Reference Ranges

What the colors mean

HealthTab applies the concept of ‘risk ranges’ to help you interpret your results in a clear, visual way. Low risk is generally considered ‘normal’ or within the reference range and is represented by the color green. An orange or red value means a particular result was outside of the reference interval established by the instrument manufacturer or cut points set by clinical guidelines.

However, it’s important to remember that your body is a complex system that is in constant flux. Some biomarkers can occasionally be ‘abnormal’ for reasons unrelated to a specific health concern. Think of the indicators on your dashboard as a ‘check engine’ light – a signal that parts of your health might need further investigation and you should follow up with your doctor to learn more.

HealthTab is a screening tool and is not intended to provide a diagnosis of any kind or to replace the valuable role of your doctor, pharmacist, and other trusted health experts in evaluating your results in the broader context of your history and overall health.

For more information, we recommend reading Reference Ranges and What They Mean.

Our reference ranges

The table below outlines the reference intervals and cut points HealthTab uses in applying a relative health risk category to patient results. All units are in SI, the international system of laboratory measurement. If you would like to convert your results to US units, you can use this calculator.

Analyte Range Classification
Total Cholesterol1 (mmol/L) < 5.2 Desirable
  5.2 - 6.1 Borderline high
  > 6.1 High
HDL1,2 (mmol/L) > 1.53 Less than avgerage risk
  1.03 - 1.53 Average risk (male)
  1.29 - 1.53 Average risk (female)
  < 1.03 Increased risk (male)
  < 1.29 Increased risk (female)
LDL1 (mmol/L) < 2.6 Optimal
  2.6 - 3.3 Near optimal
  3.4 - 4.1 Borderline high
  4.2 - 4.9 High
  > 4.9 Very high
CHOL/HDL3,4 (mmol/L) < 3.5 Optimal (male)
  < 3.4 Optimal (female)
  > 5.0 Above average risk (male)
  > 4.4 Above average risk (female)
Non-HDL1,2 (mmol/L) < 3.4 Optimal
  3.4 - 4.1 Near optimal
  4.2 - 4.9 Borderline high
  5.0 - 5.7 High
  > 5.7 Very high
Triglycerides1 (mmol/L) < 1.69 Desirable
  1.69 - 2.25 Borderline high
  2.26 - 5.63 High
  > 5.63 Very high
Glucose6,7,8 (mmol/L) < 5.6 Normal (fasting)
  < 7.8 Normal (non-fasting)
  4.1 - 6.6 Reference interval (fasting)
  < 2, > 30 Critical
HbA1c11 (%) < 6.0 Normal
  <= 7.0 Target (diabetic)
ALT9,A (U/L) 10 - 47 Reference interval
AST9,A (U/L) 11 - 38 Reference interval
ALP9,A (U/L) 53 - 128 Reference range (male)
  42 - 141 Reference range (female)
Total Bilirubin9,A (umol/L) 4 - 27 Reference interval
Albumin9 (g/L) 33 - 55 Reference interval
Total Protein9 (g/L) 64 - 81 Reference interval
BUN9 (mmol urea/L) 2.5 - 7.9 Reference interval
Creatinine9 (umol/L) 53 - 106 Reference interval
eGFR10,B (mL/min/1.73 m2) > 59 Normal
Sodium9 (mmol/L) 128 - 145 Reference interval
  < 120, > 160 Critical
Potassium9 (mmol/L) 3.6 - 5.1 Reference interval
  < 2.8, > 6.2 Critical
Calcium9 (mmol/L) 2.0 - 2.58 Reference interval
  < 1.5, > 3.25 Critical
Chloride9 (mmol/L) 98 - 108 Reference interval
Total CO29 (mmol/L) 18 - 33 Reference interval
  < 10, > 40 Critical
Sources
  1. National Cholesterol Education Program ATP III
  2. Lab Tests Online - Lipid Panel
  3. Harvard Medical Health Guide
  4. American Heart Association
  5. Lab Tests Online - VLDL
  6. Abaxis – Piccolo® Lipid Panel Plus Reagent Disc
  7. American Diabetes Association
  8. Mayo Clinic
  9. Abaxis – Piccolo® Comprehensive Metabolic Reagent Disc
  10. National Kidney Disease Education Program
  11. Canadian Diabetes Association
Notes
  1. Values below the lower limit of these ranges are still interpreted as ‘Low Risk’ by the HealthTab system because they are usually not of concern from a medical standpoint.
  2. HealthTab calculates eGFR using the 2009 CKD-EPI creatinine equation as recently recommended by the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) CKD Work Group.