Blood tests evaluate how well organs are working and help identify abnormalities that almost always prompt further, more specific tests.

In an interview with 24/7 Tempo, Dr. Keith Hoots, the director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Division of Blood Diseases and Resources, noted that the first question medical professionals ask after a blood test is: “Is the test correct?” Blood tests are a broad screen that can indicate the possibility of certain conditions, the existence of which must then be confirmed through additional tests, Hoot explained. “They are part of a “process of moving from the more general to the more specific.”

To identify 50 dangerous conditions a blood test can help detect, 24/7 Tempo conducted a review of various medical publications such as the Mayo Clinic, the U.S. National Library of Medicine, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration press announcements.

We chose conditions for which blood tests can either confirm the presence of the disorder or help identify warning signs that prompt further confirming tests. Information on symptoms, confirming tests, and treatment came from the Mayo Clinic and other sources.

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Click here to see 50 dangerous conditions a blood test can help detect
Click here to see our detailed findings and methodology