly in the liver; elevated levels can indicate liver cell stress or damage.

AST is an enzyme found in the liver and other tissues, including muscle; it's typically assessed alongside ALT as part of a liver panel.

Alkaline phosphatase is an enzyme found in liver and bone tissue; it's used as part of a liver panel and can also reflect bone activity.

• Jan 29, 2026: Flagged high

Bilirubin is a byproduct of red blood cell breakdown, processed by the liver; elevated levels can relate to liver function or red blood cell turnover.

This measures the combined level of albumin and globulin proteins in the blood, reflecting nutritional status and liver or kidney function.

Albumin is the main protein made by the liver; it helps maintain fluid balance and can reflect nutritional status and liver or kidney function.

Globulins are a group of blood proteins that include antibodies; levels can reflect immune activity as well as liver and kidney function.

The albumin/globulin ratio compares these two protein groups and can help contextualize a change in either one.

Uric acid is a byproduct of protein (purine) metabolism, filtered by the kidneys. Elevated levels are associated with gout and uric acid kidney stone formation.

Total cholesterol is a sum measure used alongside its components (LDL, HDL, triglycerides) to assess cardiovascular risk.

Triglycerides are a type of fat circulating in the blood; levels are affected by diet, especially recent carbohydrate and fat intake, and by fasting status.

HDL cholesterol helps remove other forms of cholesterol from the bloodstream; higher levels are generally considered favorable for cardiovascular health.

• Feb 22, 2022: Flagged low
• Jan 29, 2026: Flagged low

LDL cholesterol is a primary driver of cardiovascular risk assessment; this value is typically calculated from the other lipid panel results rather than measured directly.

• Feb 22, 2022: Flagged high
• Jul 21, 2023: Flagged high
• Jan 29, 2026: Flagged high

Non-HDL cholesterol is total cholesterol minus HDL, capturing all the potentially harmful cholesterol-carrying particles in one number.

VLDL cholesterol carries triglycerides in the blood; it's usually estimated from the triglyceride value rather than measured directly.

Hemoglobin A1c reflects average blood glucose over roughly the prior 2–3 months, used to screen for and monitor diabetes and prediabetes.

• Feb 22, 2022: Flagged high
• Jul 21, 2023: Flagged high
• Dec 20, 2024: Flagged high

Estimated average glucose is calculated directly from the A1c result, expressed in the same units as a glucose reading for easier comparison.

TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) is the primary screening test for thyroid function; it's produced by the pituitary gland in response to thyroid hormone levels.

• Feb 22, 2022: Flagged high

Free T4 measures the active, unbound form of thyroxine, one of the main thyroid hormones, used alongside TSH to evaluate thyroid function.

Total T4 measures all thyroxine in the blood, both bound and unbound, though free T4 is generally considered the more clinically informative measure.

Free T3 measures the active, unbound form of triiodothyronine, the more biologically active thyroid hormone.

Total T3 measures all triiodothyronine in the blood, both bound and unbound.

Reverse T3 is an inactive mirror-image form of T3. Some practitioners use it alongside T3/T4 to look at thyroid hormone conversion patterns, though it isn't part of standard thyroid screening.

Vitamin B12 is essential for nerve function and red blood cell production; deficiency can contribute to fatigue and a specific type of anemia.

Folate (vitamin B9) is needed for cell division and red blood cell production; it's often assessed alongside B12 in an anemia workup.

Vitamin D, 25-OH is the standard measure of vitamin D status, relevant to bone health and broader immune function. Different labs sometimes use somewhat different thresholds for what counts as sufficient.

• Feb 22, 2022: Below the 30 ng/mL optimal threshold used by DSL; Quest's own scale called this "Optimum" (≥20).

Total testosterone measures all testosterone in the blood, both bound and unbound.

Free testosterone measures the unbound, biologically active portion of circulating testosterone.

Insulin is the hormone that regulates blood sugar uptake. Fasting insulin levels are used to assess insulin sensitivity/resistance, so fasting status at the time of the draw significantly affects how a result should be read.

• Jan 29, 2026: Flagged high, and this draw was marked non-fasting on the lab report — take this elevated value with a grain of salt rather than as a fasting baseline.

IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor 1) reflects growth hormone activity over time and is sometimes used to evaluate growth hormone-related conditions.

Homocysteine is an amino acid byproduct. Elevated levels have been studied as a cardiovascular risk marker and can relate to B-vitamin status.

Ferritin reflects the body's stored iron levels, but is also an acute-phase reactant, meaning it can rise with inflammation independent of actual iron status.

Serum iron measures the amount of iron currently circulating in the blood, one part of a broader iron studies panel.

TIBC (total iron-binding capacity) measures the blood's overall capacity to bind and transport iron, used alongside serum iron and ferritin to evaluate iron status.

Iron saturation is the percentage of iron-binding capacity currently occupied by iron, calculated from serum iron and TIBC.

G6PD is an enzyme that protects red blood cells from oxidative stress. Testing screens for a genetic deficiency that can cause red blood cell breakdown under certain triggers, such as some medications or foods.

C-reactive protein is a general marker of inflammation, produced by the liver in response to many different inflammatory triggers rather than any single specific cause.

• Dec 20, 2024: Flagged high (average cardiovascular risk band)
• Jan 29, 2026: This lab's CRP assay only reports a threshold (<5.0 mg/L), not an exact value, and is not a high-sensitivity assay — not directly comparable to the other CRP reading.

ESR (sedimentation rate) is another general marker of inflammation, measuring how quickly red blood cells settle in a test tube.

• Feb 22, 2022: Reported as <3 mm/hr
• Jul 21, 2023: Reported as <3 mm/hr

LDH is an enzyme found in many tissues; elevated levels are a nonspecific marker of cell turnover or tissue stress.

GGT is a liver enzyme, often used alongside other liver tests to help clarify whether an elevated alkaline phosphatase is coming from the liver or from bone.

Amylase is an enzyme that helps digest carbohydrates, produced mainly by the pancreas and salivary glands; it's typically checked when pancreatic issues are suspected.

Magnesium is an electrolyte and mineral involved in muscle, nerve, and heart function.

Phosphorus is a mineral involved in bone health and energy metabolism, closely regulated alongside calcium.

Iodine is an essential mineral the thyroid uses to produce thyroid hormones.

• Feb 4, 2026: Flagged low

Selenium is a trace mineral involved in antioxidant defense and thyroid hormone metabolism.

DHEA-Sulfate is a hormone produced by the adrenal glands, a precursor the body can convert into other sex hormones.

LH (luteinizing hormone) is a pituitary hormone that regulates reproductive hormone production.

Estradiol is a form of estrogen that plays hormonal signaling roles in people of all sexes, though typical ranges and clinical use differ by context.

IgG is the most abundant antibody type in the blood, providing longer-term immune memory from past infections and, in some cases, vaccinations.

IgA is an antibody type concentrated at mucosal surfaces (gut, respiratory tract), providing frontline immune defense there.

IgM is the antibody type the body produces first in a new immune response, before switching to longer-term IgG production.

This measures lead levels in whole blood, used to screen for heavy metal exposure.

• Feb 4, 2026: Reported as <2.0 ug/dL

This measures mercury levels in whole blood, used to screen for heavy metal exposure, often related to diet (e.g. certain fish) or environmental sources.

This measures arsenic levels in whole blood, used to screen for heavy metal exposure.

• Feb 4, 2026: Reported as <10.0 ug/L

This measures histamine excreted in urine over a 24-hour period, sometimes used to help evaluate histamine-related conditions such as mast cell activation.

• Jan 30, 2026: Flagged high

Tryptase is an enzyme released by mast cells. A persistently elevated baseline level (not just during a reaction) is the main screening marker for hereditary alpha-tryptasemia and is also checked when mast cell activation is suspected.