Your Lab Report Looks Like Hieroglyphics? Here's What Those Numbers Actually Mean
CBC, lipid profile, HbA1c, creatinine — most patients get lab results and have no idea what they're looking at. Let's fix that.
You walk out of Popular Diagnostics or Ibn Sina with a printed report, stare at it, understand exactly zero, and then wait three days for your next doctor's appointment to find out if you're dying or fine. Sound familiar?
You don't need a medical degree to understand your own lab results. Here's a plain-language guide to the most common tests ordered in Bangladesh.
CBC — COMPLETE BLOOD COUNT
This is the single most common blood test you'll ever get. It measures:
• Haemoglobin (Hb): Carries oxygen in your blood. Normal: 12-16 g/dL for women, 13-17 g/dL for men. Below normal? You might be anaemic — very common in Bangladesh, especially among women.
• WBC (White Blood Cells): Your immune soldiers. Normal: 4,000-11,000 /μL. High WBC? Usually means infection. Very high? Could be something more serious.
• Platelets: Help your blood clot. Normal: 150,000-400,000 /μL. During dengue season, this is the number everyone watches. Below 100,000 needs close monitoring; below 20,000 may need a transfusion.
• ESR: An inflammation marker. Elevated ESR (above 20 mm/hr) means something in your body is inflamed. It doesn't tell you what — it just says 'something's off.' Think of it as a check engine light.
BLOOD SUGAR TESTS
• Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS): Taken after 8+ hours of fasting. Normal: below 100 mg/dL. Prediabetes: 100-125. Diabetes: 126+.
• Random Blood Sugar (RBS): Can be taken any time. Above 200 with symptoms = likely diabetes.
• HbA1c: The gold standard. It shows your average blood sugar over the past 2-3 months. Below 5.7% is normal. 5.7-6.4% is prediabetes. Above 6.5% = diabetes. If you are diabetic, aim for below 7%.
LIPID PROFILE
Measures your cholesterol and fat levels:
• Total Cholesterol: Below 200 mg/dL is ideal.
• LDL ('bad' cholesterol): Below 100 is good. Below 70 if you have heart disease or diabetes.
• HDL ('good' cholesterol): Above 40 for men, above 50 for women. Higher is better — this one actually protects your heart.
• Triglycerides: Below 150 mg/dL. High triglycerides are common in Bangladesh because of our carb-heavy diet.
KIDNEY FUNCTION
• Creatinine: Normal: 0.6-1.2 mg/dL. Elevated creatinine means your kidneys might not be filtering properly. Very common in uncontrolled diabetes and hypertension.
• eGFR: Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate. Above 90 is healthy. Below 60 for three months or more = chronic kidney disease.
LIVER FUNCTION (LFT)
• SGPT (ALT): Normal: below 40 U/L. Elevated? Often caused by fatty liver, which is extremely common in Bangladesh. Could also indicate hepatitis — get HBsAg and anti-HCV tested if elevated.
• Bilirubin: Normal: 0.1-1.2 mg/dL. High bilirubin can cause jaundice (yellowish skin and eyes).
THYROID
• TSH: Normal: 0.4-4.0 mIU/L. High TSH = hypothyroid (sluggish thyroid, common in women). Low TSH = hyperthyroid. Thyroid issues are massively under-diagnosed in Bangladesh.
A TIP FOR YOUR NEXT LAB VISIT
Ask for a printed reference range — most labs in Dhaka print it right next to your values. If your number is outside the bold range, that's the one to discuss with your doctor. And keep every report. Build a folder (digital or physical). Tracking changes over time is far more valuable than any single test.