A blood chemistry panel shows how your internal organs are working and how your metabolism is running. There are a lot of markers, but they fall into a few clear groups. Here are the main ones, in plain language.
| Category | Reference range |
|---|---|
| Glucose (fasting) | 3.9–5.5 mmol/L |
| Total cholesterol | under 5.2 mmol/L |
| ALT / AST | roughly up to 40 U/L |
| Total bilirubin | 3.4–20.5 µmol/L |
| Creatinine (women / men) | 53–97 / 62–115 µmol/L |
| Urea | 2.5–7.5 mmol/L |
These ranges are a rough guide and vary by laboratory and testing method. Always compare your results with the reference values printed on your own report.
Where a complete blood count looks at blood cells, a chemistry panel measures the substances dissolved in your blood: sugar, fats, enzymes and waste products of metabolism. From these a doctor can tell how your liver, kidneys, metabolism and other systems are doing.
The exact list of markers varies — your doctor picks the ones that fit the situation. Here are the groups that come up most often.
Glucose is blood sugar, the body’s main source of energy. A raised fasting result can point to prediabetes or diabetes, but a single number is not a diagnosis.
Cholesterol and lipids (LDL, the “bad” one; HDL, the “good” one; triglycerides) reflect the risk to your blood vessels. What matters is not just total cholesterol but the balance between its types.
ALT and AST are enzymes that leak into the blood when liver cells are damaged (and, in the case of AST, heart and muscle cells too). If they are raised, it is a reason to take a closer look at the liver.
Bilirubin is a pigment processed by the liver; when it builds up, the skin and eyes can turn yellow. The causes vary, and it takes a doctor to sort them out.
Creatinine and urea are waste products that the kidneys clear from the blood. Higher levels can mean the kidneys are working less well, but they also depend on your diet, muscle mass and how hydrated you are.
A more accurate picture of kidney function comes from the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), which is calculated from creatinine.
A chemistry panel is read in groups and as a whole: a single marker rarely means much on its own. Many values depend on how you prepared — blood is usually drawn strictly on an empty stomach.
Results outside the range are a reason to talk with your doctor and, if needed, to run further tests — not to jump to a diagnosis. The final interpretation is always up to a specialist.
No need to decode the numbers yourself: take a photo of the report and the app explains “Blood chemistry” and the rest in plain words — what is normal and what deserves attention.
Get the appOpen in TelegramHow your internal organs and metabolism are working: sugar and fat levels, liver enzymes (ALT, AST), bilirubin, kidney markers (creatinine, urea) and others. Which ones are included depends on what your doctor ordered.
Usually yes, strictly on an empty stomach (8–12 hours without food; water is fine). Eating beforehand distorts the results, especially for glucose and lipids. Check the exact rules with your laboratory.
Don’t panic, and don’t diagnose yourself from a single number. Markers are assessed together; if something is off, your doctor may order a repeat or a follow-up test.
This material is for general information only. It is not a medical opinion and does not replace a consultation with a doctor. Reference ranges depend on the laboratory and the method — rely on the range printed on your own report. Your doctor makes the final interpretation. This page is a translation of the Russian original. The medical review applies to the original text.
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