Laboratory blood tests for biochemistry are an accurate and informative type of examination. It allows you to assess the state of viability of organs and systems of the body.
General information about blood chemistry
They pass this analysis not only during the illness period, but also during medical prophylactic examinations, commissions, medical examinations, during pregnancy. The standards for the results of a blood test in the female population differ from the children's and male ones, due to some features occurring in their body.
A number of indicators are affected by age, periods of pregnancy, menopause or menopause. The results of blood biochemistry indicators, and more than 40 of them are being studied, will help the doctor assess the general condition of a woman, identify the existing deviations, as well as a lack of nutrients, trace elements or vitamins. Each indicator of a biochemical blood test in women has its upper and lower boundaries, and accordingly, the average value is considered to be the norm.
Preparation and conduct of a biochemical blood test
To obtain a reliable and informative result of blood biochemistry, one must carefully prepare for the procedure. The analysis is given on an empty stomach, the most optimal time is from 8 to 11 in the morning. On the day preceding the manipulation, it is advisable to refrain from heavy food; alcohol smoking in at least one hour. A few days before the procedure, avoid physical overload. If you are taking medication or undergoing a course of physiotherapeutic treatment, then before the study, you should consult your doctor. If possible, then they need to be postponed for a while. Before taking the test, you should calm down, catch your breath, which is very important for women, and take a biochemical blood test in a calm state. When it is necessary to evaluate the results of studies in dynamics, then it is recommended to take tests at one health institution.
The norm of biochemical parameters in women
Any blood component or their combination is responsible for the work of a certain organ or system, the doctor, analyzing the results of the study, determines which and where the malfunction of the body occurred.
In women, the norms of a biochemical blood test depend on the age and hormonal background, which changes throughout life. The use of hormonal contraceptives, menstruation, pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, menopause are events in which the hormonal background is exposed and, accordingly, affects the results of the study.
Biochemical blood test: transcript. Norm in women
It takes one to three days to decrypt the analysis.
- Total protein. The obtained concentration results of this component are used in the diagnosis of pathological metabolic failures, oncopathology and nutritional disorders. Normal values depend on the female age: 14–60 years old from 64 to 85 g / l, acceptable values after sixty years are slightly lower. Excess protein can indicate the presence of diseases of an infectious nature, rheumatoid arthritis and malignant neoplasms. And the presence of protein below acceptable values is possible with gastrointestinal pathologies, diseases of the pancreas, liver, injuries and burns with extensive lesions.
- Albumen. This protein is produced by the liver. The limits of the norm of a biochemical blood test in adult women 35-50 g / l. Conditions in which the body is dehydrated and the level of albumin in the blood rises: gastrointestinal diseases, rotovirus infection, cirrhosis, lupus erythematosus, diabetes and others. Low albumin is found in women who smoke, do not consume enough protein with food, and those who have liver problems.
- Hemoglobin glycated. Biochemical analysis for this indicator is important in the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus and the effectiveness of the prescribed therapy.
The norm is not more than 5.7% in the blood from free hemoglobin. Suspicions of diabetes arise at rates from 5.7 to 6.4. If this component is 6.5 and higher, the doctor prescribes a second blood test and the necessary examinations, based on the results of which he diagnoses and prescribes treatment. - Iron binding capacity of serum. This indicator provides information on the amount of iron that blood can carry, and according to the biochemical analysis of blood, the norm in women is 50.0–85.0 μmol / L. A change in this component occurs in conditions associated with impaired iron metabolism. With a high concentration of iron, the indicator is lower than permissible values, and with a low concentration, the opposite.
- Myoglobin containing iron, protein. With cardiovascular diseases, the concentration of this protein increases. With rheumatoid arthritis, polio myoglobin decreases. The norm for women varies between 12–76 mcg / l.
- Rheumatoid factor. This indicator should not be normal and it is the same for women and men of all age categories. Any, even the most minor deviations from the norm signal serious health problems.
- C – reactive protein. According to a biochemical blood test: the norm in women is 0.5 g / l. In women taking hormonal contraceptives, its level is slightly elevated. And also an increase in this indicator provokes an inflammatory process that occurs in the female body.
- Ceruplasmin is involved in the development of brain tissue and cells. The norm is 150-600 mg / l. Deficiency leads to pathology of the liver, as well as the brain.
- Transferrin. A medical professional prescribes blood biochemistry for this indicator for chronic inflammation, a large amount of iron in the body, necrosis of liver cells, anemia. The norm of indicators of a biochemical blood test in women is in the range from 2.5 to 3.8 g / l. During the bearing of the baby, the concentration of the substance increases, and in old age it decreases.
- Ferritin. The norm for the female population is from 10 to 120 mcg / l. According to this indicator, iron metabolism is evaluated. So, an increase in the amount of ferritin in excess of standard values means that there is an excess of iron in the body. This phenomenon is noted in the following conditions: oncopathology, liver disease, chronic renal failure, and some other diseases.
In addition to the above indicators, the decoding of a biochemical blood test in women of the following components of biological material is important: cholesterol, creatinine, glucose, ALT, AST.
Blood cholesterol in women
This substance is part of all cells in the human body. Most of it is produced by the liver, and the remaining amount, approximately 20%, is ingested with food. Cholesterol affects the production of sex hormones and, accordingly, even a slight deviation from normal values can disrupt the woman's reproductive function.
In order to take care of your health, you should control your cholesterol level by taking blood biochemistry or use special test strips to quickly get a result at home. Special preparation before analysis is not required. The only condition is a refusal to eat 12 hours before the procedure.
What is the danger of cholesterol?
This substance takes part in important vital processes of the body and is contained in various forms in human blood:
- low-density protein-fat compounds (labeled with LDL), it is this cholesterol that is considered "bad", exceeding which exceeds the norm leads to the development of pathological conditions;
- high-density protein-fat compounds (HDL) are considered a useful component and are not deposited on the vascular walls.
In the case when cholesterol is not processed by tissue cells, it settles on the inner walls of blood vessels. In this case, fatty plaques form, which ultimately leads to obstruction of blood flow. As a result, there is a danger of the development of pathological conditions of the cardiovascular system.
Risk groups:
- Smoking women.
- Age over 45 years.
- Sedentary lifestyle.
- Overweight women.
Normal cholesterol in women
Depending on age, a different level of the norm of this component in the blood. In certain life periods: menopause, pregnancy - the results of the analysis must be interpreted by a specialist, since during this period in most cases the concentration of protein-fat compounds of low density is higher than normal. The range of minimum and maximum values of cholesterol (mmol / l is a unit of measurement) in these cases differs from the average values of the substance. If a biochemical blood test (normal for women: total cholesterol 2.9–7.85) showed a change in the concentration of individual forms of this substance, then, most likely, a pathological process develops in the liver or kidneys.
Thus, if the results of the study show deviations from generally accepted normal values, the doctor prescribes additional types of examinations in order to:
- establishing the causes of low or high cholesterol levels in the blood;
- diagnosis;
- prescribing the necessary drug therapy and dietary nutrition.
A biochemical blood test is taken three times (the norm for pregnant women with total cholesterol is in the range from 3.15 to 6.94 mmol / l) for lipid metabolism. In most cases, a high content of low-density protein-fat compounds is observed during this period. After delivery, all indicators return to normal.
In girls and young women under 30 years of age, the permissible cholesterol values differ from the average norms, since the metabolic rate in this age category is higher. In old age, the norm, on the contrary, is greater. With a value exceeding the concentration of 7.8 mmol / L in the female population older than 70 years, this is considered a signal for the selection or correction of drug therapy.
Cholesterol Reduction Methods
If, according to the results of a laboratory study of a biochemical blood test, the norm for women is exceeded, then the easiest way to reduce it is to exercise and change the daily intake of foods consumed in the direction of reducing fat and calorie content. It is recommended to enrich the diet with fruit and vegetable products. Steaming is preferable. Products that help lower LDL cholesterol:
- various spices;
- garlic;
- cereal crops;
- tangerines, oranges, lemons and other citrus fruits;
- green vegetables;
- fatty fish.
Only a doctor prescribes medicines; taking medications on your own is not recommended.
Biochemical blood test for glucose. Norm in women
This is one of the most important indicators. Glucose in the form of complex carbohydrates with food enters the body, where it is broken down and enters the bloodstream. The glucose level in a woman’s body changes during her life and depends on the following reasons:
- age;
- hormonal changes (pregnancy, menopause).
Normal glucose concentration varies from 3.5 to 6.1 mmol / L with a biochemical blood test. For women, as well as for men, the causes of increased sugar levels are: infection, exacerbation of chronic pancreatic diseases. Excess of this substance is not always a symptom of pathology. A slight increase in blood glucose in a pregnant woman is not a sign of pathology.
ALT and AST in the blood of women
These indicators provide information about the state of the liver and other internal organs. ALT, AST - enzymes that transport amino acids, they are found in intact and healthy cells of the body. In the case of the development of a pathological process in the organs, the cells are destroyed and then the enzymes freely penetrate into the bloodstream. A biochemical blood test for ALT (the norm in women after 17 years old is from 0 to 34 units / l) provides an opportunity to recognize changes that occur in the internal organs of the body. For pregnant women, an analysis of these indicators is prescribed once. In chronic liver diseases, monitoring of these indicators is carried out regularly.
In what cases prescribe analysis for AST and ALT?
- Different types of hepatitis. As a result of the destruction of liver cells, enzymes easily penetrate the blood. The results of biochemistry can detect the presence of liver disease at the very beginning of its onset, before the onset of jaundice.
- The level of these indicators changes with myocardial infarction, pericarditis, coronary heart disease, myocarditis.
- Mononucleosis.
- Neoplasms in the liver.
- Gestosis in pregnant women. The results of the analysis with this complication that occurs during pregnancy differ from the norm in the direction of an increase of tens, and sometimes hundreds of times.
- Hemorrhages, skeletal muscle injuries, burns, hemolytic anemia, lung infarction, hypoxia, pain shock - in these pathological conditions, the level of ALT and AST increases significantly from acceptable values.
What affects the level of ALT and AST in the blood?
In a practically healthy woman, fluctuations in the biochemical analysis of blood for AST are allowed during the day (the norm for women is up to 31 units / l), as well as for ALT in the range from 10 to 30% of the normal value. The quantitative indicators of these components are affected by the following factors:
- mental stress, stress, shock;
- taking narcotic substances;
- physical overwork;
- regular intake of hormonal drugs, vitamin and mineral complexes;
- drinking alcohol;
- chronic diseases of blood vessels, thyroid gland, heart, liver, kidneys;
- overweight;
- first trimester of pregnancy.
One of the common reasons for the reduction of the above components in pregnant women is the lack of pyridoxine due to its greater consumption. To supplement vitamin B6, the doctor prescribes courses of vitamin therapy.
Blood creatinine in women
The bulk of this substance is formed in muscle fibers, and its concentration in the blood is stable. Muscle mass of a woman affects the presence of creatinine in the blood. The increase in the concentration of this indicator in the blood in women is significantly affected by:
- weightlifting classes;
- large physical exertion;
- endocrine diseases;
- burns;
- the effect of radiation;
- heart failure;
- the predominance in the nutrition of meat products;
- taking medications (barbiturates, sulfanilamide salicylates and antibacterial tetracycline drugs).
If a kidney pathology is suspected, the health worker prescribes a biochemical blood test for creatinine: the norm for women is 57–93 μmol / l, for girls this indicator is lower. In the older age category over sixty years - from 53 to 106. However, the main reason for the high level of creatinine is the presence of kidney pathology. A low concentration is observed in women with insufficient muscle mass, with cachexia, the absence of limbs in the fetus and in the first and second trimester of pregnancy.
Normal levels of trace elements in women
For the normal operation of all body systems, a sufficient number of different trace elements are needed, the unit of measurement of which is calculated in mmol / l. The norm of indicators of a biochemical analysis of blood in women: sodium 134–145. An increase in excess of permissible values indicates violations of water-salt metabolism; chlorine 95–110. The reasons for the decrease in this indicator are prolonged vomiting and excessive sweating; potassium 3.5–5.5. An increased concentration of this substance implies cell damage, dehydration; iron 8.9-30.4. Excess increases are a sign of anemia, leukemia, and uncontrolled use of iron-containing drugs; zinc 11–18; Calcium 2.15–2.6.
There are many cases of deviation of indicators from permissible norms and this is not always the cause of pathology. Therefore, the interpretation of the results should be entrusted to a specialist. The correct decoding of a biochemical blood test (the norms for women are given above) can only be done by a doctor. Thus, this method of laboratory blood testing helps to find out the basis of a health disorder and evaluate the effectiveness of treatment.