LifeLabs Results Explained
What the flags, reference ranges and Canadian units on your LifeLabs report actually mean, in plain English.
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The Quick Answer
LifeLabs is a medical laboratory company performing blood tests and other diagnostic tests requested by doctors across Canada, with the largest presence in Ontario and British Columbia. Most people see their results through their doctor first, and many can also register for LifeLabs' own patient portal.
The biggest point of confusion for Canadian patients researching their own results online is units. Canada reports most blood markers in SI units such as mmol/L and micromol/L, the same system used in Australia and the UK. Search results written for a US audience quote the same tests in mg/dL, a completely different scale for the same measurement.
What Is LifeLabs, and How Is a Report Laid Out?
LifeLabs is one of the community laboratory companies performing routine and specialised blood tests requested by family doctors, specialists and walk-in clinics, mainly across Ontario and British Columbia. When your doctor orders a blood test, the sample is usually collected at a LifeLabs patient service centre or drawn during a clinic visit, then sent to a LifeLabs laboratory for analysis.
A LifeLabs report follows the same broad layout as most Canadian pathology reports. Near the top you will find your name, date of birth and the ordering doctor's name, along with the collection and reporting dates. The main body lists each marker on its own line, usually with four pieces of information: the marker name, your measured value, the unit it is reported in, and the reference range your lab uses for someone of your age and sex. A flag column on the right, often a single letter or an arrow, shows whether a result sits outside that range.
Because different laboratories validate their own reference ranges on their own equipment, the range printed on a LifeLabs report can differ slightly from the range on a report from a different lab, even for the exact same test. Always compare a result with the range printed on that specific report rather than a number you remember from a previous test.
How to See Your LifeLabs Results
The exact registration steps can change over time and vary slightly by province, but the overall pathway to your own results looks like this.
Ask your doctor first
Most results reach the ordering doctor before or at the same time as the patient. If you need a result quickly, calling the clinic is usually the fastest route, whatever province you are in.
Register for LifeLabs’ patient portal
LifeLabs offers direct online access, commonly known as myResults, where you can view and download a PDF once you have created an account and verified your identity with details such as your name, date of birth and health card number.
Check Health Gateway if you are in BC
British Columbia residents can often view LifeLabs results, alongside results from other BC laboratories, through Health Gateway, the province’s own patient portal for lab results, medications and immunizations.
Download the full PDF, not a screenshot
Whichever portal you use, save the complete PDF report rather than a screenshot of a summary screen. The PDF keeps every marker, unit and reference range, which matters if you want a doctor, pharmacist or a tool like SmarterBlood to see the whole picture.
Contact LifeLabs or your clinic if you get stuck
If you cannot register, or a result you expect is missing, LifeLabs’ customer service line and your doctor’s office can both help. The clinic keeps its own copy of every result it ordered regardless of your portal access.
Why Canadian Units Confuse People Searching Online
Canada and the United States are neighbours who report the same blood tests on two different scales. Most of the world, including Canada, Australia and the UK, uses SI units. The United States largely stayed with an older customary system. Here is what that means for the markers people search for most.
Fasting glucose
About 3.6 to 6.0 mmol/L (65 to 108 mg/dL) for a typical adult without diabetes.
Multiply mmol/L by 18Total cholesterol
Often described as desirable under 5.2 mmol/L (about 200 mg/dL), though your target depends on your overall cardiovascular risk.
Multiply mmol/L by 38.7LDL cholesterol
Commonly under 3.5 mmol/L (about 135 mg/dL) for average risk. Canadian guidelines set a lower personal target if you have other risk factors.
Multiply mmol/L by 38.7HDL cholesterol
Generally above 1.0 mmol/L in men and 1.3 mmol/L in women (about 40 and 50 mg/dL).
Multiply mmol/L by 38.7Triglycerides
Usually under 1.7 mmol/L (about 150 mg/dL) when fasting.
Multiply mmol/L by 88.6Creatinine
Roughly 60 to 110 micromol/L in men and 45 to 90 micromol/L in women (about 0.7 to 1.2 and 0.5 to 1.0 mg/dL).
Divide micromol/L by 88.4Calcium
Roughly 2.1 to 2.6 mmol/L (about 8.5 to 10.5 mg/dL) for a typical adult.
Multiply mmol/L by 4Total bilirubin
Usually under about 20 micromol/L (roughly 1.2 mg/dL).
Divide micromol/L by 17.1Hemoglobin
Roughly 135 to 170 g/L in men and 120 to 155 g/L in women (about 13.5 to 17.0 and 12.0 to 15.5 g/dL).
Divide g/L by 10Common Ontario and BC LifeLabs Panels
These are the panels most often ordered by Canadian family doctors and seen on a LifeLabs report. Your own doctor may order more or fewer depending on your history and symptoms.
CBC
Complete Blood CountHemoglobin, white cell count, platelets, MCV and the white cell differential. Ordered for fatigue, infection screening and routine checks.
Electrolytes and kidney function
Sodium, Potassium and CreatinineSodium, potassium, chloride, bicarbonate, urea and creatinine, with eGFR usually calculated alongside creatinine.
Liver enzymes
Liver Function TestsALT, AST, ALP, GGT, total bilirubin and albumin. Ordered when medication monitoring or liver symptoms are a concern.
Lipid panel
Cholesterol and TriglyceridesTotal cholesterol, LDL, HDL and triglycerides, sometimes with a calculated non-HDL figure.
TSH
Thyroid Stimulating HormoneThe first-line thyroid test. Free T4 is usually added automatically if TSH comes back abnormal.
HbA1c and fasting glucose
Diabetes Screening and MonitoringReported as a percentage in Canada, the same convention as the United States, unlike the mmol/mol figure used in the UK and Australia.
Iron studies and ferritin
Anemia InvestigationSerum iron, transferrin saturation and ferritin, usually ordered together when anemia or fatigue is being investigated.
Vitamin B12 and folate
Nutritional MarkersChecked for fatigue, neurological symptoms or a vegetarian or vegan diet with no animal-source B12 intake.
What the Flags and Reference Ranges Mean
Every LifeLabs report is built around the same idea: your result, the unit it is measured in, and the range considered typical for someone like you, with a flag when you fall outside that range.
H or High
The value sits above the upper limit of the reference range printed next to it on the same line.
L or Low
The value sits below the lower limit of the reference range. Common next to ferritin, iron or sodium.
Arrow up or down
Some LifeLabs report layouts use a small arrow instead of a letter. The meaning is the same: above or below the printed range.
No flag shown
The result falls inside the reference range for that marker, given your age and sex where that matters.
A phone call from the clinic
For a genuinely critical or panic value, such as a dangerously low or high potassium, the laboratory typically phones the ordering doctor directly rather than waiting for the routine report to be reviewed.
A previous result shown alongside
For repeat patients, some reports print your last result next to the current one, useful for tracking trends in HbA1c, ferritin or kidney function over time.
Red Flags: When to See Your Doctor Promptly
Most people with a mildly abnormal result can wait for their next routine appointment. A smaller number of situations should prompt a phone call or a same-day visit instead:
Your doctor’s office calls you about a result
Treat this as urgent. Clinics do not usually phone about a normal result, and a call means the finding needs prompt follow-up.
Severely abnormal sodium or potassium
Both can affect heart rhythm and muscle function. A result flagged as critically high or low needs same-day medical attention.
Very high glucose with symptoms
Excessive thirst, frequent urination, blurred vision or confusion alongside a very high glucose reading needs urgent assessment, not a wait for the next routine appointment.
Hemoglobin far below the normal range
Especially with breathlessness, chest pain or dizziness. Significant anemia can affect the heart and lungs and should not wait.
INR far outside your target range on warfarin
A very high INR raises bleeding risk and a very low INR raises clotting risk. Contact your anticoagulation clinic or doctor promptly rather than waiting.
A new symptom alongside any abnormal result
Chest pain, severe headache, fainting or uncontrolled bleeding are emergency symptoms regardless of what a lab report says. Call emergency services or go to an emergency department rather than waiting on a portal.
How SmarterBlood Helps With a LifeLabs Report
Upload the PDF or a photo
Free to use, whichever portal or clinic gave you the report. SmarterBlood reads PDFs from LifeLabs and other Canadian laboratories.
See both unit systems at once
Canadian mmol/L and micromol/L results are shown alongside the US mg/dL equivalent, so you can compare with information written for either audience.
Track results over time
Graph values from different LifeLabs visits, or from other Canadian labs, on the same chart so trends in markers such as HbA1c or creatinine are easy to see.
Plain English explanations
Every flagged marker is explained in everyday language, with a reminder that only your doctor can interpret your specific case.
A printable summary for your doctor
A short, organised report you can bring to your next appointment or share with a specialist.
Sources and reference ranges
Adult reference ranges on this page follow the AACB and RCPA harmonised reference intervals unless stated otherwise; the range printed on your own report always takes precedence because laboratories differ.
LifeLabs Results: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I see my LifeLabs blood test results online in Canada?
Most routine results go to the doctor who ordered the test first. Many patients can also register for LifeLabs’ own online patient portal, commonly called myResults, which asks for identifying details such as your name, date of birth and health card number before showing your report. British Columbia residents can often find LifeLabs results through Health Gateway, the provincial service that brings together lab results, medication history and immunizations from several BC providers in one place. Availability and the exact registration steps can vary by province and by clinic, so if you cannot find a result online, your doctor’s office or the LifeLabs contact centre can help.
Why are my LifeLabs results shown in mmol/L instead of mg/dL?
Canada uses the International System of Units, known as SI units, for most blood test results. This is the same system used in Australia, the United Kingdom and most of Europe. The United States is one of the few countries that still commonly reports results such as glucose and cholesterol in milligrams per decilitre, written mg/dL. If you read health information written for a US audience, the normal range will look completely different even when the underlying measurement is identical. SmarterBlood shows both unit systems side by side so the comparison is not confusing.
What does the H or L flag mean on my LifeLabs report?
H means the result is above the upper end of the reference range printed on your report, and L means it is below the lower end. Some reports spell out the words High or Low instead of a single letter, or use a small arrow. A flag is a statistical marker, not a diagnosis. It tells you the value sits outside the range measured in a large group of healthy people, which is a starting point for your doctor to interpret alongside your symptoms and history, not a result to interpret on its own.
Is LifeLabs the same as my provincial health authority?
No. LifeLabs is a private medical laboratory company that performs blood tests and other diagnostic tests requested by doctors and, in some cases, ordered directly by patients. It is separate from provincial bodies such as public health units, Ontario Health or the BC Ministry of Health, although those bodies rely on laboratories like LifeLabs as part of the wider health system.
How long does it take for LifeLabs results to appear online?
Timing varies by test and by province. Routine tests such as a complete blood count or basic electrolytes are often available within a day or two of collection, while specialised tests sent to a reference laboratory can take a week or longer. Your doctor’s office usually receives results before or at the same time as you do, so if you need a result urgently, calling the clinic is usually faster than waiting on a portal.
Can I get my old LifeLabs test history from previous years?
Laboratories in Canada are required to retain test records for a set number of years, and LifeLabs can usually provide copies of older reports on request, though the exact retention period and process vary by province. Contacting LifeLabs directly, or asking your family doctor’s clinic, which keeps its own copy of every result it received, is the most reliable way to track down historical results.
Does SmarterBlood work with LifeLabs PDFs and Canadian units?
Yes. Upload the PDF you downloaded from LifeLabs or received from your doctor, or a clear photo of a printed report, and SmarterBlood’s AI extracts every marker, keeps the original Canadian units and reference ranges, and adds the equivalent US units alongside so you can compare with health information written for either audience. SmarterBlood is independent and is not affiliated with LifeLabs.
What if my LifeLabs report does not show a reference range next to a result?
A small number of specialised tests are reported as a raw value with the interpretation left to the requesting doctor, particularly some genetic tests, hormone panels and tests sent to an outside reference laboratory. If a range is missing and you would like to understand the result, ask your doctor, who has access to the full clinical context and any notes from the reporting laboratory.
Related Reading
Got Your LifeLabs Results?
Upload your PDF or a photo and SmarterBlood's AI will explain every marker in plain English, show your Canadian units alongside the US equivalent, and graph your results over time.
This page provides general educational information about reading a LifeLabs blood test report. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your doctor about abnormal blood test results, since they have access to your full medical history and can interpret your results in context. SmarterBlood does not provide medical care and does not order tests.