Here comes the "strategy"! This article will teach you how to read the test report and protect your health

Experts from Hunan Second People's Hospital (Provincial Brain Hospital) said that in modern medicine, various test reports play a vital role as an important basis for diagnosing diseases and evaluating health status. However, faced with dense data and complex medical terms, many people often feel confused and may even cause unnecessary panic or ignore potential health problems due to misunderstanding the content of the report.

This article aims to help readers gain a preliminary understanding of the basic content and interpretation methods of common test reports, so that everyone can better protect their own health.

1. Blood routine test: the body's "barometer"

Routine blood tests are one of the most basic blood tests. By detecting the number and morphology of different cells in the blood, it can reflect many basic information of the body.

1. White blood cell count (WBC): White blood cells are an important part of the immune system. An increase in their number usually means that there is infection, inflammation or certain cancers in the body; a decrease may point to a weak immune system, viral infection or drug side effects.

2. Red blood cell count (RBC) and hemoglobin (Hb): Red blood cells are responsible for transporting oxygen, and hemoglobin is its key component. A decrease in both may indicate anemia, which may be caused by iron deficiency, vitamin B12 deficiency, chronic diseases, etc.

3. Platelet count (PLT): Platelets are involved in blood coagulation. Too high a count may lead to thrombosis, while too low a count increases the risk of bleeding.

2. Urinalysis: A "peeping window" into the kidneys and urinary system

Urinalysis can reflect kidney function and urinary system status by analyzing the composition of urine.

1. Urine protein: Under normal circumstances, the protein content in urine is extremely low. If urine protein is positive, it may mean that the kidney filtration function is impaired, which is common in nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, etc.

2. Urine sugar: Under normal circumstances, urine contains no or only trace amounts of glucose. Positive urine sugar may indicate diabetes, stress state or renal tubular reabsorption disorder.

3. Urine white blood cells and red blood cells: An increase in white blood cells indicates a urinary tract infection; an increase in red blood cells may be a manifestation of urinary tract stones, nephritis or tumors.

3. Four blood lipids: "early warning" for cardiovascular health

Dyslipidemia is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease, mainly including total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C).

1. Total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol: Too high levels will increase the risk of atherosclerosis and are the main risk factors for coronary heart disease and stroke.

2. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol: It is called "good cholesterol" because it helps remove excess cholesterol from blood vessel walls. The higher the level, the lower the risk to cardiovascular health.

3. Triglycerides: Excessive triglycerides may be related to obesity, diabetes, excessive drinking and other factors, and are also an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

4. Liver function test: the "guardian" of liver health

The liver is the largest metabolic organ in the human body. Its functional tests mainly include indicators such as alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and total bilirubin (TBil).

1. ALT and AST: These two enzymes are mainly present in liver cells. When liver cells are damaged, they will be released into the blood. Elevated levels indicate liver inflammation or damage.

2. Alkaline phosphatase: Elevated levels may be associated with bone disease, bile duct obstruction, or liver disease.

3. Total bilirubin: reflects the liver's ability to metabolize bilirubin. An increase in total bilirubin may indicate jaundice, caused by hepatitis, cirrhosis, bile duct obstruction, etc.

5. Blood glucose monitoring: the “scout” of diabetes

Blood sugar level directly reflects the body's ability to regulate glucose and is a key indicator for diagnosing diabetes.

1. Fasting blood sugar: refers to the blood sugar level after not eating for at least 8 hours. The normal value is usually 3.9-6.1mmol/L. Higher than 7.0mmol/L may be a sign of diabetes.

2. Blood sugar two hours after a meal: The normal blood sugar level is usually no more than 7.8mmol/L, and a level exceeding 11.1mmol/L may indicate diabetes.

3. Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c): reflects the average blood sugar level in the past 2-3 months and is the gold standard for evaluating long-term blood sugar control.

6. Tumor marker screening: a radar for early detection

Tumor markers are a class of substances produced by tumor cells or by the body in response to tumors. Although they cannot directly diagnose cancer, they can be used as tools to assist in diagnosis, monitor the disease and the effectiveness of treatment.

1. CEA (carcinoembryonic antigen): related to various tumors such as colorectal cancer, lung cancer, and breast cancer.

2. AFP (alpha-fetoprotein): mainly used for screening of liver cancer and germ cell tumors.

3. CA125 (carbohydrate antigen 125): It has a high sensitivity to ovarian cancer and is also seen in some patients with lung cancer and breast cancer.

4. PSA (prostate-specific antigen): It is a specific marker for prostate cancer.

7. Tips for interpreting the report

1. Understand background information: Before interpreting the report, you should know your age, gender, medical history, family history and current health status. This information will help you understand the meaning of the report more accurately.

2. Pay attention to abnormal values: The report usually indicates the normal value range, and values ​​above or below this range are abnormal. However, it should be noted that a single abnormality does not necessarily mean a disease, and it should be judged comprehensively in combination with other examination or reexamination results.

3. Professional consultation: When faced with complex or uncertain report results, you should consult a doctor in a timely manner to obtain professional interpretation and advice.

4. Dynamic observation: The changing trend of some indicators is more meaningful than a single value. Therefore, regular review and observation of indicator changes are crucial to judging health status.

5. Healthy lifestyle: Regardless of the report results, maintaining good living habits, such as a balanced diet, moderate exercise, smoking cessation and alcohol restriction, and adequate sleep, are the basis for maintaining health.

In short, understanding the test report can not only help us discover potential health problems in time, but also enhance our ability to manage our own health. In this process, maintaining a rational attitude and actively communicating with professional medical personnel is the right way to protect our own health. Let us start from every test report, pay more attention to our physical health, and enjoy the good life brought by health.

Hunan Medical Chat Special Author: Peng Yuyu, Department of Laboratory, Hunan Second People's Hospital (Provincial Brain Hospital)

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(Edited by YT)