Contents:
- Medical Video: Dr. Joe Brown- How to Read your Blood work / Labs -FULL DESCRIPTIONS AND HOW TO UNDERSTAND IT
- What is the LDH test for?
- The normal limit of LDH levels is ...
- What does it mean if LDH levels are not normal in the body?
- What causes high LDH levels in the body?
Medical Video: Dr. Joe Brown- How to Read your Blood work / Labs -FULL DESCRIPTIONS AND HOW TO UNDERSTAND IT
Maybe you have been asked for a blood test that includes an LDH (Lactate dehydrogenase) test in the series. The test results are considered normal if the LDH number is still within reasonable limits. However, what is an LDH test and for what is this test done?
What is the LDH test for?
LDH is an enzyme that belongs to almost all cells in the body, including blood cells, muscles, brain, kidneys, pancreas, heart and liver. In the body, LDH is responsible for converting the sugar obtained from food into the energy needed by each cell.
Doctors usually advise patients to take an LDH blood test to:
- Find out if there is tissue damage and how much damage has occurred.
- Monitor infections and certain special conditions, such as kidney disease and liver disease.
- Monitor and know the development of certain types of cancer.
The normal limit of LDH levels is ...
Every age group has a different normal LDH limit. Infants and children tend to have a high LDH limit than adults, namely:
- Age 0-10 days: 290-2000 units per liter
- Age 10 days to 2 years: 180-430 units per liter
- Ages 2-12 years: 110-295 units per liter
- More than 12 years old: 100-190 units per liter
When the examination is done, it makes no difference from a blood test in general which only takes a few minutes. If at that time you were taking certain drugs, then you should tell your doctor. Because some types of drugs will affect the LDH test results, for example aspirin, clofibrate, fluorides, mithramycin, and procainamide.
What does it mean if LDH levels are not normal in the body?
LDH is an enzyme that is inside the cell and helps the process of changing sugar into energy. So in good health, the levels must also be normal. However, when the cell is damaged which can be caused by various things, for example cancer or tissue injury due to infection, LDH will come out into the blood vessels. This then makes LDH high in the blood.
Increased LDH levels are usually associated with acute or chronic tissue damage, but to find out the details, your doctor will recommend another test. Conversely, a decrease in LDH levels is very rare. Because, LDH plays an important role in the formation of energy in cells.
Usually, LDH levels can decrease when the body experiences fatigue due to exercise that is quite heavy. However, these conditions will not cause certain health problems, by replenishing your intake, the LDH levels will return to normal.
What causes high LDH levels in the body?
Because LDH is an enzyme found in various types of cells in the body, the increase in LDH in the body can indicate certain health problems, such as:
- Impaired blood flow
- Stroke
- Some types of cancer, such as leukemia and lymphoma
- Heart attack
- Disorders of liver function, for example hepatitis
- Muscle injury
- Wounds to the pancreas
- Hemolytic anemia
- Sepsis
- Abnormal tissue, usually occurs when cancer cells begin to grow
To find out if you really have this health problem, further investigation is needed. High LDH levels alone do not determine whether you have cancer or other chronic diseases. Therefore, you should consult this with your doctor.
