The bands on this page
| Result | What it is called here |
|---|---|
| under 1.5 | Excellent |
| 1.5 to 2.5 | Normal |
| 2.5 to 3.5 | Elevated — systemic inflammation |
| over 3.5 | High — investigate |
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 — Am I Iron Deficient? (2 markers) | $16.20 |
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.
Platelet clumping in the EDTA tube produces a falsely low platelet count, and cells swell over time, shifting indices.
What to do: A surprisingly low platelet count with no symptoms is usually clumping. Ask for a citrate tube repeat.
Concentrates the blood and falsely raises hemoglobin, hematocrit and red cell count. Genuinely important on TRT, where a hematocrit near the ceiling changes management.
What to do: Hydrate normally the day before. Do not over-drink immediately before either — that dilutes in the other direction.
Plasma volume expands with endurance training, diluting hemoglobin — 'athlete's pseudoanemia', which is an adaptation and not a deficiency. White cells also rise acutely after hard exercise.
What to do: Distinguish it by a normal ferritin. Draw 48–72 hours after hard work.
This is an acute-phase reactant — it moves substantially during any infection, injury or inflammatory episode, and the change has nothing to do with your baseline.
What to do: Wait two weeks after any illness, vaccination or injury before drawing or interpreting.