Types of Blood Tests

What Are Blood Tests?

By taking and testing a small sample of a person’s blood, doctors can check for many kinds of diseases and conditions. Blood tests help doctors check how the body’s organs — such as the kidneys, liver, thyroid, and heart — are working, and see if medical treatments are helpful. 

Most blood tests take only a few minutes. They’re done at some doctor’s offices, and at community labs, diagnostic centers, and hospitals. A doctor, nurse, or phlebotomist (fleh-BOT-eh-mist, someone who is trained to take blood samples) will take the blood sample. Sometimes the sample is tested on-site; other times it will go to a lab.

Blood test results can be ready in a few hours or take a few days, depending on the test and whether the sample was sent to a lab.

What Are the Types of Blood Tests?

Some of the blood tests most often done are:

• allergy and autoimmune condition tests:
  • allergen-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE)
  • C-reactive protein (CRP)
  • erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)
  • immunoglobulin A (IgA)
  • immunoglobulin E (IgE)
  • immunoglobulins (IgA, IgG, IgM)
  • tissue transglutaminase IgA, IgG
• basic blood chemistry tests
• basic metabolic panel
• lipid panel (cholesterol test)
• complete blood count (CBC)
• comprehensive metabolic panel
• a blood culture to check for germs
• blood tests to check for anemia and other blood cell problems:
  • factor VIII activity
  • factor IX activity
  • ferritin (iron)
  • hemoglobin
  • hemoglobin electrophoresis
  • partial thromboplastin time (PTT)
  • prothrombin time (PT)
  • reticulocyte count
  • von Willebrand factor (vWF) antigen
  • von Willebrand factor (vWF) activity - ristocetin cofactor
• diabetes tests:
  • blood sugar (glucose) tests
  • C-peptide
  • hemoglobin A1c
  • insulin
• endocrine system/growth/sexual development tests:
  • dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEA-S)
  • estradiol
  • follicle stimulating hormone (FSH)
  • IGF binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3)
  • luteinizing hormone (LH)
  • prolactin
  • 17-hydroxyprogesterone
  • somatomedin C (IGF-1)
  • testosterone
• liver tests:
  • hepatic (liver) function panel
  • bilirubin
  • aspartate aminotransferase (AST, or SGOT)
  • alanine aminotransferase (ALT, or SGPT)
  • gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT)
  • valproic acid
• pancreas tests:
  • lipase
  • amylase
• thyroid tests:
  • thyroid peroxidase antibodies
  • thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH)
  • thyroglobulin antibodies (TgAb)
  • T3 total (triiodothyronine)
  • T3 resin uptake (T3RU)
  • T4 (thyroxine)
• tests to measure levels of minerals and nutrients:
  • magnesium
  • phosphorus
• STD testing
• other screening and diagnostic tests:
  • newborn screening
  • lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)
  • lead
  • uric acid