Everyone wants to know if everything is in order with his health. For this, there is a system of laboratory tests that can tell with a high degree of certainty about the actual condition of the patient. Among the most common can be called a biochemical blood test. In adults and children, this laboratory test can show the presence of latent diseases and will make it possible to be informed about the state of health in general.
This type of research is very informative. It not only helps to identify any ailment, but also provides information about which vitamins, minerals and other vital substances are missing in the human body.
Very often, a biochemical
blood test ( normal
indicators , decoding is familiar to every doctor) is prescribed to identify diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, genitourinary system, with gynecological problems and with suspected oncology.
But do not think that this type of blood test is prescribed only if there are certain complaints. Even if the patient feels satisfactorily, blood biochemistry will reveal hidden forms and early stages of diseases or a lack of important substances.
How is analysis given?
The order of delivery of material for research has its own rules. Before going to a medical institution for this examination, the patient should not eat or drink, not even water.
For examination, the laboratory assistant takes 5 ml of blood from the cubital vein from the patient. Next, the sample is subjected to comprehensive testing, and the results are entered in a special form. Deciphering the biochemical analysis of blood in adults (the table is presented in this article) serves as a complete source of data for the doctor. It is able to give complete information about the state of the patient’s body.
By themselves, the numbers in the form are uninformative. In order to really evaluate the results, the doctor needs to take the norms of laboratory tests to compare. Blood biochemistry will then become clear.
Each of the analysis criteria does not have clearly defined standards.
For all points of the survey there are minimum and maximum acceptable indicators. If the result is within the normal range, then the patient has no abnormalities. In the case of loss of the existing value from the limit indicators, we are talking about the presence of pathological changes.
Deciphering the biochemical analysis of blood in adults is a table in which a rather large number of points is indicated. Let us consider in more detail the most significant criteria of this laboratory study.
Albumen
Albumin is a protein substance that is produced in the human liver. It is one of the main blood proteins and stands out in a separate group called "protein fractions." The change in the ratio of such groups is very informative for the doctor. Very often, according to the results of measuring albumin, the condition of the kidneys, the presence of cancer or rheumatism are judged.
Albumin is slightly reduced in pregnant and lactating women, as well as in smokers. This protein substance can be in a low concentration during fasting, a protein-poor diet, hormonal drugs and birth control. An increased value of this criterion may indicate the presence of:
- acute and chronic liver pathologies (cirrhosis, hepatitis, tumor);
- injuries and burns;
- sepsis, suppuration, or infection;
- rheumatism;
- feverish conditions;
- heart failure;
- cancer
- overdose of drugs.
Regulatory albumin levels are:
| patient age | Norm, g / l |
| children | 37 - 53 |
| up to 60 years old | 36 - 51 |
| elderly age 60 years and above | 35 - 47 |
Total protein
Proteins are polymeric substances made up of amino acids. In biochemistry, the concept of “total protein” includes the amount of proteins in the blood serum and consists of albumin and globulins. This indicator is informative in the diagnosis of liver diseases, gastrointestinal tract, oncology and with serious burn injuries. A quantitative indicator of total protein will be shown by decoding a biochemical blood test in adults, the table of which is presented below.
| Patient age | Norm, g / l |
| newborn babies | 48 - 73 |
| up to 1 year | 45 - 71 |
| 1-4 years | 62 - 73 |
| 5-7 years old | 51 - 77 |
| children from 8 to 15 years old | 59 - 75 |
| adults | 65 - 84 |
If as a result of the analysis there were underestimated indicators of these figures, we can say about the following patient problems:
- infection;
- rheumatic ailments;
- cancerous diseases.
In children, an increase in the level of total protein accompanies intestinal obstruction, diarrhea and vomiting, cholera and serious burns.
If a person has this criterion for blood biochemistry lowered, this can be said about the following diseases:
- pathological phenomena in the liver, which lead to a decrease in protein production by this body;
- glomerulonephritis;
- pancreatitis
- violations in the digestive tract.
Typically, total protein is reduced in patients with large blood loss, severe burns, various injuries and inflammatory processes, as well as starvation and heavy physical exertion.
C-reactive protein
This component indicates inflammation, infections, the presence of parasites. Since the function of this protein is to mobilize immunity, its concentration begins to increase sharply with the manifestation of protective reactions of the body. Normally, the concentration of CRP is 0.5 mg / L.
For a doctor, CRP analysis is important in diagnosing diseases caused by bacteria or viruses. Also, according to the dynamics of this indicator, he judges the effectiveness of the therapy. An increased concentration of CRP is observed with:
- rheumatism;
- digestive system diseases;
- tuberculosis
- myocardial infarction;
- cancer;
- meningitis;
- sepsis
- complication after surgery.
The concentration of CRP increases during an exacerbation of chronic diseases.
Glycated Hemoglobin
Hemoglobin is responsible for the transport of oxygen molecules throughout the body. When a glucose molecule is attached to such a protein, a substance called glycated hemoglobin is obtained. An increase in its concentration in the blood is a reason to suspect diabetes. The norm of the content of this protein is 4.1-6.6%. Reduced rates are with prolonged abstinence from food and great physical exertion.
Myoglobin
This protein is similar in function to hemoglobin. It supplies oxygen to the heart and skeletal muscles. The norms of myoglobin, mcg / l:
- in women - 13-75;
- in men - 18-92.1.
An increase in myoglobin in the blood indicates:
- kidney pathology;
- myocardial infarction;
- injuries, burns;
- convulsive phenomena.
Myoglobin also grows during sports and therapy using electric pulses.
This blood protein decreases with:
- polymyositis;
- myasthenia gravis;
- rheumatoid arthritis;
- autoimmune reactions.
Transferrin, ferritin, iron-clotting ability of serum
Transferrin is a protein responsible for iron transfer. The norm of its content is 2.1-4.12 g / l. Its concentration increases in pregnant women and decreases in the elderly.
If blood biochemistry showed an increased content of transferrin, this may indicate the following diseases:
- inflammatory phenomena;
- burns;
- cancer;
- cirrhosis of the liver;
- excess iron;
- hemochromatosis.
Increased transferrin indicates the development of iron deficiency anemia.
Ferritin is a protein that can be found in all fluids and cells of the human body. It shows the availability of iron reserves. Normalized indicators of ferritin, ng / l in the blood depend on gender and are:
- in men - 21-252;
- in women - 11-122;
With its increased indicators, we can talk about the following pathologies:
- hemochromatosis with excess iron;
- oncology, leukemia;
- infectious and inflammatory diseases in a chronic or acute form;
- liver disease
Low ferritin indicates anemia.
WSS talks about how iron is bound to transferrin. To determine anemia, the concept of latent LSS is used. The norm for this criterion is 22-61 μmol / L. Its decrease happens when:
A decrease in LSS is observed in the following conditions:
- infectious diseases;
- tumors;
- nephrosis;
- exhaustion;
- cirrhosis;
- hemochromatosis and thalassemia.
Rheumatoid factor
These substances belong to immunoglobulins of the class G-IgG. These are proteins native to the human body, which under the influence of viruses mutated and began to recognize cells of various organs as foreign.
The norm of a
biochemical blood test in adults for this indicator is 10.1 units / ml. In cases of increased concentration of this protein, we are talking about the following ailments:
- cirrhosis of the liver;
- cancer;
- polymyositis;
- rheumatoid arthritis;
- dermatomyositis;
- infections
- systemic lupus erythematosus.
Enzymes
The decoding of a biochemical blood test in adults, a table of which is given to the patient in his arms, also contains data on the quantitative content of the following enzymes:
- Amylase. This enzyme is excreted in saliva (diastasis) and in the pancreas. The latter is called pancreatic amylase. Diastasis is characterized by standards of 29-101 units / liter. Exceeding this indicator indicates anomalies of the pancreas, cholecystitis, acute peritonitis, mumps and diabetes. Pancreatic amylase is normal if it is in the range of 0-52 u / L. An increased concentration indicates pathologies of the pancreas.
- Lactate dehydrogenase is an enzyme that can be found in almost all organs and tissues. With age, its concentration decreases. If the content of LDH in a newborn is 2010 u / l, then after 12 years the norm decreases to 252 u / l. A high concentration of this enzyme indicates hypoxia, diseases of the heart and blood vessels, liver, lungs and may indicate cancer.
- Creatine kinase is an enzyme that provides muscle energy. The content of this substance will show a biochemical blood test. Norms, indicators of this enzyme vary depending on age and gender. If in a newborn this indicator is 650 units / liter, then in adults it is about 202 units / liter.
An increased concentration of creatine kinase indicates heart ailments, tetanus, hypothyroidism, diseases of the central nervous system and cancer. The concentration of this enzyme decreases with muscular dystrophy and physical inactivity.
The content of these and other enzymes will give an idea of a biochemical blood test. Blood biochemistry can also tell about the concentration of the following enzymes: AlAT, Gamma-HT, AcAT, cholinesterase, alkaline phosphatase and lipase.
Lipids
The main indicators of a biochemical blood test also include lipids, mmol / l:
- total cholesterol, standard 3.2-6.12;
- LDL, the norm for men is 2.26-4.81, for women - 1.9-4.51;
- HDL, the norm for men is 0.73-1.74, for women - 0.87-2.27.
Overestimated indicators of these criteria indicate diseases of the heart and blood vessels, kidneys, gout, pancreatic abnormalities, obesity, anorexia and alcoholism. A decrease in lipids indicates anemia, heart failure, infections, cirrhosis and liver cancer, lung diseases.
Carbohydrates
The table of the biochemical analysis of blood, the decoding of which is of interest to all patients, also contains information on the content of carbohydrates:
- Glucose. It is a decisive factor in the diagnosis of diabetes. Norms of glucose in the blood, mol / l are: in children and adolescents - 3.34-5.6; in adults - 3.95-5.82; after 60 years, 6.4. A high content of this carbohydrate indicates endocrine ailments, diabetes mellitus, heart attack and stroke, diseases of the pancreas and kidneys. A decrease in glucose indicates gastrointestinal diseases, poisoning and hypothyroidism.
- Fructosamine is a criterion in diagnosing diabetes and assessing the quality of its treatment. Its maximum concentration is 203-282 μmol / L. In the case of increased values, we are talking about kidney abnormalities, diabetes mellitus or hypothyroidism. At low concentrations of fructosamine, we are talking about hyperthyroidism and kidney ailments.
Pigments
Among other indicators in the analysis of "blood biochemistry" you can find the mark "bilirubin". It is measured in micromol / l and can be of several types:
- Straight. Norm 0-3.32;
- Common. Standard 3.38-17.23.
An increase in bilirubin indicates abnormalities of the liver and an insufficient content of vitamin B 12 .
Other components of blood biochemistry
Each doctor has an idea how to decipher a biochemical blood test: the norm (table: adults and children) of each component is needed to assess the patient's condition. In addition to the above components, the list of results of this laboratory study includes:
| Indicator | Units | Norm |
| Creatinine | μmol / l | up to a year - 17-36 from year to 14 years old - 28-61 women - 52-98 men - 61-116 |
| Uric acid | under 14 years old - 1.83-6.42 men - 210-420 women - 151-352 |
| Urea | mmol, l | under 14 years old - 1.83-6.42 adults 14-60 years old - 2.51-6.42 after 60 years - 2.91-7.52 |
| Potassium | up to a year - 4.12-5.31 1-14 years - 3.42-4.72 adults - 3.51-5.54 |
| Calcium | 2.23-2.52 |
| Sodium | 136-145 |
| Chlorine | 98-107 |
| Magnesium | 0.63-1.12 |
| Phosphorus | up to 2 years - 1.46-2.15 2-12 years old - 1.45-1.77 adults 12-60 years old - 0.88-1.46 women after 60 years old - 0.9-1.33 men after 60 years - 0.73-1.22 |
| Iron | μmol / l | up to a year - 7.22-17.92 1-14 years old - 9.03-21.52 women - 9.0-30.4 men - 11.63-30.42 |
| Vitamit B12 | pg / ml | 180-900 |
| Folic acid | ng / ml | 3.1-18 |
When assessing the conformity of data obtained as a result of a study of blood biochemistry, the standards of the laboratory in which the analysis was carried out must be taken into account. In order to make an accurate diagnosis, the doctor must prescribe additional studies.