Nepal · Health guide
How to read your blood test results
Last updated: 31 Shrawan 2083 BS (15 August 2026) · about 8 minutes to read
Most lab reports in Nepal print your value, the unit and a reference range side by side, and nothing else. This guide explains what the common lines mean, how to spot a value that needs a doctor today, and which results are usually nothing to worry about. It is general health information, not a diagnosis.
1How to read any lab report
- Check the units first. Nepali labs report sugar in mg/dL, creatinine in mg/dL and haemoglobin in g/dL. If you compare with a report using mmol/L or µmol/L, the numbers look completely different even when health is the same.
- Compare with the range on that page. The printed reference range belongs to that laboratory and machine. Values marked H (high) or L (low) are flagged against that range only.
- Look at the trend, not one number. A single result slightly outside the range is very common. Two reports weeks apart moving in the same direction matter far more.
- Note the conditions. Fasting or not, time of day, recent fever, dehydration, heavy exercise, alcohol, pregnancy and medicines all shift results.
- Keep the report. Upload it once so any doctor you consult later can see the earlier value instead of repeating the test.
2CBC — complete blood count
The most commonly ordered test in Nepal. It counts the three cell families in your blood and is used to look for anaemia, infection and clotting problems.
| On your report | What it looks at | Typical adult range |
|---|---|---|
| Haemoglobin (Hb) | Oxygen-carrying protein; low Hb means anaemia, common with iron deficiency, heavy periods and worm infestation | Men 13–17 g/dL · Women 12–15 g/dL |
| MCV | Average red cell size; small cells point to iron deficiency, large cells to B12 or folate deficiency | 80–100 fL |
| Total WBC | Infection-fighting cells; high with bacterial infection, low with some viral illness and typhoid | 4,000–11,000 /µL |
| Neutrophils / Lymphocytes | The split often hints whether an infection is bacterial (neutrophils up) or viral (lymphocytes up) | Neut 40–75% · Lymph 20–45% |
| Eosinophils | Raised in allergy, asthma and parasite infection — frequent in rural Nepal | 1–6% |
| Platelets | Clotting cells; a falling count with fever raises concern for dengue | 150,000–450,000 /µL |
Iron-deficiency anaemia is very common in Nepal, especially in women of reproductive age and adolescents. Mild anaemia is usually treated with iron and diet advice after the cause is found — not with iron tablets alone forever.
3Blood sugar and HbA1c
| On your report | What it looks at | Typical adult range |
|---|---|---|
| Fasting blood sugar (FBS) | Sugar after 8+ hours without food | Normal 70–99 · Pre-diabetes 100–125 · Diabetes ≥126 mg/dL |
| Post-prandial (PP) sugar | Sugar 2 hours after a meal or glucose drink | Normal <140 · Pre-diabetes 140–199 · Diabetes ≥200 mg/dL |
| HbA1c | Average sugar over the last 2–3 months; not affected by today's meal | Normal <5.7% · Pre-diabetes 5.7–6.4% · Diabetes ≥6.5% |
A diagnosis of diabetes normally needs two abnormal results, or one abnormal result plus symptoms such as excessive thirst, frequent urination, weight loss or slow-healing wounds. For someone already on treatment, most doctors aim for an HbA1c near 7%, adjusted for age and other illnesses.
4Lipid profile — cholesterol
| On your report | What it looks at | Typical adult range |
|---|---|---|
| Total cholesterol | All cholesterol in blood | Desirable <200 mg/dL |
| LDL | "Bad" cholesterol that builds up in arteries; the main treatment target | <100 mg/dL (<70 if heart disease or diabetes) |
| HDL | "Good" cholesterol that clears fat; higher is better | Men >40 · Women >50 mg/dL |
| Triglycerides | Blood fat; rises with sugar, alcohol, fried food and untreated diabetes | <150 mg/dL |
Whether a raised LDL needs medicine depends on your overall risk — blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, family history and age — not on the number alone. Diet, walking and stopping tobacco move triglycerides and HDL noticeably within a few months.
5Liver function test (LFT)
| On your report | What it looks at | Typical adult range |
|---|---|---|
| SGPT / ALT | Enzyme released when liver cells are injured — alcohol, fatty liver, hepatitis, some medicines | Up to ~40 U/L |
| SGOT / AST | Similar enzyme, also found in muscle | Up to ~40 U/L |
| Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) | Rises with bile-duct blockage and in bone disease; normally higher in children | 40–130 U/L |
| Total bilirubin | Yellow pigment; high levels cause jaundice | 0.2–1.2 mg/dL |
| Albumin | Protein made by the liver; low in long-standing liver disease or poor nutrition | 3.5–5.2 g/dL |
Mildly raised ALT with a normal bilirubin is often fatty liver and is managed with weight, sugar and alcohol changes. Jaundice with dark urine, pale stool or severe abdominal pain needs to be seen the same day.
6Kidney function test (RFT/KFT) and electrolytes
| On your report | What it looks at | Typical adult range |
|---|---|---|
| Creatinine | Waste product cleared by the kidneys; rises when filtering falls, and with dehydration | Men 0.7–1.3 · Women 0.6–1.1 mg/dL |
| eGFR | Estimated filtering rate; below 60 for 3 months suggests chronic kidney disease | >90 mL/min/1.73m² |
| Urea / BUN | Another waste product; affected by protein intake and dehydration | Urea 15–40 mg/dL |
| Uric acid | High levels can cause gout attacks in the toe, ankle or knee | Men 3.4–7.0 · Women 2.4–6.0 mg/dL |
| Sodium / Potassium | Salts controlling fluid, nerves and heart rhythm; badly abnormal potassium is an emergency | Na 135–145 · K 3.5–5.1 mmol/L |
7Thyroid, vitamins and other frequent tests
| On your report | What it looks at | Typical adult range |
|---|---|---|
| TSH | Most sensitive thyroid test; high TSH suggests an underactive thyroid, low suggests overactive | 0.4–4.0 mIU/L |
| Free T4 / T3 | Actual thyroid hormone levels, used to confirm what TSH suggests | T4 0.8–1.8 ng/dL |
| Vitamin B12 | Low in vegetarian diets and long-term acidity medicines; causes tiredness and numbness | 200–900 pg/mL |
| Vitamin D (25-OH) | Widely low in Nepal, including in sunny districts, because of covered skin and indoor work | Sufficient 30–100 ng/mL |
| CRP / ESR | General inflammation markers; they show that something is inflamed, not what or where | CRP <5 mg/L · ESR <20 mm/hr |
8Red flags: contact a doctor today
- Haemoglobin below 7 g/dL, or any anaemia with breathlessness, chest pain or fainting.
- Platelets below 100,000 /µL, especially with fever, or any bleeding from gums, nose or skin.
- Blood sugar above 300 mg/dL, or any sugar reading with vomiting, drowsiness or fast breathing.
- Potassium below 3.0 or above 5.5 mmol/L.
- Creatinine that has clearly risen since your last report, or new swelling and reduced urine.
- Bilirubin above 3 mg/dL, or jaundice with confusion or severe pain.
- Total WBC below 2,000 or above 20,000 /µL.
For a medical emergency in Nepal, call an ambulance on 102 or the police on 100, or go straight to the nearest hospital emergency department. Do not wait for an online reply.
9Common questions
- Does one abnormal blood test mean I am sick?
- Usually not. Reference ranges cover about 95% of healthy people, so mildly high or low values are common in healthy adults. Doctors look at the pattern of several results, your symptoms and your history before deciding anything.
- Why do reference ranges differ between labs in Nepal?
- Each laboratory sets ranges for the machine, method and population it serves, and units may differ (for example mg/dL vs mmol/L). Always compare your value with the range printed on your own report, not with a range from the internet.
- Do I need to fast before a blood test?
- Fasting glucose and lipid profile usually need 8 to 12 hours without food (plain water is fine). CBC, thyroid and most other tests do not need fasting. Confirm with the lab or the doctor who ordered the test.
- How long are blood test results valid?
- It depends on the test and your condition. For a stable adult, a CBC or lipid profile is generally taken as current for about 3 months; in acute illness, pregnancy or dialysis, results can change within days.
Ranges shown are the values most commonly printed by laboratories in Nepal for adults and are given for orientation only. Children, pregnant women, dialysis patients and people on certain medicines have different targets. Always use the reference range on your own report and confirm with a licensed doctor before changing any treatment.