When you visit a healthcare provider for a routine check-up or when you're feeling under the weather, one common practice is to undergo blood work. These tests provide valuable insights into your overall health and help doctors diagnose various conditions. But have you ever wondered how medical professionals establish the normal ranges for these lab values? Surprisingly, one of the methods they use involves averaging data from sick individuals. In this blog post, we'll delve into the science behind this approach and explore how it contributes to modern medicine.

Understanding Lab Values

Before we dive into how lab values are established, let's briefly discuss what they are. Lab values are numerical ranges that indicate the normal levels of various substances in your blood. These substances can include white blood cells, red blood cells, platelets, electrolytes, hormones, and more. These values are used as reference points to evaluate your health and diagnose potential issues.

The...