Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH) Isoenzymes Test
Reviewed
This test measures lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) isoenzymes in a sample of your blood. It is a general test that can help find out if you have tissue damage from disease or injury and which organs are likely to be damaged. However, an LDH isoenzymes test alone cannot diagnose what is causing the damage.
Preparation and collection
You don't need any special preparations for an LDH isoenzymes test.
Understanding this test
Use the reference interval and units printed by the laboratory that performed the test. A result outside that interval is not a diagnosis by itself, and a result inside it does not rule out every condition. Your symptoms, history, medicines, timing, and related tests can change what the result means.
- An LDH isoenzymes test alone cannot diagnose what is causing the damage.
- Because each LDH isoenzyme is found in more than one type of tissue, other more specific tests are often used with or instead of an LDH isoenzymes test to more accurately identify which tissue is damaged.
- High LDH isoenzyme levels do not always mean you have a medical condition that needs treatment; they can be caused by intense exercise, certain medicines (e.g., aspirin), or red blood cells breaking open during sample collection.
- Lower than normal LDH isoenzyme levels are not common and usually are not considered to be a health problem; they may be affected by taking large amounts of vitamin C or vitamin E, or rarely by a genetic disorder.
What to do next
The meaning of your LDH isoenzyme test results depends on the reason you had the test, your symptoms, and the results of other tests you've had. Ask your provider to explain what your results say about your health.
Evidence source
U.S. National Library of Medicine: Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH) Isoenzymes Test