The bands on this page
| Result | What it is called here |
|---|---|
| under 8.6 | Low |
| 8.6 to 9.0 | Low-normal |
| 9.0 to 10.2 | Normal |
| over 10.2 | High — check PTH |
What goes in, and where each number comes from
Every input is a real test. Follow one to see its normal range, its optimal range and what moves it — the calculation is only as good as the numbers you feed it.
What it costs to actually get these numbers
| The 1 test on their own | $8.10 |
| The cheapest panel that covers them — The Basics — Start Here (4 markers) | $32.40 |
Prices are Marek Diagnostics with the 10% code already applied, and they are what was filed when this page was built — check the cart. Ordering through these links pays a commission at no cost to you.
What could have moved the measurement, not the marker
A wrong number and a real change look identical on a report. These are the reasons a result here can be an artifact of how the blood was drawn or run, and they are worth ruling out before anything else.
Red cells rupturing in the tube spill their contents into the serum. Potassium, LDH, AST and magnesium are far higher inside cells than outside, so a hemolyzed sample reports them falsely high. Caused by a difficult draw, a narrow needle, or shaking the tube.
What to do: The lab usually flags it. If your result is odd and the report mentions hemolysis, that is your answer — repeat the draw.
Clenching your fist pumps potassium out of muscle and can raise a measured potassium enough to trigger a false alarm. A long tourniquet concentrates protein, calcium and everything protein-bound.
What to do: Do not pump your fist. Ask for the tourniquet to come off early. An isolated high potassium with no symptoms is usually this.
Raises creatinine — a breakdown product of creatine — without harming the kidney at all. This is one of the most common false alarms in this audience, and it also drags the calculated eGFR down.
What to do: Expect it if you supplement creatine or carry muscle. Cystatin C settles it, because it is independent of muscle.
Muscle damage and the inflammatory response to hard exercise shift this for days afterwards.
What to do: No hard or unfamiliar training for 48–72 hours before the draw.