Question 1

Adrenaline

Accepted Answer

Adrenaline is a hormone produced in the adrenal medulla and released into the blood under physical or psychological strain. The body uses it to cope with a situation: it raises the heart rate and blood pressure, widens the bronchi and mobilises energy reserves quickly. These properties allow the body to react faster and more effectively.

Question 2

Amylase and lipase

Accepted Answer

Amylase is an enzyme that enables the body to use carbohydrates. This particular protein is produced mainly in the pancreas, but also in the salivary glands. As food is chewed, saliva already begins to break down its starch components. The pancreas has two functions: releasing insulin and glucagon, and producing and distributing pancreatic juice to digest the components of food.Lipase is likewise a pancreatic enzyme. It supports the digestion of food and serves to break down dietary fats.

Question 3

Bilirubin

Accepted Answer

Bilirubin is the yellow bile pigment that gives both urine and stool their colour. It is formed in the spleen, liver and bone marrow as a breakdown product of the red blood pigment haemoglobin.

Question 4

Blood glucose

Accepted Answer

Fasting blood glucose indicates whether there are signs of diabetes. Where diabetes is suspected, the long-term glucose value (HbA1c) must always be measured as well; it reflects blood glucose over the past three months.

Question 5

Calprotectin

Accepted Answer

Calprotectin is a protein found in the cell fluid of white blood cells. An elevated value signals an accumulation of white blood cells in the bowel, which in turn is typical of inflammation there. Measuring calprotectin allows bowel inflammation to be assessed better than through inflammation markers in the blood, since those are also elevated when inflammation occurs outside the bowel. Elevated calprotectin values can therefore indicate the following conditions:Chronic inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, which can be diagnosed at a very early stage this way.Bowel infectionsTumours in the bowelIn prevention, measuring calprotectin (as part of a stool test) can serve as a guide value before further steps such as a colonoscopy become necessary.

Question 6

Cholesterol

Accepted Answer

Cholesterol is a blood lipid value; around two thirds is produced by the liver itself and only one third comes from food. The liver supplies the body with the energy it needs in the form of glucose and fatty acids. In the process known as lipogenesis, the liver is prompted to make fat and cholesterol from the sugar and carbohydrates in food. This is then transported into the bloodstream together with the triglycerides. Note that total cholesterol should never be viewed in isolation, but always alongside LDL, HDL and the ratio between them. An elevated cholesterol value on its own carries no medical significance.As a rule, elevated blood lipid values come from a poor diet, but stress and family history can also cause a raised cholesterol level.HDL: the good cholesterol – should be above 55 mg/dl in men and above 65 mg/dl in women. A healthy diet and exercise can raise the value; stress and smoking, for example, lower itLDL – also called the bad cholesterol – should be below 150 mg/dl. If it stays elevated it is deposited as plaque in the vessel walls (risk of arteriosclerosis).Newer studies show, however, that LDL should be broken down further – sdLDL – in order to determine the risk of arteriosclerosis.

Question 7

Cholinesterase (CHE)

Accepted Answer

Cholinesterase is an enzyme formed in the liver and is used to assess liver function. It is an important parameter above all for calculating the dose of medication (muscle relaxants) during anaesthesia, since these suppress spontaneous breathing — the value helps patients breathe on their own again as soon as possible after surgery.

Question 8

Cortisol

Accepted Answer

Cortisol is a hormone produced by the body in the adrenal cortex and is responsible, among other things, for metabolic processes and hormonal regulation. It is best known as a stress hormone; the measurement depends on the time of day and should always be taken at the same time for follow-up checks. Regulating the salt and water balance and blood glucose levels are among its most important functions.

Question 9

CPK

Accepted Answer

The enzyme CPK – creatine kinase – occurs in all muscle cells and in the brain and is important for the energy metabolism of muscle cells. If cells are damaged (by injury or heart disease such as a heart attack, where muscle cells also die), the value in the blood rises. After intensive sport, particularly strength training or extreme endurance efforts such as a marathon, the value can be elevated without any illness being present. If values are permanently elevated, training intensity should be reduced.

Question 10

C-reactive protein (CRP)

Accepted Answer

CRP, the C-reactive protein, is an inflammation marker and indicates inflammation in the body and in the vessels. Chronic inflammatory reactions can narrow the vessels, which makes CRP an important indicator for cardiovascular disease.

Question 11

Electrophoresis

Accepted Answer

Electrophoresis – our blood fluid (serum) contains about 60 grams of protein per litre. This total protein consists of many different proteins, and to identify disease it is important to know which of them is reduced or increased. For people who do sport – from recreational to competitive athletes – measuring this value matters for the kidneys, but also for muscles and joints.

Question 12

Fibrinogen

Accepted Answer

Fibrinogen is an essential component of haemostasis and the starting substance for forming a thrombus (blood clot). It is permanently dissolved in the blood and counts as one of the coagulation factors. When fibrinogen values are elevated, the blood flows less easily and tends to clot more often. That can indicate blood clots or liver disease, for example.

Question 13

Gamma-GT (liver value)

Accepted Answer

The liver values are the liver enzymes gamma-GT, GOT and GPT, and they indicate possible damage to the liver. There can be many reasons for the values rising:taking a large number of medicationstaking antibioticsa diet high in fatexcessive alcohol consumptiontoxic damage.narrowing of the bile ductsgallstones

Question 14

Uric acid

Accepted Answer

Uric acid is the end product of purine metabolism. Purine is taken in with food, particularly meat and offal, and excreted again via the kidneys and bowel. At higher concentrations, uric acid crystals form above all in the joints, where they can trigger severe inflammatory reactions — the classic gout attack. Elevated uric acid values can also lead to kidney stones.

Question 15

Homocysteine

Accepted Answer

Homocysteine is a sulphur-containing amino acid that occurs naturally in the body. It is not taken in with food but is an intermediate product of metabolism. An elevated value also means an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Taking vitamin B12, B6 and folic acid can lower it again. A vitamin supplement should only be taken above a value of 25 and only on medical advice, and the value should be checked again after two to three months.To lower homocysteine naturally, regular exercise is recommended along with eating more of the following foods:Vitamin B6, found in: salmon, bananas, turkeyVitamin B12, found in: cottage cheese, tuna, sardines and oystersFolic acid, found in: wheat germ, cooked lentils, millet, sunflower seeds, chickpeas and spinach

Question 16

Immunoglobulins

Accepted Answer

Immunoglobulins consist of different combinations of proteins. A special examination method allows them to be counted. The results give an indication of the pathogen involved or of how long an infection has lasted.IgA – immunoglobulin A specialises in fending off antigens at mucous membrane surfaces such as the nose, throat and bowel. Pathogens are frequently caught and neutralised there by IgA. If they penetrate deeper, an immune reaction follows.IgG – the dominant class of immunoglobulin in the blood. When a pathogen attacks us for the first time, IgM antibodies are produced first and IgG only later. IgG then usually remains detectable for a long time while the IgM antibodies disappear, which often makes it possible to distinguish recent from older infectionsIgM – produced on first infection. See IgG

Question 17

Creatinine (kidney value)

Accepted Answer

The kidney value creatinine is a breakdown product of muscle. It passes from the muscle into the blood and is excreted via the kidneys and urine, and it indicates how well the kidneys are working.

Question 18

Lipoprotein(a)

Accepted Answer

Lipoprotein(a) is a protein body that transports cholesterol in the blood. An elevated value indicates a raised risk of cardiovascular disease.

Question 19

Myoglobin

Accepted Answer

Myoglobin – an oxygen-binding haemoprotein found in skeletal muscle and heart muscle.In short, it is about oxygen saturation in heart and skeletal muscle. In sports medicine myoglobin is an indicator of muscle strain; in trained people it is released later than in untrained people.Myoglobin is used both in diagnosing and monitoring heart disease and, in sports medicine, in assessing performance and training condition.An elevated value is therefore by no means proof of heart disease; damage to skeletal muscle may equally be the cause.

Question 20

PSA test

Accepted Answer

The PSA test measures prostate-specific antigen, a substance produced and released only by this organ. It is not, however, specific to cancer. About one third of all elevated values genuinely indicate a malignant condition, but chronic and acute inflammation also changes the value. A single value is not meaningful enough; if it is elevated, it should always be checked again. In preventive medicine it is above all the trend that matters. From the age of 45 the value should be checked annually, for instance as part of the preventive examination, in order to document its development and spot deviations early. Regular routine examinations with a urologist are important alongside this.

Question 21

sdLDL (small dense LDL – blood lipid value)

Accepted Answer

That permanently elevated blood lipid values can cause arteriosclerosis has been proven in many studies and is widely known. Beyond the important separation into good (HDL) and bad (LDL) cholesterol and the genetic profile analysis (measuring lipoprotein(a)), studies have shown that breaking LDL down further — measuring sdLDL — is decisive for further therapy and for the use of lipid-lowering medication.sdLDL is strongly atherogenic and promotes plaque formation and thus the development of arteriosclerosis. Studies have shown that it is not the absolute concentration of LDL in the blood plasma that matters, but the number of particles and qualitative properties such as size and density.By measuring sdLDL, the doctor can adjust the course of therapy and prescribe targeted medication only where it is necessary.

Question 22

Triglycerides

Accepted Answer

Neutral fat is found, like cholesterol, in visible fat (bacon, sausage), in hidden fats (cheese, crisps, chocolate) and in sugary foods such as pastries, as well as in alcohol. Because triglycerides are storage fats that are deposited in the body, above all in the vessels, they pose a risk of arteriosclerosis.

Question 23

TSH

Accepted Answer

TSH (fT3, fT4) – hormone tests are important for assessing thyroid function. Measuring TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) is the basis of all thyroid function diagnostics. fT3 and fT4 are measured once a functional disorder has been diagnosed and are very important for adjusting thyroid treatment. When checking these values, the last dose of medication should have been taken 24 hours earlier, otherwise the measurements are distorted.

Key blood values

The most important blood values at a glance