Your blood never lies: how to read a blood test for a longer, healthier life

PART 1 : The lipid panel. Triglycerides ; Total cholesterol ; LDL cholesterol ; HDL cholesterol

PART 2 : The basic metabolic panel. Glucose ; Calcium ; Potassium ; Sodium ; Chloride ; Carbon dioxide ; Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) ; Creatinine ; BUN/creatinine ratio ; Glomerular filtration rate (GFR)

PART 3: The hepatic function panel. Total protein ; Albumin ; Globulin ; Albumin/globulin (A/G) ratio ; Bilirubin ; Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) ; Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) ; Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) ; Gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT)

PART 4: The complete blood count. Red blood cells (RBCs) ; Hemoglobin ; Hematocrit ; Mean corpuscular volume (MCV) ; Mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) ; Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) ; Platelets ; White blood cells (WBCs)

PART 5 : Hormones. DHEA ; Cortisol ; Estrogen ; Thyroid hormones ; Progesterone ; Testosterone ; Prostate-specific antigen (PSA)

PART 6: Optional tests. Homocysteine ; C-reactive protein (CRP) ; Vitamin D ; Magnesium

Testing laboratories

A guide to reference ranges

Tracking your blood test results.