Evidence-Based Supplement & Herb Guides

Cystatin C and Creatinine: Interpreting eGFR When Results Disagree

Learn why cystatin C and creatinine eGFR results can disagree, what each pattern may mean, and when combined eGFR, urine albumin, repeat testing, or medical follow-up can clarify kidney function.

Cystatin C and creatinine are both blood markers used to estimate glomerular filtration rate, or eGFR, which is the usual lab-reported estimate of kidney...

Cystatin C Blood Test: High Cystatin C, eGFR, Normal Range, and Kidney Function

Learn what the cystatin C blood test measures, what high cystatin C means, how cystatin C eGFR compares with creatinine, and when kidney follow-up matters.

Cystatin C is a small protein that helps estimate how well your kidneys filter blood. It is often used when a creatinine-based kidney test...

Electrolyte Panel Test: Sodium, Potassium, Chloride, CO2, Normal Ranges, and Results

Learn what an electrolyte panel measures, including sodium, potassium, chloride, and CO2, with normal ranges, causes of high and low results, and when follow-up or urgent care may be needed.

An electrolyte panel is a blood test that checks minerals that help control fluid balance, nerve signals, muscle function, heart rhythm, and acid-base balance....

Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) Test: Kidney Function, CKD Stages, Low eGFR, and Results

Learn what the eGFR test measures, how to understand kidney function results, CKD stages, low eGFR causes, follow-up tests, and when abnormal results need medical care.

The estimated glomerular filtration rate, or eGFR, is a calculated kidney function result that estimates how much blood your kidneys filter each minute. Most...

High Aldosterone Blood Test: Causes, High Blood Pressure, Low Potassium, and Meaning

High aldosterone blood test meaning, causes, renin patterns, high blood pressure, low potassium, primary aldosteronism, follow-up testing, and treatment options.

A high aldosterone blood test means your adrenal glands are making more aldosterone than expected for the situation. Aldosterone is a hormone that helps...

High Anion Gap Blood Test: Causes, Metabolic Acidosis, Kidney Disease, and Meaning

Learn what a high anion gap blood test means, including metabolic acidosis, kidney disease, ketoacidosis, lactic acidosis, causes, symptoms, follow-up tests, and urgent warning signs.

A high anion gap blood test result means there are more unmeasured acids in the blood than expected. The anion gap is not a...

High Bicarbonate Blood Test: Causes, Metabolic Alkalosis, CO2, and Meaning

High bicarbonate or high CO2 on a blood test can signal metabolic alkalosis, vomiting, diuretics, dehydration, low potassium, aldosterone excess, or chronic CO2 retention. Learn what the result means and what follow-up tests may show.

A high bicarbonate blood test usually means the body is holding on to extra bicarbonate, losing too much acid, or compensating for a long-running...

High Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) Test: Causes, Kidney Function, Dehydration, and Meaning

Understand high BUN blood test results, including dehydration, kidney function, BUN/creatinine ratio, common causes, symptoms, and follow-up tests.

A high blood urea nitrogen, or high BUN, means there is more urea nitrogen in your blood than your lab expects. Urea nitrogen is...

High BUN/Creatinine Ratio Test: Causes, Dehydration, Kidney Disease, and Meaning

Learn what a high BUN/creatinine ratio means, including common causes such as dehydration, low kidney blood flow, kidney disease, high protein intake, and GI bleeding.

A high BUN/creatinine ratio usually means blood urea nitrogen is rising more than creatinine. The most common reason is reduced blood flow to the...

High Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Blood Test: Causes, Bicarbonate, Acid-Base Balance, and Meaning

Learn what a high CO2 blood test means, including high bicarbonate, metabolic alkalosis, chronic CO2 retention, common causes, symptoms, and follow-up tests.

A high carbon dioxide blood test usually means the bicarbonate level in the blood is higher than expected. On a basic metabolic panel, comprehensive...

High Chloride Blood Test: Causes, Dehydration, Acidosis, and Meaning

Learn what a high chloride blood test means, including common causes such as dehydration, metabolic acidosis, kidney problems, diarrhea, medications, and IV saline.

A high chloride blood test means the chloride level in your blood is above your lab’s reference range. Chloride is an electrolyte that works...

High Creatinine Blood Test: Causes, Kidney Function, eGFR, and Meaning

Learn what a high creatinine blood test means, including kidney function, eGFR, common causes, warning signs, follow-up tests, and ways to protect kidney health.

Creatinine is a waste product made by normal muscle activity. Your kidneys remove it from the blood and pass it into urine, so a...

High Ionized Calcium Test: Causes, Symptoms, Hypercalcemia, and Meaning

Learn what a high ionized calcium test means, including ranges, causes, symptoms, hypercalcemia risks, kidney effects, follow-up tests, and when to seek care.

A high ionized calcium test means the active, unbound form of calcium in the blood is above the lab’s reference range. This result can...

High Parathyroid Hormone (PTH) Blood Test: Causes, Calcium, Kidney Disease, and Meaning

Learn what a high PTH blood test means, including causes with high, normal, or low calcium, kidney disease links, follow-up tests, symptoms, and treatment options.

A high parathyroid hormone blood test means the parathyroid glands are releasing more PTH than expected for the body’s calcium and mineral balance. PTH...

High Potassium Blood Test: Causes, Symptoms, Heart Rhythm, and Kidney Risk

High potassium blood test explained: causes of hyperkalemia, symptoms, heart rhythm risks, kidney disease links, severity ranges, treatment options, and next steps.

A high potassium blood test means the potassium level in the blood is above the expected range for that lab. Potassium is an electrolyte...

High Renin Blood Test: Causes, Blood Pressure, Kidney Hormones, and Meaning

High renin blood test meaning, causes, aldosterone patterns, blood pressure links, kidney hormone signals, preparation tips, and follow-up testing explained clearly.

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

Understand high serum osmolality, including normal ranges, dehydration, high sodium, diabetes-related hyperosmolar states, osmolal gap causes, urgent symptoms, and follow-up testing.

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

High sodium blood test results may mean hypernatremia, often from dehydration, water loss, diabetes insipidus, kidney problems, or sodium overload. Learn symptoms, causes, ranges, and when urgent care is needed.

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

Learn what a high urea blood test means, including BUN conversion, kidney function, dehydration, BUN/creatinine ratio, common causes, symptoms, and follow-up tests.

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

Learn what a high uric acid blood test means, including common causes, gout risk, kidney stone links, follow-up tests, treatment targets, and when urgent care matters.

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...