Blog
News, research and guides
755 articles from the VitMode editorial team.
GuidesCystatin C vs Creatinine: Which Test Measures Kidney Function Better?
Creatinine is the standard way to assess the kidneys, but it depends on muscle mass, diet and supplements. Cystatin C avoids some of those traps and has its own: thyroid status, inflammation, obesity. We explain when each marker is more reliable, why combining both is the most accurate approach, and what a large gap between the two results means.
VMRedakcja VitMode — Żywienie, suplementy i trening12 min
October 22, 2026
GuidesAlbuminuria and the ACR Urine Test: An Early Marker of Kidney Damage
The ACR, the ratio of albumin to creatinine in urine, detects kidney damage before eGFR falls and is an independent predictor of cardiovascular risk. We explain the KDIGO categories A1-A3, how to collect the sample correctly, what temporarily raises the result (exercise, fever, infection) and what to do about a raised value.
VMRedakcja VitMode — Hormony i endokrynologia12 min
October 22, 2026
GuidesBlood in Urine (Hematuria): Causes and Diagnosis
Blood in the urine most often has a benign cause, but it should never be ignored. We explain the difference between microscopic and visible hematuria, where the blood can come from (glomeruli or the urinary tract), what can be explained by exercise or menstruation, how the workup looks according to AUA/SUFU guidelines, and which symptoms need prompt attention.
VMRedakcja VitMode — Badania i biomarkery13 min
October 22, 2026
GuidesWhite Blood Cells in Urine Without Symptoms: Is It an Infection?
White blood cells in the urine with no symptoms do not always mean a urinary tract infection and rarely need an antibiotic. We explain the difference between pyuria, asymptomatic bacteriuria and infection, the role of sample contamination, sterile pyuria, the exceptions (pregnancy, urological procedures) and what the IDSA and USPSTF guidance says.
VMRedakcja VitMode — Badania i biomarkery12 min
October 22, 2026
GuideseGFR and Age: How Much Does It Fall After 40 and When Is It a Problem?
Kidney filtration naturally declines with age, but the rate varies widely, and the line between kidney aging and disease is contested. We explain how much eGFR falls on average after 40, what happens to nephrons, why equations change your result with age, what the dispute over age-based CKD thresholds is about and what can actually slow the decline.
VMRedakcja VitMode — Hormony i endokrynologia13 min
October 22, 2026
GuidesLow Sodium (Hyponatremia): Causes, Symptoms and Tests
Low blood sodium is the most common electrolyte disorder in clinical practice, yet it is easy to dismiss because symptoms can be subtle: fatigue, nausea, unsteadiness. In most cases the problem is not too little salt in food but too much water relative to sodium, which calls for a completely different approach than salty snacks. This article explains where hyponatremia comes from, which drugs and diseases cause it, which tests identify the cause, and why fast self-correction can be dangerous.
VMRedakcja VitMode — Badania i biomarkery13 min
October 22, 2026
GuidesHigh Potassium (Hyperkalemia): Causes and When It Is an Emergency
A potassium result above 5.0 mmol/l is sometimes a blood-draw or transport error, but sometimes a real disorder that threatens the heart. The difference depends on a few questions: was the sample hemolyzed, how are the kidneys working, which drugs are being taken, and does the ECG show changes. This article sorts out the causes of hyperkalemia, explains why pseudohyperkalemia is so common, how blood pressure and heart drugs raise potassium, and when a result needs immediate assessment in the emergency department and when it is enough to repeat the test.
VMRedakcja VitMode — Hormony i endokrynologia13 min
October 22, 2026
GuidesHigh Calcium in the Blood (Hypercalcemia): Causes, Symptoms and Tests
Raised blood calcium is most often found by chance on a routine test and usually does not hurt. According to a JAMA review, about 90% of cases of hypercalcemia are primary hyperparathyroidism or cancer, but the list of causes also includes supplements (vitamin D, calcium, vitamin A), thiazides, lithium and granulomatous diseases. The key is one test, PTH, which divides the causes into two groups and points the way for further work-up. This article explains how to read a calcium result, when it needs correcting for albumin or measuring as ionized calcium, which tests to order and when hypercalcemia is urgent.
VMRedakcja VitMode — Badania i biomarkery13 min
October 22, 2026
GuidesPhosphorus in the Blood: High and Low Results, Causes and Next Steps
Phosphorus (phosphate) is one of the lesser-known parameters on a biochemistry panel, yet it often decides the diagnosis of kidney, parathyroid or nutritional problems. High phosphorus most often reflects kidney failure; low phosphorus is linked to, among other things, feeding after fasting, alcohol, vitamin D deficiency, hyperparathyroidism and some intravenous iron preparations. This article explains how the body regulates phosphorus, which results are considered abnormal, what can distort the measurement, which tests to order next, and why neither a restrictive diet nor supplementation without a diagnosis is a good idea.
VMRedakcja VitMode — Hormony i endokrynologia13 min
October 22, 2026
GuidesLow Bicarbonate and Anion Gap: What It Means and When to Worry
Low bicarbonate (HCO3, sometimes reported as total CO2) is the simplest sign of metabolic acidosis on a routine electrolyte panel, and the anion gap is a number calculated from sodium, chloride and bicarbonate that helps establish its cause. The same low bicarbonate can mean diabetic ketoacidosis, lactic acidosis, chronic kidney disease, diarrhea or a simple pre-analytical error, and the treatment is different each time. This article explains how to read both parameters, when the gap is raised and when it is normal, what to make of ketogenic and low-carbohydrate diets, and when low bicarbonate is a red flag.
VMRedakcja VitMode — Zdrowie psychiczne13 min
October 22, 2026
GuidesLow AMH: What It Means for Ovarian Reserve and Fertility
A low AMH result frightens people more than almost any other hormone in a fertility work-up, and it is also one of the most misread. AMH tells you how many small follicles are waiting in the ovaries, but not how good the eggs are or how quickly you will conceive. We look at what the hormone actually measures, which values are called low (and why cut-offs differ), what lowers the result without a real loss of fertility, such as hormonal contraception, and what large cohort studies show: in women over 30 trying to conceive, low AMH was not linked to a significantly lower chance of conception within a year. We also explain when a low result does call for a more urgent decision.
VMRedakcja VitMode — Badania i biomarkery13 min
October 22, 2026
GuidesProgesterone: When to Test in Your Cycle and What a Low Result Means
Progesterone is tested in the luteal phase - about 7 days after ovulation or 7 days before the expected period, not automatically on cycle day 21. A low result at the wrong time means nothing, and even at the right time it can mislead, because the hormone is secreted in pulses. We explain how to work out the right day for cycles shorter and longer than 28 days, which thresholds are used to confirm ovulation (most often above about 3 ng/ml, or about 10 nmol/l), what a result below 5 ng/ml means, what the controversial luteal phase deficiency is and why ASRM does not accept it as a proven, independent cause of infertility. We also describe when a single measurement is useless and when a result calls for a conversation with a doctor.
VMRedakcja VitMode — Badania i biomarkery13 min
October 22, 2026
GuidesEstradiol in the Cycle: Normal Ranges, Cycle Day and Interpretation
Estradiol changes many-fold across the menstrual cycle - from a few tens of pg/ml at the start to several hundred at the pre-ovulatory peak - so a result without the cycle day usually tells you nothing. We explain when estradiol is drawn (most often cycle days 2-5 together with FSH and LH), how to read reference ranges in pg/ml and pmol/l, why different assays give different values, how hormonal contraception changes the result and why in perimenopause estradiol is often not low but high and jumps from cycle to cycle. We also say when a single measurement is useless and when it is worth repeating or replacing with another test.
VMRedakcja VitMode — Badania i biomarkery13 min
October 22, 2026
GuidesTestosterone in Women: Low and High Results and Their Causes
Testosterone is much harder to measure in women than in men: concentrations are many times lower, and popular immunoassays can be inaccurate in this range and depend on the SHBG level. We explain what a raised testosterone means (most often polycystic ovary syndrome, less often the adrenals, very rarely a tumour), why a low result is not a diagnosis in itself, how contraception and SHBG change the picture, when free testosterone or the FAI index is measured, and what is known about testosterone therapy in women: a meta-analysis of 36 randomised trials showed benefit for low sexual desire in postmenopausal women, but not for energy, muscle or mood. We also say when a result calls for rapid work-up.
VMRedakcja VitMode — Badania i biomarkery13 min
October 22, 2026
GuidesHigh Prolactin Without a Pituitary Tumour: Causes
Raised prolactin rarely means a pituitary tumour: far more often the cause is drugs (especially antipsychotics, metoclopramide and some antidepressants), hypothyroidism, macroprolactinaemia, stress and the way blood was drawn, as well as pregnancy, breastfeeding, kidney and liver disease and PCOS. We explain how to tell true hyperprolactinaemia from a result inflated by macroprolactin (in a Japanese study it was found in 3.7% of healthy people and accounted for more than a third of apparent hyperprolactinaemia), when to repeat the test, which tests to do before a pituitary MRI and when treatment is needed at all. We also describe the symptoms that should prompt faster work-up and what not to do on your own with medication.
VMRedakcja VitMode — Hormony i endokrynologia13 min
October 22, 2026
GuidesLow Estradiol in Men: Symptoms, Causes and Effects on Bone and Libido
Estradiol is thought of as a female hormone, but in men it is made from testosterone and helps regulate bone turnover, part of libido and body fat. A result below the lab range is not always a clinical problem, though — and the most common real cause of low estradiol today is over-suppression of aromatase with drugs. We explain what randomized trials have shown, how to read a result in pg/ml and pmol/l, and when to act and when to simply repeat the test.
VMRedakcja VitMode — Hormony i endokrynologia13 min
October 22, 2026
GuidesDHEA-S Test: Normal Range and What a Low or High Result Means
DHEA-S is dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate — one of the most abundant hormones in the blood, made almost entirely by the adrenal glands. Its concentration falls with age so regularly that a result without a range for the right age and sex is practically unreadable. We explain where DHEA-S comes from, what the ranges and units are (µg/dl, µmol/l), what a low or high result can mean, when the test has diagnostic value and when it is just a fashionable add-on to a 'hormone panel' — and what observational studies say about low DHEA-S and why supplementation does not fix it.
VMRedakcja VitMode — Hormony i endokrynologia12 min
October 22, 2026
GuidesHigh FSH in Men: Causes and Diagnostic Workup
A raised FSH in a man most often means the testes are making sperm less well and are no longer braking the pituitary through negative feedback — so-called primary testicular failure. It is only a clue, not a diagnosis, though: FSH rises in Klinefelter syndrome, after orchitis, chemotherapy or an untreated varicocele, but it can also be raised with no obvious cause. We explain how to read FSH together with LH, testosterone and semen analysis, what the data on varicocele and Klinefelter syndrome show, and which tests to do step by step.
VMRedakcja VitMode — Hormony i endokrynologia13 min
October 22, 2026
GuidesSecondary Hypogonadism (Low LH): Causes and Diagnosis
Low testosterone with low or 'inappropriately normal' LH means secondary hypogonadism — a problem lying above the testes, in the hypothalamus or pituitary. Most often it is not a tumor but a functional state: obesity, type 2 diabetes, opioids, chronic illness, energy deficiency or hyperprolactinemia. We explain how to tell functional from organic causes, when a pituitary MRI makes sense (a study of 51 men: none of the 17 with low LH had a tumor), which tests to do and what can realistically be reversed.
VMRedakcja VitMode — Hormony i endokrynologia13 min
October 22, 2026
GuidesTestosterone Test: What Time to Have Blood Drawn and Why You Must Repeat the Result
Testosterone levels change through the day and from day to day, so a single result from a random hour can mislead in either direction. Guidelines recommend a morning, fasting draw and confirmation of a low result with a second measurement. We explain how much testosterone really drops in the afternoon (20–25% in younger men), how large the natural day-to-day variation is (a dozen or so percent, with a change of about half possibly still within that variation), why a meal lowers the result and how to interpret two different results.
VMRedakcja VitMode — Żywienie, suplementy i trening12 min
October 22, 2026
GuidesExcessive Sweating (Hyperhidrosis): Causes and Treatment
Excessive sweating affects an estimated 2–5% of people, and in most cases it is not a sign of any disease: it is primary focal hyperhidrosis of the underarms, palms, soles or face. Sometimes, however, hyperthyroidism, diabetes, a medication or an infection is behind the sweat, so the first step is telling the primary form from the secondary one. This article shows how to do that and then walks up the treatment ladder: aluminium chloride antiperspirants, iontophoresis, topical anticholinergics, botulinum toxin, oral drugs and procedures, with an honest assessment of the strength of evidence for each step.
VMRedakcja VitMode — Badania i biomarkery13 min
October 22, 2026
GuidesSeborrheic Dermatitis and Dandruff: Causes and Treatment
Dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis are two ends of the same spectrum: from scalp flaking without visible inflammation to red, scaly patches on the face, eyebrows and chest. A 2024 meta-analysis puts the global prevalence of seborrheic dermatitis at about 4.4%, and the main culprit is not poor hygiene but the skin's reaction to Malassezia yeasts. A Cochrane review of 51 trials and more than 9,000 people confirms that ketoconazole and ciclopirox beat placebo, and short courses of steroids work comparably to antifungals. We explain how to tell dandruff from other conditions, what works and how to keep it in remission.
VMRedakcja VitMode — Badania i biomarkery12 min
October 22, 2026
GuidesKeratosis Pilaris (Chicken Skin on the Arms): Causes and What Helps
Rough bumps on the outer arms and thighs that look like goosebumps are most often keratosis pilaris: a benign, very common disorder of follicular keratinisation in which keratin plugs block the hair follicles. Systematic reviews indicate that keratolytics (lactic, glycolic and salicylic acid, urea) and lasers are best documented, but study quality is low, trials are small and short, and the skin usually reverts once treatment stops. This article explains where it comes from, what has been confirmed in studies, what not to expect and when the changes need assessment by a dermatologist.
VMRedakcja VitMode — Badania i biomarkery11 min
October 22, 2026
GuidesDry Skin: Causes, and Do Ceramides Really Help?
Dry skin (xerosis) is in most cases a problem of the skin barrier: too little water and lipids in the stratum corneum, made worse by dry air, hot water and detergents. A Cochrane review of 77 trials and 6,603 people shows that emollients reduce disease severity and the number of flares, but there is no reliable evidence that one product is better than another, and studies comparing ceramide creams with simple emollients showed no clear advantage. We explain where dry skin comes from, when ceramides make sense, how urea and glycerin work, and how to build an effective, inexpensive routine.
VMRedakcja VitMode — Sen i neurobiologia12 min
October 22, 2026