Why you can be 'abnormal' and completely fine.
A reference range is determined by testing a large group of healthy people. Labs take the results from the middle 95% of that group to define what is normal. This means 5% of perfectly healthy people will fall outside these borders. Being outside the range does not automatically mean you are sick.
Every person has a unique baseline, or their own personal normal level for various substances in the blood. If your results are slightly outside the range, they might be perfectly healthy for your specific body. A doctor will look at your trends over time rather than one isolated number. A stable result that stays in the same spot for years is often more important than a single result that hits a textbook number.
Many factors can skew a test result without signaling a disease. Things like hydration levels, recent meals, intense exercise, or common medications can change your numbers. A false positive happens when a test flags an issue that does not exist in reality. Doctors account for these variables when deciding if a number requires further investigation.
A result outside the range requires medical judgment to interpret correctly. Doctors combine your lab report with your physical symptoms and your medical history. If a number is significantly out of range or reflects a change from your previous results, it warrants a deeper look. Do not panic over a high or low flag until you discuss it with your clinical team.