Understand your tests

Understand your tests

Hidden blood in stool: what FIT and gFOBT can tell you

How the two methods differ, why preparation depends on the kit, and what positive and negative results mean.

Understand your tests

Urine culture: from collecting the sample to understanding the result

How a culture differs from routine urinalysis, why the sample matters, and how to understand bacterial growth and susceptibility testing.

Haydn Hammerton · CC BY 4.0 · cropped

Understand your tests

TSH and FT4: understanding thyroid function

Two markers with different roles: what they measure, how they relate, and why pregnancy, medicines and biotin matter.

Understand your tests

Cholesterol, LDL and triglycerides: beyond one number

How to read a lipid profile, why LDL goals depend on risk, and what to know about fasting and follow-up.

Understand your tests

Vitamin B12 and folate: what the tests can tell you

The roles of B12 and folate, reasons for testing, and how borderline results, diet and supplements affect interpretation.

Understand your tests

How to read laboratory results beyond the red flag

Reference ranges, units, positive results and changes over time: a guide to making better sense of your report.

Understand your tests

Kidney health: why eGFR and urine albumin belong together

Two kinds of information for a fuller picture: filtration, albuminuria and the importance of repeated measurements.

Understand your tests

Ferritin: a window into iron stores

What ferritin tells us, why one value is not enough, and how iron fits into the picture.

Understand your tests

HbA1c: a view of glucose beyond today

The difference between a current glucose reading and HbA1c, preparation, and why context matters.