Introduction: What is a blood test?
Blood tests have become a common way to assess health. Think about the wellness checks you might get yearly: healthcare professionals evaluate your height, weight, and habits, and you may also have a blood test, which is one of the most frequently ordered medical tests. This test helps you gain critical insights into your overall health, as many major processes in our bodies, such as nutrition, breathing, and waste excretion, rely on components of our blood. Essentially, a blood test measures various elements of our blood and provides insight into whether they are within a healthy range. That said, blood tests are a “snapshot” of your blood at a given time, so your blood will not always contain the same components. For example, as your food digests, your blood glucose level rises, whereas during fasting it falls.
General Health Panel (Core CBC (Complete Blood Count) Components)
The general health panel includes various blood cells and measurable components. This blog will cover a few of the standard measures in this panel.
- RBC (Red Blood Cells): Red Blood Cells carry oxygen and are included in the measure for hemoglobin and hematocrit. Hemoglobin count indicates the amount of oxygen-carrying protein, while hematocrit suggests the amount of blood volume taken by Red Blood Cells.
- WBC (White Blood Cells): White Blood Cells fight infections and are a central part of the immune system. They are classified into five types, each with its own function: neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, and basophils.
- Platelets: Platelets help with blood clotting. Hemophilia is a genetic bleeding disorder in which the blood doesn’t clot properly due to a deficiency of clotting factor proteins.
HbA1c (Related Blood Test Often Ordered with a CBC)
The HbA1c measures your average blood sugar (glucose) over the past 2-3 months by checking the percentage of red blood cells with sugar-coated hemoglobin. A healthy range for this value is <5.7%. 5.7-6.4% is considered prediabetes, while a value above 6.5% is considered having diabetes.
Lipid Panel (Related Blood Test Often Ordered with a CBC)
The lipid panel measures blood fats, including total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL (“good”) cholesterol, and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. This panel assesses risk for heart disease and stroke by checking for the buildup of lipids (fats) in the arteries, guiding lifestyle changes or treatment to improve cardiovascular health.
Why do healthcare professionals order blood tests?
Various components in the blood can give significant indicators of risk for specific conditions and can help healthcare professionals track chronic conditions. For example:
- Anemia: Low hemoglobin/RBCs/hematocrit.
- Infections/Inflammation: High WBC count.
- Bleeding/Clotting Issues: Platelet count.
- Nutrient Deficiencies, Bone Marrow Disorders, Leukemia: Changes in cell counts and sizes.
- Diabetes: Elevated HbA1c
And so many more!
Conclusion:
Blood tests are a marvel of modern medicine. Just a small amount of blood can give valuable insight into bodily processes and can help many people aim for a healthier lifestyle. So the next time you take a blood test, make sure to look into the various aspects of it and what they mean for you!
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