High Renin Blood Test: Causes, Blood Pressure, Kidney Hormones, and Meaning
A high renin blood test means the kidneys are releasing more renin than expected for the testing conditions. Renin is part of the hormone...
High Serum Osmolality Test: Causes, Dehydration, Sodium Balance, and Meaning
Serum osmolality shows how concentrated your blood is. When the result is high, there are too many dissolved particles in the blood compared with...
High Sodium Blood Test: Causes, Symptoms, Hypernatremia, and Meaning
A high sodium blood test usually means the blood is too concentrated because the body has too little water for the amount of sodium...
High Urea Blood Test: Causes, Kidney Function, Dehydration, and Meaning
A high urea blood test means there is more urea in the blood than expected. Urea is a waste product made when the body...
High Uric Acid Blood Test: Causes, Gout, Kidney Stones, and Meaning
A high uric acid blood test means there is more uric acid in the bloodstream than expected for the lab’s reference range. Uric acid...
Ionized Calcium Test Normal Range: Reference Values and Meaning
Ionized calcium is the active form of calcium circulating in your blood. It helps nerves send signals, muscles contract, blood clot, hormones release, and...
Kidney Function Blood Test Panel: eGFR, Creatinine, BUN, Electrolytes, and Results
A kidney function blood test panel gives a quick look at how well your kidneys are filtering waste, balancing fluid, and keeping electrolytes in...
Kidney Function Panel vs CMP: What Is the Difference?
A kidney function panel and a comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP) can look similar on a lab report because both include several of the same...
Kidney Injury Molecule-1 (KIM-1) Test: Kidney Damage Marker, Acute Kidney Injury, and Results
Kidney injury molecule-1, usually shortened to KIM-1, is a marker of injury in the kidney’s tubules, especially the proximal tubules that help reclaim water,...
Low Aldosterone Blood Test: Causes, Low Blood Pressure, Potassium, and Meaning
A low aldosterone blood test means the body may not be making enough of a salt-and-water hormone that helps control blood pressure, sodium balance,...
Low Anion Gap Blood Test: Causes, Albumin, Lab Error, and Meaning
A low anion gap means the calculated difference between certain positively and negatively charged particles in the blood is smaller than expected. Most of...
Low Bicarbonate Blood Test: Causes, Metabolic Acidosis, Kidney Disease, and Meaning
A low bicarbonate blood test means the blood has less bicarbonate than expected, usually because the body is dealing with extra acid, losing bicarbonate,...
Low Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) Test: Causes, Liver Disease, Low Protein, and Meaning
A low blood urea nitrogen, or low BUN, result means there is less urea nitrogen than expected in your blood. Urea is made in...
Low BUN/Creatinine Ratio Test: Causes, Liver Disease, Nutrition, and Meaning
A low BUN/creatinine ratio is a laboratory finding that compares two common kidney-related blood markers: blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine. While healthcare providers...
Low Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Blood Test: Causes, Acid-Base Balance, and Meaning
A low carbon dioxide blood test result usually means the bicarbonate level in your blood is low. On a chemistry panel, “CO2” does not...
Low Chloride Blood Test: Causes, Electrolyte Imbalance, and Meaning
Chloride is one of the main electrolytes measured on routine blood chemistry panels. A low chloride blood test result means the chloride level in...
Low Creatinine Blood Test: Causes, Low Muscle Mass, and Meaning
A low creatinine blood test usually means your body is making less creatinine than expected, most often because of low muscle mass, aging, small...
Low Ionized Calcium Test: Causes, Symptoms, Hypocalcemia, and Meaning
Low ionized calcium means the active, unbound calcium in your blood is below the expected range. This matters because ionized calcium is the form...
Low Parathyroid Hormone (PTH) Blood Test: Causes, Calcium, Phosphorus, and Meaning
A low parathyroid hormone (PTH) blood test means the parathyroid glands are making less PTH than expected for the body’s calcium balance. PTH is...
Low Potassium Blood Test: Causes, Symptoms, Heart Rhythm, and Meaning
A low potassium blood test means the potassium level in the blood is below the lab’s reference range, most often below 3.5 mEq/L, which...