Medical terms, plainly.

The protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen around your body. Low Hb (anaemia) often causes tiredness and breathlessness.

Men: 13–17 g/dL · Women: 12–15 g/dL

Your immune system's fighters. High means infection or inflammation; very low can mean your body's defences are weak.

4,000–10,000 per µL

Cells that clump together to stop bleeding when you cut yourself. Low platelets means easier bruising.

150,000–410,000 per µL

Mean Corpuscular Volume — the average size of your red blood cells. Small (low MCV) often points to iron-deficiency anaemia; large (high MCV) often points to vitamin B12 or folate deficiency.

83–101 fL

Your average blood sugar over the last 2–3 months. Doctors prefer it to fasting sugar because it doesn't get fooled by what you ate that morning.

Normal: <5.7% · Pre-diabetes: 5.7–6.4% · Diabetes: ≥6.5%

Blood sugar after 8+ hours without food. The basic diabetes screening test.

Normal: 70–99 mg/dL · Pre-diabetes: 100–125 · Diabetes: ≥126

The 'bad' cholesterol — too much builds up in artery walls and raises heart disease risk.

Optimal: <100 mg/dL · Borderline: 130–159 · High: ≥160

The 'good' cholesterol — it picks up bad cholesterol and takes it to the liver to be removed.

Men: >40 mg/dL · Women: >50 · Higher is better

Another kind of blood fat. Often goes up with sugary diets, alcohol, or being overweight.

Normal: <150 mg/dL · Borderline: 150–199 · High: ≥200

An enzyme inside liver cells. Elevated levels mean the liver is stressed or inflamed — common causes are fatty liver, alcohol, or medications.

10–40 U/L

Another liver enzyme, also found in muscles and heart. Usually rises alongside SGPT/ALT when the liver is stressed.

10–40 U/L

A yellow waste product the liver clears from your blood. High levels cause jaundice (yellow skin/eyes).

Total: 0.2–1.2 mg/dL

A waste product your kidneys filter out. High creatinine = kidneys aren't filtering well.

Men: 0.7–1.2 mg/dL · Women: 0.6–1.1 mg/dL

Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate — a calculated score of how well your kidneys filter. Higher is better.

>90 mL/min/1.73m² is healthy

Another kidney-filtered waste product. Can rise with dehydration, kidney issues, or high-protein diets.

15–40 mg/dL

A hormone from your brain that tells the thyroid how hard to work. High TSH = thyroid is sluggish (hypothyroid). Low TSH = overactive (hyperthyroid).

0.45–4.5 µIU/mL

The main hormone your thyroid produces. Doctors check this alongside TSH to see what your thyroid is actually doing.

0.8–1.8 ng/dL

Your body's iron storage protein — think 'iron fuel tank'. Low ferritin is the earliest sign of iron deficiency, even before anaemia shows.

30–400 ng/mL

Sunlight-vitamin, also helps absorb calcium for bone strength. Deficiency is extremely common in India, can cause fatigue and bone aches.

Sufficient: 30–100 ng/mL

Needed for healthy nerves and red blood cells. Vegetarians often run low. Symptoms include tingling, fatigue, and memory issues.

211–911 pg/mL

A general inflammation marker. High ESR can mean infection, autoimmune condition, or other inflammatory process — but it's non-specific.

Men: <15 mm/hr · Women: <20 mm/hr

Another inflammation marker, more sensitive and faster-responding than ESR.

<10 mg/L (often: <3 mg/L)

A waste product. Very high levels can cause gout (painful joint inflammation) or kidney stones.

Men: 3.5–7.2 mg/dL · Women: 2.6–6.0 mg/dL

A protein from the prostate. Elevated levels in men can mean an enlarged prostate, infection, or sometimes prostate cancer — needs context.

Typically <4 ng/mL (varies by age)