What the letters on your blood test actually mean
FBC, eGFR, gamma GT, MCV, RDW. A plain-English guide to every marker on a South African blood test report, including the functional markers a standard panel leaves out.
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Your report lists each marker with a reference range beside it. Those ranges are built so that 95% of healthy people fall inside them, which means roughly 1 in 20 perfectly normal results will land outside by definition. A single flagged value is common and often means nothing.
What a doctor reads instead is the pattern across related markers, the size of the difference, and whether it has changed since last time. A raised ALT means something different next to a raised gamma GT than it does alone.
And many of the abbreviations aren't separate tests at all. A full blood count produces twelve values from one sample. eGFR is calculated from your creatinine. Globulin is total protein minus albumin. You had fewer tests than your report suggests.
Meet your markers
Every marker, by panel
Prices are 2026 cash rates for the marker on its own, where it can be ordered that way. Underlined markers have a full guide of their own. The last tab, functional health, holds the markers a standard panel leaves out.
One R206 test, ten abbreviations. Everything in this group comes off the same sample.
The protein in red cells that carries oxygen. Low Hb is what most people mean by anaemia.
The proportion of your blood made up of red cells. Moves with Hb and with hydration.
How many red cells you have. Read alongside Hb rather than on its own.
The average size of your red cells. Small cells point one way, large cells another, which is why it matters in anaemia.
How much haemoglobin is in an average red cell.
How concentrated the haemoglobin is inside those cells.
How much your red cells vary in size. A wide spread can appear before other markers shift.
Your immune cells in total. Raised with infection and inflammation, low for many reasons.
The white cells that respond first to bacterial infection.
The white cells that handle viral infection and immune memory.
The cells that make your blood clot.
The average size of your platelets.
The proportion of blood volume made up of platelets.
What your kidneys are clearing, and how well.
A waste product your kidneys filter out. The standard first-line kidney marker.
Not measured but calculated from your creatinine, age and sex. Estimates how much blood your kidneys filter per minute.
Another waste product. Read with creatinine, and affected by hydration and protein intake.
A filtration marker unaffected by muscle mass, protein intake or creatine supplements.
An electrolyte central to fluid balance.
An electrolyte that matters for heart rhythm and muscle function.
An electrolyte read alongside sodium and bicarbonate.
Part of how your blood keeps its acid balance. Used to calculate the anion gap.
Raised levels are associated with gout.
The standard kidney panel: urea, electrolytes and creatinine together.
Enzymes and proteins that shift when the liver or bile ducts are under strain.
An enzyme concentrated in liver cells. The most liver-specific of the common enzymes.
An enzyme found in liver but also muscle, so it rises after hard training too.
An enzyme sensitive to bile duct problems and to alcohol.
An enzyme from liver, bile ducts and bone.
The pigment from broken-down red cells. High levels cause jaundice.
The main protein your liver makes. Reflects liver function and nutrition.
Albumin plus globulin. Globulin is usually worked out by subtracting one from the other.
An enzyme present in most tissues. Non-specific, read in context.
The full liver panel in one.
How your body is handling glucose, now and over months.
Your blood sugar at the moment of the draw, fasting or random.
Your average blood sugar over roughly 3 months. Used to diagnose and monitor diabetes.
Shows how much insulin your own pancreas is making.
Average glucose over 2 to 3 weeks rather than 3 months.
The fats in your blood, and the ratio between them.
All the cholesterol in your blood added together.
The fraction associated with plaque build-up.
The fraction that carries cholesterol away from arteries.
A separate blood fat, strongly affected by diet and alcohol.
All four together, the standard cholesterol panel.
Counts the particles rather than the cholesterol inside them.
The gland that sets your metabolic rate.
The pituitary's instruction to the thyroid. The usual first test.
The main hormone the thyroid releases.
The active form your tissues actually use.
An antibody pointing at autoimmune thyroid disease.
The standard pair in one test.
Whether you have enough iron, and whether it is available.
Your stored iron. Falls before haemoglobin does, so it catches deficiency early.
The iron circulating right now. Moves through the day, so it is read with the others.
The protein that carries iron around.
Iron, ferritin and transferrin together.
Needed to make red cells. Deficiency causes fatigue and a large-cell anaemia.
Works with B12 in red cell production.
Markers that rise when something is inflamed, without saying what.
Rises quickly with inflammation or infection anywhere in the body.
The same protein measured at lower levels, used for cardiovascular risk.
An older, slower measure of inflammation. Still useful.
An antibody associated with rheumatoid arthritis.
A screening antibody for autoimmune conditions.
Total antibody level associated with allergy.
Sex hormones, stress hormones and fertility markers.
The main androgen, relevant in both men and women.
The main oestrogen. Moves across the menstrual cycle.
Rises after ovulation. Timing of the draw changes the meaning.
A pituitary hormone central to fertility and menopause.
Triggers ovulation. Read alongside FSH.
Raised levels can disrupt cycles and fertility.
Determines how much of your testosterone is actually available.
A marker of ovarian reserve.
Your main stress hormone. Highest in the morning.
An adrenal androgen.
Markers of cardiac strain and muscle damage.
Released when heart muscle is damaged. An emergency test, not a screening one.
A muscle enzyme. Rises after hard training as well as with muscle damage.
The cardiac fraction of CK.
Released when the heart is under strain. Used in heart failure.
A clot breakdown product, used to help rule out clots.
How quickly your blood clots. Used to monitor blood thinning.
The markers a standard panel leaves out. These are what a functional or integrative practitioner tends to order when the standard results came back normal but something still is not right. Some are well established and some are contested, and the descriptions say which.
An amino acid that builds up when the B vitamins that clear it are in short supply. Raised levels are associated with cardiovascular risk, and it's one of the more useful functional markers because it points at a cause you can act on.
The same protein as ordinary CRP, measured at much lower levels. Standard CRP is for finding infection; hs-CRP is for detecting the low-grade inflammation associated with cardiovascular risk.
Read alongside fasting glucose, it shows how hard your pancreas is working to keep blood sugar normal. Insulin can climb for years while glucose stays in range, which is exactly the drift a standard panel misses.
Largely inherited and barely influenced by diet or exercise. Worth measuring once in a lifetime, particularly with a family history of early heart disease, because a normal cholesterol result doesn't rule it out.
Counts the number of atherogenic particles rather than the cholesterol inside them. Two people with identical LDL can have very different ApoB, and the particle count tracks risk more closely.
The protein component of HDL. Read as a ratio with ApoB rather than on its own.
A direct count of LDL particles, for the same reason ApoB is measured: number matters as well as content.
The smaller, denser LDL subfraction, which is more strongly associated with plaque than larger buoyant particles.
Magnesium inside your red cells rather than in serum. Serum magnesium is tightly regulated and stays normal even when tissue stores are low, so red cell magnesium answers a question serum can't.
Folate inside red cells, reflecting stores over about 3 months rather than what you ate this week.
The storage form, and the one worth measuring. Insufficiency is common in South Africa despite the sunshine, particularly with indoor work and darker skin.
The active thyroid hormone your tissues actually use. TSH and T4 are the standard pair; free T3 completes the picture when symptoms and TSH disagree.
An inactive form of T3. Widely used in functional practice on the theory that stress or illness diverts T3 into this form. Mainstream endocrinology does not support using it to guide treatment, and at R2,925 it's the most expensive marker on this page. Worth discussing with a clinician before ordering.
An antibody that points at autoimmune thyroid disease. It can be positive years before TSH shifts, which is why it's useful when there's a family history.
A signalling molecule that drives inflammation. More specific than CRP about where the inflammation is coming from.
Reflects growth hormone activity over time rather than in the moment. Used in longevity and performance work.
A trace mineral needed for thyroid hormone conversion and antioxidant enzymes. Special collection.
A trace mineral central to immune function, wound healing and testosterone production. Special collection.
Read alongside zinc, since the two compete for absorption and the ratio matters more than either alone. Special collection.
Average blood sugar over 2 to 3 weeks. Useful when HbA1c is unreliable, for instance in pregnancy or after blood loss.
Another 2 to 3 week average of blood sugar, for the same situations where HbA1c can mislead.
Shows how much insulin your own pancreas is producing, which insulin alone can't distinguish if you're injecting it.
A precursor hormone used when investigating adrenal enzyme problems and some causes of raised androgens.
Antibodies that stimulate the thyroid, used when an overactive thyroid needs a cause. Special collection.
A follow-on autoimmune screen, usually after a positive ANA. Special collection.
Myth vs fact
What most people get wrong about blood test results
Tap any card to flip it.
None of that means ignore a flagged result. It means take the report to a doctor rather than to a search engine, and expect the sensible next step to often be a repeat test rather than a diagnosis.
Included free
A report that explains itself
Every blood order at Epicentre comes back with a functional health report alongside the standard laboratory result, at no extra cost.
Rather than describe it, here is the part that changes how a result reads. Same ferritin, same blood, two different verdicts.
That ferritin is why someone can be exhausted and be told their bloods are fine. It sits inside the standard laboratory range, so nothing gets flagged, while sitting well below the range associated with feeling well. The standard report is the one your doctor wants. The functional report is the one written for you.
It comes with every blood order at no extra cost, and we have written a guide to how to read it.
Interactive
Which test do I actually need?
Pick the closest to your situation. These are common starting points rather than medical advice, and the branch team will help if none of them fits.
Tired all the time, no obvious reason
Iron studies R459, full blood count R206 and thyroid panel R474. Fatigue is most often iron, thyroid or B12, and those three cover it.
Take me thereI take creatine or lift seriously
Creatinine R70 plus Cystatin C R694. Creatine raises creatinine and lowers eGFR on paper without touching your kidneys, and Cystatin C is not affected.
Take me thereFamily history of diabetes
HbA1c R280. It shows your average blood sugar over about 3 months and needs no fasting.
Take me thereI drink more than I would like to admit
Liver function tests R522. Gamma GT and ALT are the ones that move first.
Take me thereNothing specific, I just want a baseline
Full blood count R206, U&E and creatinine R380, liver function R522 and a lipogram R362. That is the standard annual picture.
Take me therePeriods, fertility or hormone questions
Timing matters more than the panel here, so start with our guide to when in your cycle to test.
Take me thereNot sure? Tell us what you are trying to find out and we will point you at the right panel.
Ask us on WhatsAppOrdering
Should I order markers on their own, or take a panel?
Both work, and which is better depends on the marker rather than on a rule. You can tick individual tests on the interactive cash pricelist and it totals as you go, or take a panel that bundles the markers usually read together.
It's worth knowing that a panel isn't automatically the cheaper option. We checked ours against their own components:
| Panel | Panel price | Same tests separately | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liver function tests | R522 | R711 | Panel saves R189 |
| Iron studies | R459 | R601 | Panel saves R142 |
| Thyroid panel | R474 | R474 | Identical |
| Lipogram | R362 | R344 | Panel costs R18 more |
| U&E and creatinine | R380 | R350 | Panel costs R30 more |
So on the liver and iron panels a bundle is clearly worth it. On the kidney and lipid panels you'd pay a few rand less picking the components yourself, though you'd have to know which ones to pick. That's what a panel really buys you: the markers that belong together arrive together, and get read together.
The six panels most of these markers arrive in
Full blood count
R206FBC / platelets
Hb, haematocrit, MCV, MCH, MCHC, RDW, white cells, neutrophils, lymphocytes, platelets, MPV and PCT. Twelve values, one sample.
See the markersU&E and creatinine
R380Kidney panel
Urea, sodium, potassium, chloride and creatinine, with eGFR reported alongside. The standard kidney check.
See the markersLiver function tests
R522LFT
ALT, AST, gamma GT, alkaline phosphatase, bilirubin, albumin and total protein together.
See the markersLipogram
R362Lipid panel
Total cholesterol, LDL, HDL and triglycerides. Usually done fasting.
See the markersThyroid panel
R474TSH and T4
The standard first-line pair. Free T3 and anti-TPO can be added if the picture needs it.
See the markersIron studies
R459Iron, ferritin, transferrin
The three that make sense of an iron question together, rather than serum iron alone.
See the markersThose six cover the first eight tabs above. The hormone, heart and functional markers are usually ordered individually or inside a larger package, and the full package list has those.
Blood testing
Where can I get a blood test in South Africa?
You don't need a doctor's referral if you're paying cash. Walk into any branch, choose your tests and pay at reception. Most routine results come back in 2 to 5 working days.
If you claim from a medical aid you are charged the medical aid rate, which is roughly 20% higher than the cash rate, and you'll generally need a doctor's request with an ICD-10 code.
Not sure which test you need?
Tell us what you're trying to find out and we'll point you at the right panel. Or price your own testing with the interactive cash pricelist.
Every test and price Ask us on WhatsAppCommon questions
Blood test results FAQs
How do I read my blood test results?
Start with the markers your doctor ordered the test for, not the ones flagged out of range. A blood test report lists every value with a reference range beside it, and it is normal for one or two to sit slightly outside that range without meaning anything. Reference ranges are built so that 95% of healthy people fall inside them, which means roughly 1 in 20 normal results will land outside by definition. What matters is the pattern across related markers, the size of the difference, and whether it has changed since last time.
What does it mean if one marker is out of range?
Usually very little on its own. Reference ranges are statistical rather than diagnostic, so a slightly high or low value in an otherwise normal panel is common and often not significant. Doctors read markers in groups: a raised ALT means something different alongside a raised gamma GT than it does alone. Size matters too, since a value just outside the range is treated differently from one well outside it. And a single result is a snapshot, so a repeat test is often the sensible next step rather than a diagnosis.
What is eGFR on a blood test?
Estimated glomerular filtration rate. It is not measured directly: it is calculated from your creatinine along with your age and sex, to estimate how much blood your kidneys filter per minute. Because it is derived from creatinine, anything that raises your creatinine will lower your eGFR on paper. Creatine supplements are the common example, which is why Cystatin C at R694 is the better marker if you supplement.
What is gamma GT in a blood test?
Gamma-glutamyl transferase, an enzyme found in the liver and bile ducts. It is sensitive to bile duct problems and to alcohol intake, which is why it is often read alongside ALT and alkaline phosphatase rather than on its own. At Epicentre it is R79 as a single test, or part of the R522 liver function panel.
What is albumin in a blood test?
The main protein made by your liver. It carries substances around the blood and helps hold fluid inside blood vessels. Low albumin can reflect liver problems, kidney loss, poor nutrition or ongoing inflammation, so it is always read in context. Subtracting albumin from total protein gives globulin, which is why globulin often appears on a report without being a separate test.
What is HbA1c in a blood test?
Glycated haemoglobin, which reflects your average blood sugar over roughly the previous 3 months rather than at the moment of the draw. It is used both to diagnose and to monitor diabetes, and it does not require fasting. At Epicentre it is R280.
Why does my full blood count have so many abbreviations?
Because they all come from one test. A full blood count at R206 measures your red cells, white cells and platelets, and the abbreviations are the individual values and calculations it produces: Hb, Hct, MCV, MCH, MCHC, RDW, WCC, neutrophils, lymphocytes, platelets, MPV and PCT. You did not have twelve tests. You had one, and it reported twelve numbers.
How long do blood test results take in South Africa?
At Epicentre most routine blood results come back in 2 to 5 working days. PCR panels, including the sexual health and gut health screens, take 5 to 7 working days. Some specialised tests take longer and the branch team will tell you when you book.
Do I need to fast before a blood test?
It depends on the test. Fasting glucose, a lipogram and some metabolic panels are usually done fasting, which means no food for 8 to 12 hours beforehand. You can and should drink water: staying hydrated makes the draw easier and dehydration can shift some results. Most other tests, including HbA1c, thyroid and full blood count, do not need fasting. Check when you book rather than fasting unnecessarily.
Do I need a doctor's referral for a blood test in South Africa?
Not at Epicentre if you are paying cash. You can walk into any branch, choose your own tests and pay at reception. A referral is generally needed only if you intend to claim from a medical aid, which requires a doctor's request with an ICD-10 code.
Where can I get a blood test near me in Cape Town, Johannesburg or Durban?
Epicentre has walk-in laboratories at 24 Lower Main Road, Observatory in Cape Town (021 201 1658), 2 Seventh Avenue, Parktown North in Johannesburg (082 065 2172), and 2 Knelsby Avenue, Hillcrest in Durban (031 880 2150). All three are open Monday to Friday from 08:30 to 16:00 and closed on public holidays. No appointment or doctor's referral is needed if you're paying cash, and most routine results come back in 2 to 5 working days.
How much does a blood test cost in South Africa?
Individual markers start at R64 for haemoglobin and R70 for creatinine, urea, sodium, potassium and chloride. Common panels are R206 for a full blood count, R280 for HbA1c, R362 for a lipogram, R380 for urea, electrolytes and creatinine, R459 for iron studies, R474 for a thyroid panel and R522 for liver function tests. These are 2026 cash rates including 15% VAT, and medical aid rates are roughly 20% higher.
Keep reading
Related guides
This page is general health information and not a medical diagnosis. Epicentre Aids Risk Management (Pty) Ltd, practice number 1117394, provides diagnostic laboratory testing: we do not diagnose, prescribe or treat, and results are intended to inform a consultation with your doctor. Medically reviewed by Dr Samantha Naidoo, MB ChB, FCP (SA), Medical Director. Prices are 2026 cash rates including 15% VAT and can change without notice. If you feel acutely unwell, please see a doctor rather than waiting for a test result.