Blood tests are a key part of monitoring your health and can help identify early signs of potential problems. On this page, you’ll find easy-to-understand information about common conditions that may be picked up during routine tests—such as low vitamin or folate levels, pre-diabetes, high cholesterol, or signs of fatty liver. These results don’t always mean something serious, but they are worth addressing to help you stay well. Each section explains what your results mean, why they matter, and what steps you can take to manage them.
Vitamin D Insufficiency
You have been notified that your vitamin D level is low. Ideally, your level should be above 50 nmol/L, although levels above 30 nmol/L generally do not cause significant problems.
Vitamin D helps regulate minerals such as calcium and phosphate in the body, which are essential for keeping your bones and muscles healthy. Most vitamin D is made in the skin through exposure to sunlight, so levels often drop during the winter months. Some foods also contain vitamin D, including oily fish, egg yolks, meat, offal, and milk.
Symptoms of low vitamin D can be vague but commonly include generalised aches and pains.
To maintain healthy levels, you should take a regular low-dose vitamin D supplement—especially during the winter—between 800 and 2000 IU (international units) per day. These supplements are available over the counter at any pharmacy.
You can find more information about vitamin D here:
Vitamin D – NHS
Osteoporosis: Vitamin D for bones
Folate Deficiency
Your blood test results have shown that your level of one of the B vitamins—folic acid—is low. Ideally, folic acid levels should be between 2.99 and 26.8 µg/L.
Folic acid is necessary for forming red blood cells and low levels can be a cause of anaemia. Rarely, low levels can cause some changes in sensation in your hands and feet.
Although folic acid is present in many foods, it can be destroyed by cooking. Good dietary sources include:
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
- Asparagus
- Peas
- Chickpeas
- Brown rice
Other useful sources include fortified breakfast cereals, beans, certain breads, oranges, and bananas.
What You Should Do:
- Improve your diet: Increase the amount of folic acid-rich foods you eat. Click here for more information on foods high in folic acid: bda.uk.com/resource/folic-acid.html
- Take a supplement: You should take 5 mg of oral folic acid once a day for four months. This should be prescribed by your GP.
- Follow up: Please contact your GP to arrange a repeat blood test at the end of your treatment.
Pre-Diabetes
Your recent blood test has shown that your glucose (sugar) level is raised, but it does not yet meet the criteria for a diagnosis of diabetes. This is known as pre-diabetes, or being at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Your HbA1c is an indicator for your sugar levels. Normal is below 42mmol and the diabetic range is 48mmol and above. Your level falls into the ‘prediabetes’ or ‘at high risk of developing diabetes’ range (42-47).
Some people, despite having a perfect diet and exercise regime have a family history of diabetes and may develop raised sugars over time despite their best efforts.
This is an important time to think about how you might try to change your lifestyle and diet and increase levels of physical activity to prevent you from developing full blown diabetes.
There is good evidence that if you can lose weight by improving your diet and increasing exercise, this delays or stops you developing diabetes.
Click here for more information on pre-diabetes:
Prediabetes symptoms and risk reduction | Diabetes UK
Pre-Diabetes: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment
There is also a very good Diabetes prevention programme which offers education, group support, and personalised help to make lasting lifestyle changes. You can self-refer to this program using the following link: SELF-REFERRAL FORM | diabetes-prevention or by calling 03335773010.
High Cholesterol
You have been told your cholesterol is slightly raised. Ideally, we should be aiming for a cholesterol of less than 5.
Your risk of heart disease is low (less than 10% risk of a heart attack or stroke in the next 10 years), so no medications are required or recommended by current guidelines.
Exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, being a non-smoker and adopting a low fat, low carbohydrate diet will help.
You can find more information here:
High cholesterol – How to lower your cholesterol – NHS
How do I lower my cholesterol? we answer 5 of your most common questions – BHF
You should contact your GP to recheck your cholesterol in 1 year.
Fatty Liver
You have been told you have a fatty liver, also known as hepatic steatosis, which happens when excess fat builds up in the liver. Many people have no symptoms and only discover they have it after a routine blood test or scan. While it’s usually not serious in the early stages, it can lead to more serious liver problems over time if not managed.
Currently there is no specific drug treatment for fatty liver. However, in many cases, lifestyle changes can reduce the progression of disease. That’s why taking action now is so important.
Weight loss, regular exercise, eating a Mediterranean diet and drinking enough water can help.
You can find more information here:
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) – NHS
MASLD, NAFLD and fatty liver disease – British Liver Trust
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD): assessment and management