Educational information only. At Precursor, blood testing is requested and reviewed by a clinician and considered alongside your history and other markers, not as a stand-alone diagnosis. Testing is performed in NATA-accredited laboratories to ISO 15189 standards.

What is total bilirubin?

Bilirubin is a yellow pigment produced when old red blood cells are broken down. The liver processes it and clears it into bile. Total bilirubin measures the amount circulating in your blood, reflecting the balance between how much is being produced and how well the liver is clearing it.

Why it matters

Bilirubin is a useful marker of both liver clearance and red-blood-cell turnover. Very high levels are what cause the yellowing of the skin and eyes known as jaundice. More often, mild variations are harmless, so the value is always interpreted in the context of the wider panel.

What your results can mean

Higher than optimal

A raised bilirubin can reflect the liver clearing it less efficiently, faster red-cell breakdown, or a common, harmless inherited variation known as Gilbert's syndrome. The pattern with the liver enzymes helps distinguish these.

Within the healthy range

A bilirubin in range suggests a normal balance between red-cell breakdown and liver clearance.

Reference ranges in Australia

Total bilirubin is reported in micromoles per litre (µmol/L). As a general guide, values below about 20 µmol/L are often considered within range. Read your result against the range on your own report and alongside your liver enzymes.

Test your liver with Precursor

Bilirubin is most informative within a full liver panel. At Precursor it is measured as part of Full Advanced Bloods, a single clinician-reviewed blood draw covering your liver, heart, metabolic, hormonal, kidney, thyroid and nutrient markers together, giving you and your clinician a broad baseline to understand and track.