Blood biochemistry: norm and interpretation of the results

Blood reflects a person’s state of health. If any organs have malfunctions or problems with metabolic processes, then they can be determined by a laboratory test. Most often, doctors prescribe a biochemical blood test to obtain detailed information, which is much more indicative than a simple clinical analysis. You can read about what blood biochemistry is and what this study shows in this article.

Biochemical analysis - what is it?

Few of us donated blood from a vein for a detailed analysis. Unlike clinical, biochemical analysis shows a more detailed list of substances contained in the blood and reflecting the state of health. Since such a laboratory analysis is the most indicative, doctors prescribe it to every second patient. Even if you do not have serious complaints, it will not be superfluous to check the body's indicators. After all, there are many diseases that at first are asymptomatic, and biochemistry allows you to identify them. Most often, prescriptions are prescribed in the following areas of medicine:

• gynecology;
• endocrinology;
• pulmonology;
• pediatrics.

Needless to say, not a single diagnosis, especially a serious one, can do without a detailed analysis of the processes in the body. You can donate blood in a free clinic or district hospital, but for this you need a referral from a general practitioner. The waiting period for the results can be different, but on average it is about a week. If you decide to pass the biochemical analysis for a fee, then the waiting period is greatly reduced - the results will be known in three days or even earlier. The cost of basic research in private clinics is approximately 200-300 rubles. More accurate results can be obtained by taking narrowly targeted tests for a particular blood element.

Analysis Information

For a biochemical blood test, there are specific indicators that are considered the norm in the medical world. Deciphering the results of blood biochemistry involves the identification of various deviations in the human body:

• Protein - its level in the blood allows you to understand whether there are inflammatory processes. Various deviations from the norm can say a lot about the state of immunity, the intestinal tract and the lifestyle of a person.
• Blood sugar levels may indicate diabetes or a predisposition to it.
• Cholesterol - is important when taking into account the risk of cardiovascular disease, especially in the elderly.
• Urea - shows problems in the urinary system.
• Hemoglobin - indicates the content of iron in the blood.
• Enzymes (ALT and AST) help to see disorders in the liver and cardiovascular system.
• Increased bilirubin indicates impaired liver function and various diseases (for example, with hepatitis).
• Amylase is mainly associated with processes in the gastrointestinal tract; its excess may indicate pancreatitis, diabetes, or renal failure.
• Potassium and sodium are the most important trace elements that take part in the metabolism.

Indications for analysis

General blood chemistry is prescribed quite often, but only with certain indications. What factors may be the prerequisites for this study?

• Suspicions of a latent current disease. Some diseases can last for years without symptoms, so if the doctor has the slightest reason to suspect this, a blood test is mandatory.
• During the annual medical examination of the population. Experts recommend doing blood biochemistry at least 1 time per year on a par with other examinations, even if nothing bothers you.
• To confirm the diagnosis, it is also extremely important to know the blood counts. No ARI can be left without this detailed test to avoid complications.
• Blood donation for biochemistry is also required when making a diagnosis to protect against medical error.
  

As you can see, it’s extremely useful to take biochemical parameters not only during an illness, but also as a preventative measure. For example, diabetes, which is considered a disease of the century, can be prevented by detecting an increase in blood sugar in time.

Decryption

Normally, the results of blood biochemistry should not go beyond certain parameters. As a rule, this is followed by a doctor, but many patients still want to know what substances affect the body's processes. Decoding blood biochemistry in adults includes the following parameters:

• Total protein (TP) is determined when suspected diseases of the internal organs. Norm: 63-87 grams per liter.
• Urea (Urea) - too high a level indicates a deterioration in kidney function. The norm is from 5 to 12 mmol per liter.
• Creatinine (Crea) indicates liver problems. The norm for adults ranges from 88 to 194 units.
• Bilirubin (TBIL) appears in the body after the breakdown of hemoglobin and is normally utilized by the liver. Ideal indicators: from 0 to 7 units.
• Glucose (GLU) is released into the bloodstream after eating and is utilized with insulin. If the pancreas fails, or a person consumes too much sweet, then blood sugar rises. Normal are considered indicators from 3.30 to 5.30 mmol per liter on an empty stomach.
• ALT (ALT) is an enzyme that is contained within cells and is involved in the creation of amino acids. Norm: 28-75 units.
• AST (AST) appears in the blood when the heart is damaged, so it can be considered an eloquent marker of cardiovascular disease. Normal values ​​range from 12 to 40.
• Cholesterol (GHOL) are lipoproteins that protect blood vessels, but can also clog them if a person eats improperly. A low level may indicate exhaustion, and a high level may indicate atherosclerosis or gout. Indicators from 2 to 5 mmol / L do not cause any concern.
• Amylase (AMYL) - a deviation from the norm of this indicator may indirectly indicate pancreatitis or diabetes. The norm of the content of amylase in the blood allows a large spread in numbers: from 800 to 2090.
• Lipase (LIPA) is involved in digestion, turning carbohydrates into energy to nourish cells. The normal range is from 0 to 83 units.

Norms for children

With indicators of adult biochemistry, everything is clear. But what if the child passes the analysis? Here it is doubly important to interpret the numbers correctly. The norms of blood biochemistry for children are not very different. After all, the analysis includes all the same elements as in adults. Only their size differs from the usual numbers. Let's focus on the most key indicators:

• The rate of total protein can range from 50 to 85 g / l. The older the child - the more protein can be in his blood. In addition, much depends on nutrition.
• The glucose level should not exceed 5-6 mmol / l, and it is on an empty stomach. Otherwise, you need to urgently consult a doctor.
• Bilirubin above 20 mmol per liter is a serious marker of liver dysfunction, which you should definitely pay attention to.
• Urea is the most reliable indicator of kidney function. If its level is below 2.4 or above 7, there is a problem in this area.

If any abnormalities are found after donating blood for biochemistry, doctors prescribe additional examinations. The timely detection of an ailment in a child is extremely important, therefore pediatricians recommend taking a biochemical analysis after each illness or every six months if the child is little ill.

Squirrels

One of the main indicators of human health in deciphering blood biochemistry is the level of protein in the body. It not only supports the human immunity, vital substances such as amino acids are built from it. In human blood contains 165 proteins, which are divided into three large groups:

• Albumin
• fibrinogen;
• globulins.

The total protein level in the results of blood biochemistry may indicate various deviations. An understated amount may indicate poor nutrition, because it is from food that we get amino acids for our cells. Therefore, people who, for whatever reason, follow a limited diet, must regularly take blood biochemistry and monitor protein levels. There are also specific proteins that occur when ailments appear. Albumin is the main component of human blood plasma. It transports beneficial substances, "forwarding" them from blood to cells. An increase in albumin can indicate cancer or kidney or liver problems. Another important protein is ferritin. It builds up iron stores in the body. It is an analysis of the level of ferritin that is prescribed if you want to verify the presence of anemia, since a study on the amount of hemoglobin can not always be indicative. The appearance of C-reactive protein in the analysis indicates the presence of an inflammatory process. The cause of its increase can be various diseases: from meningitis to oncology. Myoglobin is checked in cardiovascular patients, since this protein is found in the tissues of the heart. There are many more names, each of these substances plays a role in the body. If you track the deviation from the norm, we can assume what disease the person is infected with.

Enzymes

Enzymes, or enzymes, are another important component of human blood. It is difficult to overestimate their role: they are involved in the splitting of various elements, turning them into trace elements needed by cells. The most important of them:

• amylase;
• lipase;
• ALT;
• AST.

Doctors always carefully consider the decoding of blood biochemistry. Normally, an adult should not experience an increase in any element, otherwise this may indirectly or directly indicate problems with the liver or pancreas. Amylase, for example, is involved in the breakdown of glycogen to glucose. Simply put, with malnutrition or diabetes, this enzyme starts the process of using the body’s back-up stores with stored glycogen. Lipase breaks down fats, its increase in the blood is a symptom of diabetes, pancreatitis or cholecystitis. The ALT enzyme transfers the amino acid alanine and is produced by liver cells. Normally, his blood counts should be low, and their increase can be caused by growth, taking medications or intense sports.

Pigments

Blood pigments are represented by bilirubin in various conditions. Direct bilirubin, bound and unbound, is isolated. Bilirubin itself is a yellow-red substance that forms in the blood after the breakdown of hemoglobin. Direct bilirubin is a substance that is in a free, unbound state in the blood. Then it is excreted by the liver, in which it combines with glucuronic acid and is called “bound”. Total hemoglobin is the sum of both indicators, which is used to diagnose certain diseases. A decrease in one of the indicators indicates liver damage as a result of hepatitis, intoxication or trauma. But the increase is often associated with cholelithiasis or a pancreatic tumor.

Sugar

When decoding the biochemistry of blood in adults, doctors always pay attention to the level of sugar in the blood. The value of this indicator can not be overestimated, because it is on it that they judge the amount of insulin produced. If the pancreas does not cope with its function in full, then the glucose level is higher than normal. In this case, doctors prescribe a special diet for small deviations or drug therapy if the patient has a diabetic condition. A decrease in blood glucose is called hypoglycemia and can occur as a result of malnutrition or intense exercise. If you do not feed a person in time, then a pre-faint state may occur, and in rare cases, a coma. Hypoglycemia can also indicate other diseases:

• pathologies of the liver;
• enteritis;
• meningitis or encephalitis;
• in case of an overdose of insulin.

Cholesterol

Excess harmful fats are considered one of the main factors in the development of cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, doctors make sure that the level of cholesterol is normal in the biochemistry of blood in adults. Lipids play an important role in the construction of new cells, bile and hormones, as well as in the production of vitamin D, without which a person can not live. Fats can be conditionally divided into "good", which benefit the body, and "bad", such as cholesterol. In the blood, lipids can be found in the form of various compounds, lipoproteins of very low density are considered the most undesirable, since they mostly consist of cholesterol. High and medium density lipoproteins include protein, phospholipids and triglycerides. Depending on what type of fat is contained in the blood in greater quantities, it is possible to determine what disease is in the body. For example, if triglycerides are elevated in the blood, this may indicate hepatitis, pancreatitis, or heart disease. Lowering these fats may indicate recurring obstructive pulmonary disease, malnutrition. Elevated cholesterol is also not an indicator of good health. Hypertension, alcoholism, pancreatitis, diabetes, or pregnancy can cause an excess of this lipid.

The results of blood biochemistry are directly dependent on the nutrition that a person receives. A blood test reliably displays the amount and type of fat only if the person did not eat fatty foods the day before and complied with the requirements for preparing for the analysis. What other conditions must be observed in order for the blood biochemistry to be as accurate as possible?

How to prepare for the test

In order to obtain reliable results and avoid unnecessary expenses in connection with the repeated retest of tests, it is necessary to strictly observe a number of rules:

1. Blood chemistry can be donated only on an empty stomach. The fact is that when eating in the body, the level of sugar, lipids, hormones changes, therefore, for the most reliable results, doctors advise to go to the laboratory in the morning, at least after 8 hours of fasting.
2. On the eve of the analysis, you need to adhere to a simple diet: do not eat salty, sweet and fatty foods, and it is better to refuse alcohol intake for 2-3 days.
3. Thermal procedures before medical manipulation should also be excluded. Bath, sauna, strong physical activity can affect the processes in the body and distort the results of blood biochemistry.
4. Before analysis, it is recommended to drink a glass of warm water in order to make it easier to take blood. But it is better to refrain from taking tea or coffee, even without sugar.
5. It is also better to stop smoking cigarettes at least an hour before manipulation.
6. If you are taking antibiotics, hormones, or other medications, you should notify your doctor about this before giving blood.
7. Unnecessarily violent unrest before the procedure is best avoided. Respiratory exercises and meditation will help to cope with the excitement.
   

Expert Advice

In the modern world, tests are available everywhere: everyone can donate blood at any time of the day and get results as soon as possible. In this regard, modern paid laboratories even began to give analyzes with the norms of substances. But their doctors still do not advise interpreting on their own, because in this matter not only numbers are important, but also the overall picture. A laboratory diagnostic doctor or therapist, looking at the results of blood biochemistry, can accurately say whether you have a particular disease or not. But it is not recommended to make a diagnosis on your own, and even more so to seek treatment, as your speculation may turn out to be completely wrong.