Understand your lab report
Plain-language guides to what's actually printed on a blood test — what each marker measures, how reference ranges work, and why results differ between labs. Written for patients, reviewed for accuracy.
All guidesMarkers explainedReading reportsPanels & testsTracking over time
Featured · Reading reportsHow to read a blood test report: every section, decodedFlags, units, reference intervals, footnotes — a walkthrough of a real (anonymized) lab report, section by section, so nothing on the page is a mystery.SRDr. Sara Reyes · 12 min read · Updated Jul 2026
Markers explainedLDL vs HDL vs triglycerides: what a lipid panel actually measuresThe four numbers on every lipid panel, what each one is, and why the ratios printed at the bottom exist.8 min read · Jun 2026Reading reportsWhy "normal range" differs between labs — and what to do about itReference intervals are built from each lab's own population and equipment. Here's how to compare results anyway.6 min read · Jun 2026Panels & testsCBC, CMP, lipid, thyroid: the four panels on most annual physicalsWhat each standard panel covers, which markers overlap, and what's usually not included unless you ask.10 min read · May 2026Markers explainedHbA1c vs fasting glucose: two views of the same sugarOne is a snapshot, one is a three-month average. Why they can disagree and what each is used for.7 min read · May 2026Tracking over timeOne result is a data point. Five results are a story.Why trends matter more than single readings, and how to build a useful history from reports you already have.5 min read · Apr 2026Panels & testsmg/dL to mmol/L: converting units on international lab reportsUS and European labs report in different units. Conversion factors for the most common markers, in one table.4 min read · Apr 2026
Reading about markers is step one. Tracking yours is step two.
Upload the report you already have — LabTrack extracts the values and every guide links to your own trend for that marker.