About laboratory studies What we need to know

Blood tests are a diagnostic tool for many pathologies, including: infections, anemia, lipid disorders, vitamin deficiencies, organ failure, acquired immunodeficiency, tumors, diabetes, sexually transmitted diseases, and others.

Blood tests are needed to study various active substances of the organism, such as proteins, hormones, chemical compounds and some cells.

These studies provide an overall picture of the patient's general health, which is necessary to diagnose, monitor, check organ function, and determine the status of the immune system.

What diseases are blood tests used for?

Diabetes, arterial hypertension, anemia, cancer, coronary heart disease, kidney disease, liver dysfunction, various indications and others are an incomplete list of diseases that require laboratory diagnostics and monitoring.

As a rule, conducting a separate test in isolation may turn out to be uninformative, because complex studies are needed to create a general picture of certain conditions.

When is it necessary to conduct laboratory studies?

• Planned preventive health check-up
• In the case of already diagnosed disease, for monitoring the condition and evaluating the effectiveness of treatment
• In the presence of symptoms, for diagnostics and differential diagnostics
• During pregnancy
• before operative interventions
• In the presence of risk factors for the development of the disease
• etc

As a general recommendation, regardless of the absence of symptoms, it is recommended to carry out routine preventive tests at least once a year, in order to be able to detect possible disorders in time.

In the presence of the risk of this or that pathology, it is necessary to regularly conduct specific studies (for example, people in the risk group of heart diseases should regularly monitor the lipid spectrum and glucose).

In addition to specific analyses, several routine studies are necessary to obtain information about the general health of the body and to diagnose diseases.

General blood test

General blood analysis is a general test that examines various blood components: erythrocytes, leukocytes, platelets, hemoglobin, hematocrit, etc.

Abnormalities of these indicators indicate such diseases as:

• infections
• Anemia
• Violations of coagulation processes
• Immune system disorders and others.

A general blood test is prescribed for a number of diseases.

Basic metabolic tests

which includes indicators of necessary trace elements and substances formed in the process of metabolism, such as:

• Calcium
• Sodium
• Potassium
• bicarbonates
• Chlorine
• Creatinine
• Urea
• Glucose

Pathological indicators of these studies characterize such diseases as:

Diabetes, kidney damage, diseases with electrolyte imbalance. Additional studies are usually required to clarify the diagnostics

A comprehensive metabolic study

Along with basic metabolic tests, it includes additional studies of proteins and those active substances, the indicators of which are vital for human health:

• Albumin
• Common protein
• Alkaline phosphatase
• alt
• Asst
• Bilirubin
• GGT and others

The pathological values ​​of the listed tests are illustrative for a number of diseases:

Alkaline phosphatase: Bile duct blockage, cirrhosis, cholecystitis, hepatitis, mononucleosis, bone metabolism disorders, heart disease, zinc deficiency

Alt/Ast: cirrhosis, hepatitis, liver tumors,

Bilirubin: Hemolysis, side effects of medications, Gilbert's syndrome, hepatitis

Lipid profile studies

As a rule, both atherogenic or low-density lipoproteins and non-atherogenic - high-density lipoproteins are studied.

High-density lipoproteins (HDL) are "good" lipoproteins, because with their participation, the liver neutralizes unnecessary substances.

Low and very low density lipoproteins (LDL, VLDL) are "bad" lipoproteins because they participate in the formation of atherosclerotic plaques on the inner surface of blood vessels, which contributes to the development of cardiovascular diseases.

It is also important to determine the ratio between high and low density lipoproteins - the "atherogenicity index" in order to assess the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.

Thyroid studies

Functional studies of the thyroid gland are important not only for the diagnostics of gland pathologies, but also for a number of syndromes (tachycardia, arrhythmia).

T3 - Triiodothyronine Together with thyroxine, it regulates heart rhythm and body temperature

T4 - Thyroxine  Together with triiodothyronine, it regulates the processes of growth and metabolism

TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) – By the principle of negative feedback, it regulates the production of hormones by the thyroid gland.

Abnormal concentrations of thyroid hormones and thyroid-stimulating hormone can be associated with a number of pathologies.

• With hypo or hyperfunction of the thyroid gland
• with pituitary adenoma or other pathologies
• with reproductive system pathologists, etc

Cardiac markers

Enzymes are protein structures that participate in chemical processes in the body, such as the breakdown of food substances and blood clotting.

• High-sensitivity troponin T is found in the blood stream when heart cells are damaged.
• Natriuretic peptide type B and N-terminal pro-natriuretic peptide type B - these enzymes are increased in the blood in congestive heart failure
• Creatine kinase is produced by the brain, heart, and striated muscles of the skeleton, and its concentration in the blood increases when these tissues are damaged.
• The MB fraction of creatine kinase is produced in cardiac muscle cells, and an increase in its concentration in the blood indicates the presence of a heart attack or other pathology.

Tests for sexually transmitted diseases

Most sexually transmitted diseases are diagnosed with a blood test. Often these tests are combined with a urine or saliva test.

The following sexually transmitted infections are diagnosed by serological research:

• Herpes
• Ivy
• Atashang
• Hepatitis

Coagulation tests

Coagulation tests examine the process of blood clotting, the time required for clotting, the activity of components involved in clotting, and more.

Coagulation (blood clotting) is an important process to stop bleeding, but a blood clot in a venous or arterial blood vessel can cause a critical interruption of blood flow to the brain, heart, lungs, and other organs, which can cause serious complications.

With the help of coagulation tests, we can determine:

Thrombotic conditions

risk of bleeding

Liver pathologies

Vitamin K deficiency

etc

Before taking any laboratory test, it is recommended to consult a doctor and get recommendations. Also inform your doctor about any medications or supplements you are taking so that the specialist can interpret the results of the studies correctly.

 Laboratory "Synevo" Offers Both local and shipping A wide range of studies: 

Health care starts with accurate analyzes

Resources

https://www.healthline.com/health/blood-tests

n.manjaparashvili@synevo.ge