Lecture by Dr. Elmar Aigner and Tina Hinz at the HLFS Ursprung

The "day of reckoning" had finally come. All the examined pupils were informed of the results of their blood work. Some of their faces showed concerned, others looked completely content, most however looked confused.

What does this jumble of numbers and abbreviations mean? Should I be concerned if the small arrow next to the value goes up or down? How should this arrow be interpreted? Is everything bad, or good?

These questions and still many more would be answered by Dr. Elmar Aigner and medicine student Tina Hinz during the lecture on the blood work. Altogether 250 interested and very curious pupils attended, in order to be informed about their health. Dr. Elmar Aigner and Tina Hinz discussed value by value the information with the pupils, explaining, what the values meant, and what role they play in the human body. Listening actively and urged by curiosity our fellow pupils placed many, many questions to the medical specialists.
Some frequently asked questions or FAQs we would like to summarize here:

Is it bad if the first level on the list is too low?

The first five levels, the liver levels, a too low value was desirable, since the ranges of tolerance were appropriate for young people and not for adults.

Why is the HDL levels so low despite the fact that one plays sports and is active, shouldn't HDL levels be higher for someone who is very active?

Some deviations are genetically conditioned. None of the pupils we examined showed any serious deviation from the norm, therefore there is no reason for concern.

What if are the LDL & HDL readings aren't on the note? Can't one at all have this value?

In completely rare cases the body LDL or HDL cannot form. This is however genetically conditioned. But there is no reason for concern. Sometimes errors happen during the evaluation and/or with the data processing. When that occurs the affected data is simply deleted to avoid providing false information.

What happens if one has too high iron levels?

A too high iron value can lead to harmful deposits in the liver. In some cases this can lead to an iron memory illness named haemochromatosis. With the iron value rises usually in addition, the ferrite in value, which is to be considered in such cases in any case.

What happens, if the ferrite levels are okay but the iron levels are too low?

If the ferrite value is in the normal range there is no cause for panic. Iron values fluctuate frequently, but ferrite levels usually remain stable.

Why aren't the ferritin levels analyzed during a standard blood test?

Ferritin is not examined with a blood cell count, although it is actually the measurement which best represents the condition of the iron metabolism. The health insurance companies however do not pay for these evaluations to be performed with routine investigations. Though they are usually covered if a Doctor feels the need to specifically test for ferritin.

What happens, if my Bilirubin value is too high?

The Bilirubin value frequently varies from person to person. Most humans, who have too high values, do not have a reason to the concern. Quite the reverse actually: people with higher Bilirubin levels have a higher life expectancy.