About our e-newsletters
- Free e-newsletters
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- We do not share your e-mail address
Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
Housecall Archives
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Results
By Mayo Clinic staffNormal results for a typical bilirubin test are 0.1 to 1 milligram per deciliter (mg/dL) of total bilirubin (direct plus indirect) and 0 to 0.3 mg/dL for direct. Indirect bilirubin is usually measured by subtracting direct bilirubin from total bilirubin. These results may vary slightly from laboratory to laboratory but are typical for adult men. Normal results may be slightly different for women and children, and results may be affected by certain foods, medications or strenuous exercise. Be sure to tell your doctor about any foods or medications you've taken and your activity levels so that your results can be interpreted correctly.
Lower than normal bilirubin levels are usually not a concern. Elevated levels may indicate liver damage or disease.
Higher than normal levels of direct bilirubin in your blood may indicate your liver isn't clearing bilirubin properly, for example, because of a blocked bile duct. Elevated levels of indirect bilirubin may indicate other problems, such as a deficiency in an enzyme that helps break down bilirubin (Gilbert's syndrome). Your doctor may order further tests, such as ultrasound or additional blood tests, to further investigate your condition. Bilirubin test results also may be used to monitor the progression of certain conditions such as jaundice.
- Pratt DS. Liver chemistry and function tests. In: Feldman M, et al. Sleisenger and Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/php/208033710-3/homepage. Accessed July 6, 2010.
- Common blood tests. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/bdt/bdt_what.html. Accessed July 6, 2010.
- Bilirubin. Lab Tests Online. http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/bilirubin/glance.html. Accessed July 6, 2010.
- Laboratory reference values. Rochester, Minn.: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; July 1, 2010.
- Picco MF (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Fla. July 7, 2010.
Find Mayo Clinic on