Table of contents:
- What is the LDH test for?
- The normal limit of LDH levels is ...
- What does it mean if LDH levels are abnormal in the body?
- What causes high LDH levels in the body?
You may have been asked for a blood test which includes an LDH (Lactate dehydrogenase) test in sequence. The test result is considered normal if the LDH number is still within reasonable limits. However, what is an LDH test and what is it used for?
What is the LDH test for?
LDH is an enzyme that is owned by almost all cells in the body, including blood cells, muscles, brain, kidneys, pancreas, heart, and liver. In the body, LDH is responsible for converting sugar obtained from food into energy needed by each cell.
Doctors usually recommend that patients take an LDH blood test to:
- Find out if there is tissue damage and how much damage it has occurred.
- Monitor infections and some special conditions such as kidney disease and liver disease.
- Monitor and know the development of certain types of cancer.
The normal limit of LDH levels is …
Each age group has a different limit of normal LDH. Infants and children tend to have higher LDH limits than adults, namely:
- 0-10 days: 290-2000 Units per liter
- 10 days to 2 years: 180-430 Units per liter
- Age 2-12 years: 110-295 Units per liter
- Age over 12 years: 100-190 Units per liter
When the examination is carried out, it is no different from a blood test in general which only takes a few minutes. If you are currently taking certain drugs, you should tell your doctor. This is because several types of drugs will affect the results of the LDH test, for example aspirin, clofibrate, fluorides, mithramycin, and procainamide.
What does it mean if LDH levels are abnormal in the body?
LDH is an enzyme that resides in cells and helps convert sugar into energy. So in good health, the levels must also be normal. However, when cells experience damage that can be caused by various things, for example, cancer or injury to the tissue due to infection, LDH will come out into the blood vessels. This then makes LDH high in the blood.
Raised LDH levels are usually associated with both acute and chronic tissue damage, but for details, your doctor will order other tests. Conversely, a decrease in LDH levels is very rare. The reason is, LDH plays an important role in the formation of energy in cells.
Usually, LDH levels can decrease when the body experiences fatigue due to vigorous exercise. However, this condition will not cause certain health problems, by replenishing your intake, LDH levels will return to normal.
What causes high LDH levels in the body?
Because LDH is an enzyme found in various types of cells in the body, an increase in LDH in the body can indicate certain health problems, such as:
- Impaired blood flow
- Stroke
- Some types of cancer, such as leukemia and lymphoma
- Heart attack
- Impaired liver function, for example hepatitis
- Muscle injury
- Lesions to the pancreas
- Hemolytic anemia
- Sepsis
- Abnormal tissue, usually occurs when cancer cells start to grow
To find out whether you have these health problems, further examination is needed. High LDH levels alone are not sufficient to determine whether you have cancer or other chronic diseases. Therefore, you should consult this with your doctor.
