Numbers aside, doesn't your doc discuss all this with him & you?

Hi guys,
I thought I would put a new post on this after all.
Ike got bloodwork done at his regular Dr. and this is what it showed.
WBC 6.7 K/UL   4.1---10.9
RBC   5.6 M/UL     4.7--6.0
HGB 18.2 G/DL     CRITCAL HIGH   13.5--18.0
HCT 53.9   % HIGH   42.0--52.0
MCH 32.4 PG   HIGH 26.KK0--32.0
PLT 154.0 KK/UL     37.0--92.0
CO2   MMOL/L     HIGH   23.0--29.0
TRIG   182 MG/DL     HIGH   35--160
URINALYSIS
BLOOD TRACE NEGATIVE
I looked it up under test, but not sure about its importance. Charlotte

======> hi charlotte - after some research, i posted what is "normal',
but if you read the write up,  it explains what "normal" really is.
hope this helps.

~ curtis

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Electrolytes: These are your potassium, sodium, chloride, and CO2
levels.

CO2 reflects the acid status of your blood. Low CO2 levels can be due to
either to increased acidity from uncontrolled diabetes, kidney disease,
metabolic disorders, or low CO2 can be due to chronic hyperventilation.

Triglyceride is fat in the blood which, if elevated, has been associated
with heart disease, especially if over 500 mg. High triglycerides are
also associated with pancreatitis. Triglyceride levels over 150 mg/dl
may be associated with problems other than heart disease.

The hemoglobin is the amount of oxygen carrying protein contained within
the red blood cells. The hematocrit is the percentage of the blood
volume occupied by red blood cells. In most labs the Hgb is actually
measured, while the Hct is computed using the RBC measurement and the
MCV measurement. Thus purists prefer to use the Hgb measurement as more
reliable. Low Hgb or Hct suggest an anemia. Anemia can be due to
nutritional deficiencies, blood loss, destruction of blood cells
internally, or failure to produce blood in the bone marrow. High Hgb can
occur due to lung disease, living at high altitude, or excessive bone
marrow production of blood cells.

Because most Blood test reference ranges (often referred to as 'normal'
ranges of Blood test results) are typically defined as the range of
values of the median 95% of the healthy population, it is unlikely that
a given Blood sample, even from a healthy patient, will show "normal"
values for every Blood test taken. Therefore, caution should be
exercised to prevent overreaction to mild abnormalities without the
interpretation of those tests by your examining physician. Again, a
Blood test, though important, is only a part of the final diagnosis of a
health problem.

No Blood test is completely accurate all of the time. Sometimes a test
result is incorrectly abnormal in a person who does not have the
suspected disease (a false-positive result). Sometimes a test result is
incorrectly normal in a person who has the disease (a false-negative
result). Tests are rated in terms of their sensitivity (the probability
that their Blood testing results will be positive when a disease is
present) and their specificity (the probability that their test results
will be negative when a disease is not present). A very sensitive test
is unlikely to miss the disease in people who have it, however, it may
falsely indicate disease in healthy people. A very specific test is
unlikely to indicate disease in healthy people. Although, it may miss
the disease in some who have it. Problems with sensitivity and
specificity can be largely overcome by using several different Blood
tests.

Normal test result values are expressed as a reference range, which is
based on the average values in a healthy population; 95% of healthy
people have values within this range. These values vary somewhat among
laboratories, due to methodology and even geography. Blood tests and
Blood testing methods and quality vary widely in different parts of the
world and in different parts of many countries, due to characteristics
in the population, both racial Blood differences and ethnic Blood
characteristics, among other factors.   
 

American Blood laboratories use a different version of the metric system
than does most of the rest of the world, which uses the Systeme
Internationale (SI). In some cases translation between the two systems
is easy, but the difference between the two is most pronounced in the
measurement of chemical concentration. The American system generally
uses mass per unit volume, while SI uses moles per unit volume. Since
mass per mole varies with the molecular weight of the substance being
analyzed, conversion between American and SI units requires many
different conversion factors.

Keep in mind that there are three Blood test "normal ranges."

Normal Range Results
The results of virtually all Blood tests ordered in North America are
compared to "normal ranges" as provided on a "Lab Results Report."  If
your tests indicate that you are within the normal range, you are most
often considered normal. A "normal" Blood test result does not
necessarily mean that you are healthy. The problem with these lies in
how "normal ranges" are determined at that particular Blood testing
laboratory.
 
Population Best/Optimum Ranges

In our opinion, every Blood test result must be compared to Blood test
result scores other than the accepted lab "norms." Your potential
statistical best possible Blood test ranges must be considered. These
Blood test range "best" results should interpreted considering your
physiology and unique biochemistry such as your height your weight, age,
gender, health history since childhood. Further, the inter-relationship
with your other blood test scores must be considered. One imbalance
often causes another. Blood test range scores outside your unique Blood
test range results can be affected by sleep, diet, exercise, medicines,
and vitamin supplements.
 
Your Personal Norms
Your Blood test score, chronicled over time, will vary by few points,
one way or the other. These Blood test results, considering sleep, diet,
exercise, medicines, and vitamin supplements, etc.   will most certainly
vary. Each person on any given day has their own set of Blood test
results.  

Consider your gas mileage in your car. If reviewed over time, each time
you fill up and record your gas mileage, it varies. The car is the same,
the driver is the same, the gas is the same, but the mileage, from
fill-up to fill-up varies. We recommend periodical Personal Blood
Testing.

 Your personal norms must be considered over time. Each individual has
his or her own unique personal Blood test normal range, best for you.
Remember, if you do not get Blood tests, and if you do not keep track of
them, and if you do not have them available to your doctor, You will not
know and can not use your normal Blood test range.  
 
 

Reference Range (conventional units*)
17 Hydroxyprogesterone (Men)0.06-3.0 mg/L
17 Hydroxyprogesterone (Women) Follicular phase0.2-1.0 mg/
L25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D)8-80 ng/m
LAcetoacetate<3 mg/dLAcidity (pH) 7.35 - 7.45 Alcohol 0 mg/dL (more than
0.1 mg/dL normally indicates intoxication) (ethanol)
Ammonia 15 - 50 µg of nitrogen/dL Amylase 53 - 123 units/L
Ascorbic Acid 0.4 - 1.5 mg/dL
Bicarbonate 18 - 23 mEq/L (carbon dioxide content) Bilirubin Direct: up
to 0.4 mg/dL
Total: up to 1.0 mg/dL Blood Volume 8.5 - 9.1% of total body weight
Calcium 8.5 - 10.5 mg/dL (normally slightly higher in children)
Carbon Dioxide Pressure 35 - 45 mm Hg Carbon Monoxide Less than 5% of
total hemoglobin
CD4 Cell Count 500 - 1500 cells/µL
Ceruloplasmin 15 - 60 mg/dL
Chloride 98 - 106 mEq/LComplete Blood Cell Count (CBC) Tests include:
hemoglobin, hematocrit, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, mean corpuscular
hemoglobin concentration, mean corpuscular volume, platelet count, white
Blood cell count
Copper Total: 70 - 150 µg/dL
Creatine Kinase (CK or CPK) Male: 38 - 174 units/L
Female: 96 - 140 units/L 

Creatine Kinase Isoenzymes 5% MB or less Creatinine 0.6 - 1.2 mg/dL
Electrolytes Test includes: calcium, chloride, magnesium, potassium,
sodium

Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR or Sed-Rate) Male: 1 - 13 mm/hr
Female: 1 - 20 mm/hr
Glucose Tested after fasting: 70 - 110 mg/dL Hematocrit Male: 45 - 62%
Female: 37 - 48%
Hemoglobin Male: 13 - 18 gm/dL
Female: 12 - 16 gm/dL Iron 60 - 160 µg/dL (normally higher in males)
Iron-binding Capacity 250 - 460 µg/dL
Lactate (lactic acid) Venous: 4.5 - 19.8 mg/dL
Arterial: 4.5 - 14.4 mg/dL Lactic Dehydrogenase 50 - 150 units/L Lead 40
µg/dL or less (normally much lower in children) Lipase 10 - 150
units/L Zinc   B-Zn 70 - 102 µmol/L Lipids:    Cholesterol Less
than 225 mg/dL (for age 40-49 yr; increases with age)   
Triglycerides 10 - 29 years   53 - 104 mg/dL30 - 39 years   55 -
115 mg/dL40 - 49 years   66 - 139 mg/dL 50 - 59 years   75 - 163
mg/dL60 - 69 years   78 - 158 mg/dL   >  70 years   83 -
141 mg/dL

Liver Function Tests Tests include bilirubin (total), phosphatase
(alkaline), protein (total and albumin), transaminases (alanine and
aspartate), prothrombin (PTT)

Magnesium 1.5 - 2.0 mEq/L Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin (MCH) 27 - 32
pg/cell Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration (MCHC)32 - 36%
hemoglobin/cell Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV) 76 - 100 cu µm
Osmolality 280 - 296 mOsm/kg water Oxygen Pressure 83 - 100 mm Hg Oxygen
Saturation (arterial) 96 - 100%P
hosphatase, Prostatic 0 - 3 units/dL (Bodansky units) (acid)

Phosphatase 50 - 160 units/L (normally higher in infants and
adolescents) (alkaline)

Phosphorus 3.0 - 4.5 mg/dL (inorganic) Platelet Count 150,000 -
350,000/mLPotassium 3.5 - 5.0 mEq/L
Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) 0 - 4 ng/mL (likely higher with age)
Proteins:    Total 6.0 - 8.4 gm/dL   Albumin 3.5 - 5.0
gm/dL  
Globulin 2.3 - 3.5 gm/dLProthrombin (PTT) 25 - 41 sec
Pyruvic Acid 0.3 - 0.9 mg/dL
Red Blood Cell Count (RBC) 4.2 - 6.9 million/µL/cu mm
Sodium 135 - 145 mEq/L Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone (TSH) 0.5 - 6.0 µ
units/mL
Transaminase:   
Alanine (ALT) 1 - 21 units/L   
Aspartate (AST) 7 - 27 units/L Urea Nitrogen (BUN) 7 - 18 mg/dL
BUN/Creatinine Ratio5 - 35
Uric Acid Male    2.1 to 8.5 mg/dL (likely higher with age)Female
   2.0 to 7.0 mg/dL (likely higher with age)
Vitamin A 30 - 65 µg/dL
WBC (leukocyte count and white Blood cell count)4.3-10.8 × 103/mm3
White Blood Cell Count (WBC)4,300 - 10,800 cells/µL/cu mm

knowledge is power - growing old is mandatory - growing wise is optional    
"Many more men die with prostate cancer than of it. Growing old is
invariably fatal. Prostate cancer is only sometimes so."
http://community.webtv.net/PALMER_ENT/doc

I am not a physician, but I did a google search on "medical tests XXX"
with XXX the abbreviations above.

He apparently had a complete blood count plus a Carbon Dioxide
measurement, a measurement of triglycerides , and a urinalysis.  The
results seem mostly to be either in the normal range or just slightly
above it.

I don't know what "CRITICAL HIGH" means for the hemoglobin (HGB).  It is
barely above the normal range.  Usually they are worried about it being
too low, which would indicate anemia which may indicate a serious
problem.  Again let me emphasize that I'm not a physician, but I would
be a bit surprised if they got too excited by those readings.  But it is
possible that there is something subtle that a good doctor might see in
the total picture, so it is worth asking the doctor about it.  One thing
that can raise hemoglobin is smoking.  Is he a smoker?

I don't understand the range for PLT which presumably means platelet
count in thousands per mircroliter.   The normal range I found is 150 to
450.   It doesn't say the result is abnormal, so maybe there was a typo
in the range.

It doesn't say what the CO2 is, so I can't tell whether it is so high it
is likely to be significant.   If it is just slightly high, it may mean
not very much.  If it is very high, it could indicate a serious problem.

The triglicerides are high, but that is not unusual.  It reflects his
diet and I think it can be affected by what he has been eating recently.
 I've had readings that high and no one thought it worth worrying
about.  But, that together with his blood fats, if they were tested,
might suggest that he would be better off with a better diet.  That
could be helpful in the long term in avoiding heart disease or stroke.

Most of us assume that a doctor actually looks at the results before
sending them to you.  But often that is a mistaken assumption.  So don't
be self conscious about insisting on some sort of explanation.