by | Oct 6, 2026 | Lab notes
Most lab reports invite a very simple reading: in range is good, out of range is bad.That is understandable. The colors, arrows, and bolded flags are designed to make a long report easier to scan. But a reference range is not a diagnosis, a treatment target, or a...
by | Sep 29, 2026 | Lab notes
A familiar assumption follows almost every repeat lab panel: if the number changed, something in the body changed. Sometimes that is true. Sometimes the change is meaningful. But a lab result is not a direct photograph of health. It is a measurement taken at one...
by Teralyn Sell, PhD | Sep 22, 2026 | Lab notes
For years, “fasting bloodwork” was treated as the serious version of a cholesterol test.No breakfast. Morning appointment. Water only. Then, presumably, a more trustworthy answer.That assumption is being examined more closely. A 2025 UK laboratory consensus statement...
by Teralyn Sell, PhD | Sep 15, 2026 | Lab notes
A1C is often described as a three-month average of blood sugar. That description is useful, but it is incomplete enough to create confusion.An A1C result is not a report card on how someone ate, exercised, or managed stress over the previous 90 days. It is a...
