Look up a blood value

Why have your blood values measured?

A doctor orders blood work for several reasons. To make a diagnosis, or to rule something out. To look for the cause of a complaint. Or to follow how a treatment is working.

You can also have your blood values measured yourself, without a referral from a GP. People do this when they are tired for no clear reason. Or when they want to know how their liver, kidneys and metabolism are doing. A baseline is also useful if you want to compare later.

Which blood values are measured most often?

Most testing comes down to a handful of groups. The blood count measures your red cells, white cells and platelets. Liver values and kidney values show how those organs are working.

The thyroid, the vitamins and iron are also measured often. Cholesterol and glucose belong to the heart and metabolic profile. Inflammatory values show whether there is inflammation somewhere in your body. You can filter by category above.

What counts as a normal blood value?

There is no single list of normal values that applies everywhere. Reference ranges may vary between laboratories. This comes down to differences in method, equipment and the groups studied. So always read the reference range printed on your own result.

Age and sex matter too. Haemoglobin runs higher in men than in women on average. Children have different numbers again. Every value page above carries the range that belongs to it.

How do you read your result?

A single value says little on its own. Doctors look at the pattern across several values. A raised ALT alongside a raised gamma-GT points somewhere different than a raised ALT alone.

When you test through us, a BIG-registered doctor assesses your results in context. So you get back more than numbers. Always discuss treatment decisions with your GP.

Where do you get your blood drawn?

We work with independent, certified laboratories across the Netherlands. The collection points are run by those laboratories. You do not need a referral from a GP.

You choose which blood values you have measured. After the draw you get your result back digitally, with an explanation per value.

Frequently asked questions about blood values

Which blood values are normal?

That differs per value, per laboratory and per person. Reference ranges depend on the method used, your age and your sex. Look the value up above and read the range that belongs to it. Always compare it against the reference range on your own result.

Which blood value indicates cancer?

General blood work is not a suitable way to detect cancer. An abnormal value can have many different causes. Separate screening programmes exist for bowel, breast and cervical cancer. If your complaints persist, see your GP.

What are perfect blood values?

Perfect blood values do not exist. A reference range is a band, not a target number. Someone can sit at the edge of that band and be entirely healthy. What your values mean depends on your complaints and your history.

Which blood value indicates inflammation?

CRP is the most widely used inflammatory value in the Netherlands. The sedimentation rate, also called ESR, is used alongside it and responds more slowly. Both show that inflammation is present somewhere. Neither says where in your body it sits.