COMPONENT HIGH LOW

White Blood Cell Count  Childhood diseases  Chronic viral infections

(Measles, Mumps,  Chronic bacterial
Rubella, Chicken Pox, infections
etc.)  Autoimmune diseases
 Acute bacterial (lupus)
infection  Decreased production
 Acute viral infection from bone marrow
 Stress  Diet: Raw food diet
 Diet: High in refined  Chemotherapy
Carbohydrates  Steroid use
 Inflammation  AIDS
 Trauma
 Kidney failure
Red Blood Cell Count  Respiratory distress  Iron deficiency (anemia)
 Polycythemia Vera  B12/folate deficiency
 Dehydration  Copper deficiency
 Smokers  Internal bleeding
 High altitudes  Vitamin C need
 Congenital heart
disease
Hemoglobin  Respiratory distress  Iron deficiency (anemia)
 Polycythemia Vera  B12/folate deficiency
 Dehydration  B6 deficiency
 Kidney and liver cancers  Copper deficiency
 Internal bleeding
 Hemorrhage
 Digestive Inflammation
 Vitamin C need
Hematocrit  Respiratory distress  Iron deficiency (anemia)
 Polycythemia Vera  B12/folate deficiency
 Spleen hyperfunction  B6 deficiency
 Dehydration  Copper deficiency
 High altitude  Internal bleeding
  Digestive Inflammation
 Thymus hypofunction
 Vitamin C need
 leukemia
Platelets  Atherosclerosis  Idiopathic
 PCV thrombocytopenia
 Iron deficiency  Heavy metal body
burden
 Free radical pathology
 Bleeding
 DIC
 pregnancy

Pagana, K. D., Pagana, T. J. & Pike-MacDonald, S. A. (2019). Mosby’s Canadian Manual of Diagnostic and Laboratory Tests (2nd
ed.). Toronto, ON: Elsevier.
 Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN)  Renal disease  Diet- low protein
 Renal insufficiency  Pancreatic insufficiency
 Dehydration  Liver dysfunction
 Diet: excessive protein  Over hydration
intake  Nephrotic syndrome
 Adrenal hyperfunction
 Edema
 Anterior pituitary
dysfunction
 GI Bleeds
 Burns
Creatinine  Benign prostate  Muscle atrophy
hypertrophy  Protein insufficiency or
 Urinary tract congestion impaired digestion
 Renal insufficiency
 Uterine hypertrophy
 Giantism
Uric Acid  Gout  Anemia (B12/folate
 Atherosclerosis deficiency)
 Joint pain  Copper deficiency
 Renal  Severe liver dysfunction
insufficiency/Renal
disease
 Circulatory disorders
 Leaky gut syndrome
 Chemotherapy
 Eclampsia
Potassium  Adrenal hypo function  Adrenal hyper function
 Dehydration  Use of diuretics
 Tissue destruction  Bulimia
 Metabolic acidosis  Diarrhea and vomiting
 ACE inhibitors  Insulin administration
 Cardiac arrhythmias

Sodium  Adrenal hyper function  Adrenal hypo function

 Cushing’s disease  Addison’s disease
 Dehydration  Edema
 Unable to drink at will  Use of diuretics
 Diabetes insipidus  Use of excessive
 Burns oxytocin
 Diaphoresis  Use of IV D5W
Chloride  Metabolic acidosis  Metabolic alkalosis
 Adrenal hyper function  Adrenal hypo function
 Head injury  Hypochloridia
 Severe diarrhea  Excessive vomiting
 Use of IV D5W

Pagana, K. D., Pagana, T. J. & Pike-MacDonald, S. A. (2019). Mosby’s Canadian Manual of Diagnostic and Laboratory Tests (2nd
ed.). Toronto, ON: Elsevier.
  Ileostomies
 Cystic Fibrosis
Calcium  Parathyroid hyper  Parathyroid hypo
function function
 Thyroid hypo function  Calcium need (i.e.
 Impaired membrane lacking from diet)
health  Hypochloridia
 Vitamin D excess  Vitamin D deficiency
 Steroid use  Diarrhea
 Renal failure  Alcoholism
 Burns

Phosphorus  Parathyroid hypo  Parathyroid hyper

function function
 Diet (excessive  Hypochloridia
phosphorus  Increased insulin
consumption) production
 Renal insufficiency  Hyperinsulinism
 Chemotherapy  Diet: high in refined
 Muscle necrosis carbohydrates
 Alcohol withdrawal
 Decreased potassium
and magnesium
 Burns
Magnesium  Renal dysfunction  Epilepsy
 Thyroid hypo function  Muscle spasm
 Eclampsia  Alcohol withdrawal
 Overuse of laxatives  NG suction
and antacids  Diarrhea
Albumin  Dehydration  Hypochloridia
 Liver dysfunction
 Oxidative stress
 Vitamin C need
 Malnutrition
 Nephrotic syndrome
Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP)  Biliary obstruction  Zinc deficiency
 Liver cell damage  Malnutrition
 Bone: loss/increased  Vitamin C deficiency
turnover or bone
growth and/or repair
 Leaky gut syndrome
 Herpes zoster
 Metastatic carcinoma of
the bone
 Recent ingestion of a
meal

Pagana, K. D., Pagana, T. J. & Pike-MacDonald, S. A. (2019). Mosby’s Canadian Manual of Diagnostic and Laboratory Tests (2nd
ed.). Toronto, ON: Elsevier.
 Alanine Aminotransferase  Tumor of the liver  B6 deficiency
(AST)  Coronary artery  Alcoholism
insufficiency  Pregnancy
 Liver cell damage  Renal dialysis
 Liver dysfunction  Diabetic ketoacidosis
 Excessive muscle
breakdown or turnover
 Mononucleosis
 EBV
 CMV
Aspartate Aminotransferase  Fatty liver  B6 deficiency
(ALT)  Liver dysfunction  Fatty liver (early
 Biliary tract obstruction development)
 Excessive muscle  Liver congestion
breakdown or turnover  Alcoholism
 Cirrhosis of the liver
 Liver cell damage
 Previous IM injections
 Pancreatitis
 Severe burns
Bilirubin  Gallstones  Spleen insufficiency
 Cholestasis  Excess caffeine
 Oxidative stress  Use of certain
 Thymus dysfunction medications including
 Liver dysfunction penicil
 RBC hemolysis
 Jaundice
Total Protein  Dehydration  Hypochloridia
 Use of steroids  Digestive dysfunction
and/or inflammation
 Liver dysfunction

Pagana, K. D., Pagana, T. J. & Pike-MacDonald, S. A. (2019). Mosby’s Canadian Manual of Diagnostic and Laboratory Tests (2nd
ed.). Toronto, ON: Elsevier.