General Health Blood Test

This is a test to check the types and numbers of cells in your blood, including red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. This can help give an indication of your general health, as well as provide important clues about certain health problems you may have.

Haemaglobin, HCT, RCC, MCV, MCH, MCHC, RDW, Platelet count, MPV, WCC.

Red Blood Cell (RBC) Count analyses the number of red blood cells in the blood. Red blood cells carry oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body, where it can be used to fuel energy processes such as movement and respiration. They also carry carbon dioxide produced from cells back to the lungs so that it can be exhaled.

White Blood Cell (WBC) Count measures the number of white blood cells in the blood. White blood cells are key to your body’s immune system. They fight infections and protect your body from foreign invaders such as harmful germs and bacteria. Additionally, they produce many antibodies and memory cells to protect you from further infections with the same germ.

Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) indicates whether your red blood cells are all the same size, or different sizes or shapes. Normally cells are fairly uniform both in size and in shape, but some blood disorders may cause your red blood cells to form in abnormal sizes. This test measures the difference between the largest and the smallest red blood cell.

An erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) is a blood test that that can show if you have inflammation in your body. Inflammation is your immune system’s response to injury, infection, and many types of conditions, including immune system disorders, certain cancers, and blood disorders.

An ESR test can be used with other tests to help diagnose conditions that cause inflammation. It can also be used to help monitor these conditions. Many types of conditions cause inflammation, including arthritis, vasculitis, infection, and inflammatory bowel disease. An ESR may also be used to monitor an existing condition.

Alanine transferase (ALT) is an enzyme predominantly found in the liver. If the liver is damaged, ALT is leaked into the bloodstream therefore it is usually an accurate marker for liver inflammation and can indicate liver damage caused by alcohol, fatty liver, drugs or viruses (hepatitis).

Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) is an enzyme found mainly in the liver and bones. Measuring it can indicate ongoing liver, gallbladder or bone disease.

AST (aspartate aminotransferase) is an enzyme that is found mostly in the liver, but it’s also in muscles and other organs in your body. When cells that contain AST are damaged, they release the AST into your blood. The test is commonly used to help diagnose liver damage or disease.

Bilirubin is a product of the breakdown of haemoglobin from red blood cells. The liver collects bilirubin from the blood and passes it to the gallbladder which processes and secretes it into the bowel. Bilirubin causes the yellowish colour you sometimes see in bruises, due to red blood cells breaking down underneath the skin.

Albumin is a protein made mainly in the liver. It helps hold water within the blood, carry nutrients / other substances through the blood, and aid tissue growth for healing. Albumin also carries hormones around the body, therefore measuring the amount of albumin in the blood can help calculate how much hormone is available to your tissues.

Gamma GT, also known as gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), is a liver enzyme which is raised in liver and bile duct diseases. It is used in conjunction with ALP to distinguish between bone or liver disease.

Globulin is a term for a group of different proteins that the immune system and liver produce. Certain globulins bind with haemoglobin while others transport metals, such as iron, in the blood. There is a type of globulin known as an immunoglobulin, (another name for an antibody) which helps to fight infection in the body.

A potassium test measures the amount of potassium in blood serum, the fluid part of your blood. Potassium is a mineral that helps: nerves and muscles “communicate” nutrients move into cells and waste products move out of cells.

Sodium is a type of electrolyte. Electrolytes are electrically charged minerals that help maintain fluid levels and the balance of chemicals in your body called acids and bases.

The bicarbonate test gives a rough estimate of your acid-base balance. This is usually sufficient, but measurements of gases dissolved in the blood (blood gases) may be done if more information is needed

Total Protein represents the sum of the proteins albumin and globulin in your blood. Albumin and globulin have a range of functions including keeping blood within vessels, transporting nutrients and fighting infection. Abnormal levels can indicate malnutrition as well as a liver or kidney disorder.

A chloride blood test measures the amount of chloride in your blood. Chloride is a type of electrolyte. Electrolytes are electrically charged minerals that help control the amount of fluids and the balance of acids and bases (pH balance) in your body.

Urea is a waste product produced by the body when it breaks down proteins in the liver. Once the urea is made, it is transported to the kidneys, which filter it out of the blood and remove it from the body in the form of urine. Measuring the levels of urea in the blood can therefore reflect how well both the liver and the kidneys, are functioning. It is important to note that even if one kidney is severely damaged but the other is functioning perfectly, results may still return as normal.

Creatinine is a chemical waste molecule that is produced from normal muscle metabolism. Levels of creatinine indicate the levels of other waste products in the body. Creatinine is also an accurate marker of kidney function, and may help in diagnosing kidney disease.

The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) assesses how well the kidneys are working by estimating the amount of blood filtered through the kidneys. The glomeruli are tiny filters in the kidneys responsible for removing waste products. If these filters do not do their job properly, kidney function can be impaired. The eGFR calculation is an estimate of actual glomerular filtration rate, calculated using your age, gender, ethnicity, and serum creatinine levels.

Iron is a mineral that is essential for life. It is a component of haemoglobin, a protein in our red blood cells that is responsible for transporting oxygen around our body. If we don’t have enough iron, our haemoglobin levels fall and we can’t get sufficient oxygen to our cells. This can cause symptoms which include fatigue, dizziness, and shortness of breath. Serum iron is a very transient reading and can be influenced by the amount of iron-rich food in your diet in the days before your blood test. For this reason, iron is rarely looked at on its own, and is interpreted alongside other markers in an iron status test. 

Total iron-binding capacity (TIBC) is a measure of the ability of your body to efficiently carry iron through the blood.

The random blood glucose test measures the level of sugar in your blood and is an indicator of how well your body is metabolising sugars to store in your cells. It is most useful when analysed in conjunction with other sugar markers, such as HbA1c.

Cholesterol is an essential fat (lipid) in the body. It has some important functions, including building cell membranes and producing a number of essential hormones such as testosterone and oestradiol. There are a number of different types of cholesterol, but the two main components of total cholesterol are HDL (high density lipoprotein) -“Good” and LDL (low density lipoprotein)- “Bad”.
The total cholesterol result on its own only shows the total amount of both of these components and so even if you have a good amount of total cholesterol, you may have a low amount of good cholesterol and high amount of bad cholesterol therefore its important to review each of these results to understand your cardiovascular health and risks of cardiovascular disease.

Triglycerides are a type of fat (lipid) that circulate in the blood. After you eat, your body converts excess calories (whether from fat or carbohydrates) into triglycerides which are then transported to cells to be stored as fat. Your body then releases triglycerides when required for energy.

Calcium is an important mineral that we need. This test measures the level of calcium in your blood. The vast majority of calcium in your body is stored in bone. The rest is in your blood.

Phosphate tests are very useful for measuring phosphate levels in people with malnutrition (where their diet doesn’t contain the right amount of nutrients to meet their body’s demands). A phosphate test can also be used to check for a condition called ketoacidosis, which sometimes affects people with diabetes.

Uric acid is a waste product produced from the breakdown of chemical compounds called purines. Purine occurs naturally in the body, but it is also found in the food we eat – and in some foods more than others.

Magnesium is found in fibre-rich foods such as green leafy vegetables, avocados, bananas, wholemeal bread and brown rice as well as in fish and meat. Excess magnesium exposure can cause breathing problems, skin and eye irritation, flu-like symptoms and an upset stomach. Low magnesium can cause muscle aches and pains, fatigue, osteoporosis, an irregular heartbeat and high blood pressure. Low magnesium is associated with heart disease, artherosclerosis, stroke and diabetes.

HDL cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein) is a molecule in the body which removes cholesterol from the bloodstream and transports it to the liver where it is broken down and removed from the body in bile. HDL cholesterol is commonly known as ‘good cholesterol’.

LDL cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein) is a molecule made of lipids and proteins which transports cholesterol, triglycerides and other fats to various tissues throughout the body. Too much LDL cholesterol, commonly called ‘bad cholesterol’, can cause fatty deposits to accumulate inside artery walls, potentially leading to atherosclerosis and heart disease.

Cholesterol in your body is generally broken down into 2 main components; HDL and LDL. However there are other types of cholesterol such as VLDL (very low-density lipoproteins) and other lipoproteins which are thought to be even more harmful than LDL cholesterol. Non-HDL cholesterol is calculated by subtracting your HDL cholesterol value from your total cholesterol. It therefore includes all the potentially harmful cholesterol in your blood including LDL. As such, it is considered to be a better marker for cardiovascular risk than total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol.