Trying to understand Various Blood Test Results

[Levo50]

Hi

I have an underactive thyroid and have had numerous blood tests, please see below any comments / advice appreciated...

Thyroid function test ...

Result = Normal

What you need to do = No Further ActionSerum TSH level 3.1 mu/L [0.2 - 6.0]

Blood haematinic levels

Serum iron level 22 umol/L [5.0 - 33.0]

Serum transferrin level 2.32 g/L [2.15 - 3.8]

Serum TIBC 53 umol/L [36.0 - 77.0]

Saturation of iron binding capacity 42 % [15.0 - 50.0]

Serum vitamin B12 level 563 ng/L [180.0 - 910.0]

Serum folate level 18.53 ng/mL [> 5.4]

Serum ferritin level 112.4 ug/L [10.0 - 291.0]

Blood haematinic levels Haematinics within normal limits.

Renal profile ...

Result = Satisfactory

What you need to do = No Further Action

Serum sodium level 142 mmol/L [135.0 - 145.0]

Serum potassium level 4.6 mmol/L [3.5 - 5.3]

Serum urea level 6.3 mmol/L [2.5 - 7.5]

Serum creatinine level 66 umol/L [53.0 - 100.0]

eGFR using creatinine (CKD-EPI) per 1.73 square metres 88 mL/min/1.73m^2

STAGE 2: CKD only if other evidence of renal damage.

Bone profile ...

Serum alkaline phosphatase level 52 iu/L [30.0 - 120.0]

Liver function tests ...

Serum total bilirubin level 12 umol/L [0.0 - 17.0]

AST serum level 45 iu/L [0.0 - 40.0]

Above high reference limit

Serum alanine aminotransferase level 40 iu/L [0.0 - 40.0]

Serum gamma-glutamyl transferase level 14 iu/L [0.0 - 55.0]

Serum protein profile ...

Serum total protein level 65 g/L [64.0 - 83.0]

Serum albumin level 46 g/L [35.0 - 50.0]

Serum globulin level 19 g/L [20.0 - 36.0]

Below low reference limit

Diabetes Tests(Whole Blood) ...

Haemoglobin A1c level - IFCC standardised 40 mmol/mol [< 42.0]

Full blood count ...

Result = Satisfactory

What you need to do = No Further Action

Total white blood count 3.9 10*9/L [3.8 - 11.0]

Haemoglobin concentration 134.0 g/L [115.0 - 165.0]

Platelet count - observation 225 10*9/L [150.0 - 400.0]

Red blood cell count 4.22 10*12/L [3.8 - 5.8]

Haematocrit 0.42 [0.36 - 0.47]

Mean cell volume 100.2 fL [85.0 - 105.0]

Mean cell haemoglobin level 31.8 pg [27.0 - 32.0]

Mean cell haemoglobin concentration 317.0 g/L [310.0 - 360.0]

Differential white blood cell count ...

Neutrophil count 1.92 10*9/L [2.0 - 7.5]

Below low reference limit

Lymphocyte count 1.56 10*9/L [1.5 - 4.0]

Monocyte count - observation 0.35 10*9/L [0.2 - 0.8]

Eosinophil count - observation 0.08 10*9/L [0.04 - 0.4]

Basophil count 0.03 10*9/L [0.02 - 0.2]

Percentage neutrophil count 48.7 %

Percentage lymphocyte count 39.6 %

Percentage monocyte count 8.9 %

Percentage eosinophil count 2.0 %

Percentage basophil count 0.8 %

#thyroid function test #alkaline phosphatase test #blood tests #vitamin b9 #total protein test #haemloglobin #ferritin blood test #tsh test #sodium #alt test #tibc test #vitamin b12 #iron #anaemia

[JAmanda]

Do you feel well? If so, ok. If not, it looks like you could be under medicated with that tsh - most people feel better when it is under 1. I'd get T3 and t4 tested - privately if necessary - for full picture.

[Levo50 in reply to JAmanda]

I feel well but concerned about a few other blood results out of range!

I’m going to book a health assessment privately and hopefully this will cover T3 & T4.

What confuses me with TSH is that results

TSH level 3.1 mu/L [0.2 - 6.0] show within range and results say normal no further action - this is contradictory to advise on this site where everyone says TSH is best under 1, this really confuses me!?

[vocalEK in reply to Levo50]

Many people (including most doctors, who should know better!) think that a "range" tells you the healthy level for the substance being tested. That is not how ranges work. The lab takes all the people who have had a test, and then takes the middle 95% of the results. That is called the "reference range." Any result above or below that middle 95% is considered out of range. No effort is made to determine whether the people taking the test are ill or well. Thyroid is one of those functions that doctors normally do NOT test unless a patient complains of symptoms. Thus for TSH (The pituitary hormone, Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) the test was "normed" on sick people.

We know that under 1 is better because there was actually a rest done on people who were determined to be free of any symptoms of hyper- or hypo-thyroidism and who were not taking any medication. The reference range for that group is a LOT more narrow than the reference range of labs performing tests to help doctors diagnose you.

Does that help?

[tattybogle]

You can see how 'normal' your TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone ) is on this graph

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

3.1 is not 'unheard of' but i wouldn't call it 'normal'.

since you say you have an underactive thyroid , are you taking thyroid hormone replacement ?

if so GP's have been recommended to aim to get TSH lower than yours.

See ; healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Sorry i , don't know enough about any of the other test results to comment , but others will.

[Levo50 in reply to tattybogle]

Thank you for your reply! Yes I’ve taken Levo for 20+ years just 50mcg (Bio on my page if interested)

I will read the articles thank you very much x

[Levo50 in reply to tattybogle]

Sorry I must be a bit daft but I don’t really understand the message of the graph, I am diagnosed hypo and 58 year old female?

[tattybogle in reply to Levo50]

Basically , it say's that a very much higher % of the population (in all age groups) have TSH much closer to 1 than 3 . So the chances of 3 being where your original individual 'set point' was , are much smaller than the chance of it being around 1 , (so when replacing with thyroid hormones it's sensible to aim for around 1, unless you feel well with a higher TSH)

(We have quite narrow individual set points for TSH/FT4 /FT3, and it only increases very slightly with age if thyroid remains healthy. So even though there are some normal healthy people with TSH 3 ,it would always stay around 3. And those with TSH around 1 would always stay around 1)

hope i haven't just confused you more ... i know what i mean , but i can't find the right word's this morning.