09/01/2026
YOUR LAB RESULTS ARE CONNECTED
Why We Shouldn’t Look at One Number in Isolation
Have you ever received your laboratory results and immediately focused on the numbers marked HIGH or LOW?
It is completely understandable. But an abnormal laboratory value rarely tells the whole story by itself.
At Makaya Health Center, we believe laboratory results should be interpreted as part of a bigger picture—alongside your symptoms, medical history, medications, lifestyle, physical examination, and other laboratory findings.
Sometimes, the most important information is not a single abnormal number. It is the pattern created when several results are looked at together.
THE THYROID CONNECTION
Your Thyroid Can Affect More Than Your Thyroid
Thyroid testing is a great example.
When thyroid function is significantly reduced, you may expect symptoms such as fatigue, feeling cold, constipation, dry skin, difficulty concentrating, or changes in weight.
But hypothyroidism can also affect other areas of the body.
For example, an underactive thyroid may contribute to higher LDL cholesterol. It can also be associated with changes in red blood cell size and other metabolic abnormalities.
So, when cholesterol is elevated in someone who also has significant hypothyroidism, we should not automatically treat those findings as completely unrelated problems.
We ask: Could there be a connection?
UNDERSTANDING YOUR CHOLESTEROL NUMBERS
Cholesterol Is More Than Just “Good” and “Bad”
A lipid panel usually includes several numbers:
• Total cholesterol
• LDL cholesterol
• HDL cholesterol
• Triglycerides
• Non-HDL cholesterol
These values need to be interpreted together and in the context of the person’s overall cardiovascular risk.
An excellent HDL level, for example, does not necessarily cancel out a very high LDL level.
Likewise, when LDL cholesterol is markedly elevated, we may need to consider family history, diet, medications, thyroid function, other medical conditions, and sometimes inherited cholesterol disorders.
UNDERSTANDING YOUR BLOOD SUGAR RESULTS
One Blood Sugar Reading Doesn’t Tell the Whole Story
Blood sugar is another good example.
A glucose measurement tells us what your blood sugar was at one particular moment.
Hemoglobin A1C gives us different information. It provides an estimate of your average blood glucose exposure over approximately the previous two to three months.
That is why someone can have a normal glucose reading on one day while another test suggests that blood sugar has been running higher over time.
The numbers aren’t necessarily contradicting each other.
They may simply be showing us different parts of the same story.
WHAT YOUR BLOOD COUNT CAN TELL US
A complete blood count, or CBC, gives us much more information than whether you are anemic.
It looks at red blood cells, hemoglobin, hematocrit, white blood cells, platelets, and characteristics of the red blood cells themselves.
For example, red blood cells that are larger than expected may prompt us to look at vitamin B12, folate, thyroid function, liver health, alcohol intake, medications, and other possible causes.
Again, one abnormal number becomes much more meaningful when we examine what is happening around it.
PUTTING THE PIECES TOGETHER
Think of Your Lab Results Like Pieces of a Puzzle
Imagine dumping a 500-piece puzzle onto a table.
Picking up one piece and studying it carefully won’t necessarily tell you what the finished picture looks like.
Laboratory interpretation can be similar.
We may need to put together:
Your symptoms + medical history + medications + family history + lifestyle + physical examination + laboratory patterns
before the picture becomes clearer.
And sometimes the first set of laboratory tests raises additional questions rather than providing an immediate answer. That may mean repeating a test, ordering additional testing, addressing an underlying condition, or monitoring how the numbers change over time.
THE MAKAYA HEALTH CENTER APPROACH
Our goal is not simply to identify which numbers fall outside the laboratory reference range.
We want to understand why they may be abnormal and how they may relate to the person sitting in front of us.
That means asking questions such as:
What could be contributing to this result?
Could another medical condition be affecting it?
Could a medication or supplement be influencing it?
Does this laboratory finding match the patient’s symptoms?
Are several abnormal results pointing toward the same underlying problem?
What should we address first?
Because ultimately, we don’t treat laboratory reports.
We care for people.
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A NOTE FROM DR. SHEILA
If your laboratory results are filled with numbers marked high or low and you are unsure what they mean, you do not have to figure them out on your own. Understanding how your results connect—and what they may mean in the context of your overall health—is an important part of making informed decisions about your care.
If you are in Washington State, you can schedule an appointment with me at Makaya Health Center for a personalized review of your laboratory results, health history, symptoms, and overall health picture.
If you live outside Washington State, I am also available for general health education consultations, and I welcome opportunities to consult and collaborate with other healthcare providers when appropriate.
Sometimes the connections between your numbers can tell us far more than any single result ever could.
Dr. Sheila Mary, ND, MD, MPH
Licensed Naturopathic Physician
Makaya Health Center Lakewood, WA
Your Health. Your Balance. Our Priority.
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www.makayahealthcenter.com
N.B. This newsletter is provided for general health education and is not intended to diagnose or treat any individual medical condition or replace personalized medical care.
