The LifePrint blog
Your bloodwork, explained.
Clear, plain-language guides to blood tests, what the numbers mean, and how to act on them.
How to prepare for a blood test
Fasting, timing, supplements and exercise can all shift your numbers. A few simple steps make your results far more reliable.
Read article →What a “normal” blood result really means
Reference ranges are not a pass or fail line. Here is how they are built, why labs disagree, and why a result just outside the range is often fine.
Read article →Testing testosterone the right way
Timing, fasting and a second sample make the difference between a clear answer and a false alarm. What the Endocrine Society recommends.
Read article →The full blood count: what your haemoglobin, MCV, white cells and platelets reveal
The full blood count is one of the oldest and most useful tests in medicine. Here is what each part measures and what it can point to.
Read article →Your kidney results: creatinine, eGFR and urea explained
Creatinine, eGFR and urea together give a first look at how well your kidneys filter your blood. Here is how to read them, and why one low eGFR is not a diagnosis.
Read article →Liver enzymes: what a raised ALT, AST or GGT usually means
Mildly raised liver enzymes are very common, and most often point to fatty liver, alcohol or a medicine. Here is how to make sense of them and what usually happens next.
Read article →Sodium and potassium: why electrolytes matter and what shifts them
Sodium and potassium keep your nerves, muscles and heart working properly. Most small changes are harmless, but some need a doctor the same day.
Read article →Your first blood test: what the Essentials panel covers and why it is the right starting point
If you have never had a broad blood test, start with a baseline. Essentials looks at the systems that matter most, in one fasting morning draw.
Read article →LDL cholesterol explained: targets, and what actually lowers it
LDL cholesterol is the main driver of artery plaque, and your target depends on your overall risk. Here is what the South African and European guidelines say, and what makes a real difference.
Read article →ApoB: the particle count behind heart risk
ApoB counts the number of cholesterol carrying particles that can enter your artery walls. It can reveal risk that a standard LDL result misses.
Read article →Lp(a): the inherited heart risk marker worth testing once
Lp(a) is a cholesterol particle whose level is set mostly by your genes. About one in five people have a raised level, and most do not know it.
Read article →hs-CRP: inflammation and heart risk, and why infection distorts it
hs-CRP picks up low grade inflammation linked to heart disease. It is only meaningful when you are well, because a cold or injury can push it far higher.
Read article →Triglycerides and HDL: what they say about your metabolic health
High triglycerides and low HDL often travel together, and together they are one of the clearest early signs of insulin resistance. Here is how to read them and what moves them.
Read article →Tired all the time? The blood tests that find fixable causes of fatigue
Most tiredness has an ordinary explanation, but a handful of common, treatable problems show up clearly in a blood test. Here is what is worth checking and what the results can and cannot tell you.
Read article →Iron deficiency without anaemia: what ferritin and transferrin saturation tell you
Your haemoglobin can be normal while your iron stores run empty. Ferritin and transferrin saturation pick this up early, and knowing how to read them avoids both missed deficiency and unnecessary iron.
Read article →Vitamin B12: who is at risk and why active B12 is tested
Low B12 can build slowly over years and damage nerves before it shows in the blood count. Some diets and common medicines raise the risk, and active B12 gives a clearer answer than the older total B12 test.
Read article →Vitamin D in South Africa: why sunshine is not always enough
We live in one of the sunniest countries in the world, yet low vitamin D is common here. Skin tone, season, indoor work and where you live all play a part, and a blood test shows where you actually stand.
Read article →Folate and magnesium: the quieter nutrients and what low levels mean
Folate and magnesium get less attention than iron and vitamin D, but low levels can cause anaemia, cramps and heart rhythm problems. Here is who is at risk and how to read the results.
Read article →TSH explained: why it goes up when the thyroid slows down
TSH is the brain's signal to the thyroid, so it moves in the opposite direction to thyroid activity. Once you understand that feedback loop, most thyroid results start to make sense.
Read article →Free T4 and free T3: reading the active thyroid hormones
TSH tells you what the brain is asking for. Free T4 and free T3 tell you what the thyroid is actually delivering. Reading them together shows where a thyroid problem sits.
Read article →TPO antibodies and Hashimoto's thyroiditis
TPO antibodies are the marker of Hashimoto's thyroiditis, the most common cause of an underactive thyroid. A positive result is common and does not always mean disease, but it does change what to watch for.
Read article →Subclinical hypothyroidism: the TSH grey zone and when it matters
A TSH between 4 and 10 mIU/L with a normal free T4 is common and often settles on its own. Whether it matters depends on repeat results, antibodies, age, symptoms and pregnancy plans.
Read article →An overactive thyroid: the signs and the blood results behind them
An overactive thyroid speeds everything up, from your heart to your metabolism. A low TSH is usually the first clue, and free T4 and free T3 show how significant it is.
Read article →HbA1c explained: your three-month sugar average
HbA1c shows how high your blood sugar has run over the past two to three months, not just this morning. Here is how to read it, and why LifePrint uses the South African cut-offs.
Read article →Fasting glucose: what impaired fasting glucose means
A fasting glucose between 6.1 and 6.9 mmol/L is not diabetes, but it is a clear sign that your body is starting to struggle with sugar. Here is what the numbers mean and what to do next.
Read article →Fasting insulin and insulin resistance: the early warning before sugar rises
Your body can keep blood sugar normal for years by making more and more insulin. Fasting insulin can show that extra effort before glucose or HbA1c start to climb.
Read article →Prediabetes: what it means and how much of it can be reversed
Prediabetes means your blood sugar is higher than it should be, but not yet in the diabetes range. It is common, silent and, for many people, reversible with changes that start working within months.
Read article →Diabetes, kidneys and cholesterol: why this panel also checks eGFR and lipids
High blood sugar does most of its harm through the blood vessels, the heart and the kidneys. That is why the Diabetes Check looks at kidney function and cholesterol, not just sugar.
Read article →PSA: what it can and cannot tell you
PSA is a useful prostate blood test, but a raised result is often not cancer and a normal one is not a guarantee. Here is how to read it and why it is a decision to share with a doctor.
Read article →Oestradiol in men: why it is measured and what high or low levels mean
Oestradiol is often called a female hormone, but men need it too, for bones, libido and more. Here is why the Well Man panel measures it and how to read a high or low result.
Read article →Men's health after 40: the blood numbers worth tracking
After 40, the conditions that shape a man's long-term health often start quietly. These are the blood markers that show them early, and why tracking the trend matters more than any single result.
Read article →The silent conditions men miss: raised cholesterol, prediabetes and fatty liver
Three of the most common health problems in men cause no symptoms for years. All three can show up on a routine blood test long before they cause harm.
Read article →Heavy periods and low iron: why so many women have low ferritin
Monthly blood loss quietly drains iron stores, often years before anaemia shows up. Here is how ferritin and haemoglobin tell the story, and what the WHO cut-offs mean.
Read article →FSH, LH and oestradiol: what your hormone results mean, and why cycle timing matters
These three hormones change from day to day across your cycle, so the same result can be normal on one day and unusual on another. Timing your test is what makes the numbers meaningful.
Read article →Perimenopause and blood tests: what they can and cannot show
Perimenopause is diagnosed mainly from your symptoms and age, not a hormone level. Blood tests still earn their place by ruling out look-alike conditions and checking the health risks that change around menopause.
Read article →Blood tests before pregnancy: folate, iron, thyroid, vitamin D and blood sugar
Planning a pregnancy is a good time to find and fix problems that are easier to sort out before conception. These are the blood tests that matter most, and why.
Read article →AMH: what it says about fertility, and what it does not
AMH gives an estimate of how many eggs you have left, not how good they are or how easily you will fall pregnant. Used with care it helps planning. Read alone it causes needless worry.
Read article →Homocysteine: what a raised level means
Homocysteine rises when your body is short of certain B vitamins, when the kidneys slow down, and for a handful of other reasons. It is a useful clue to look for a cause, not a heart risk number to chase on its own.
Read article →Cortisol: what a single morning test can and cannot tell you about stress
A morning cortisol is a useful check that your adrenal glands are working, but it is not a stress meter. Here is what the result shows, what it misses, and why timing matters so much.
Read article →DHEA-S: the adrenal hormone and what it reflects
DHEA-S is a steady marker of the adrenal glands' androgen output. It falls naturally with age, and its main use is helping explain signs of excess androgen or unusual adrenal activity.
Read article →Calcium, phosphate and uric acid: bone minerals and gout risk
Blood calcium and phosphate tell you about the hormones that control your minerals, not the strength of your bones. Uric acid shows your gout and kidney stone risk. What each result means.
Read article →Your personal baseline: why a yearly Complete panel and trends beat single results
A reference range describes other people. Your own results over time describe you. A yearly baseline turns single snapshots into a story you and your doctor can act on early.
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