Folic Acid (Red Blood Cell) Clia / Cmia / Eclia Blood
What is this test?
This test is used to find out the Folic Acid Folate levels in the blood.
What is Folic acid?
Folic Acid is an essential vitamin which is naturally present in spinach, cereals, rice, broccoli, orange, peanuts etc. Folic Acid is required for the body for cell division and also functions as a coenzyme in the synthesis of DNA & RNA which are genetic materials in the cells and metabolism of amino acids.
Serum folate concentrations change every time and depend on the amount of folic acid consumed. So blood folate levels are constant and provide a long-term measurement of folate.
Why this test is performed?
The Folic Acid Blood Test is performed to check whether an individual is having normal or abnormal levels of Folic Acid in the blood. The doctor may ask to perform this test if an individual is suffering from conditions like pernicious anemia (decrease in red blood cells as the body cannot absorb enough vitamin-B12), inflammatory bowel disease (inflammation of the digestive tract), Crohn's disease (redness and swelling in the lining of the digestive tract), chronic alcoholism (heavy drinking of alcohol), liver disease, heart failure, obesity etc. This test is also done to determine the risk of developing anemia. If symptoms like weight loss, shortness of breath, irritability, mouth ulcers, pale skin, confusion, dizziness and lack of energy etc are seen in an individual then the doctor may prefer to do this test. If an individual is on the treatment of Folic Acid then the doctor may ask to perform this test to evaluate and to check the effectiveness of the treatment and Folic Acid levels in the body. This helps the doctor to rule out the patient disease condition.
Generally, when a patient is diagnosed with liver disease, anemia or malnutrition visits hospital for a general check-up, the doctor may ask to undergo this test which gives a better status of the condition. This test is also performed to provide a clear idea regarding the malnutrition, liver disease and anemia of an individual. Mostly, this test is done along with other vitamin tests to confirm the diagnosis.
If you have been diagnosed with megaloblastic anemia, your doctor may advise you to get this test done once in every 3 months to once in a year based on your clinical condition.
Precautions:
Drugs containing estrogens, vitamin-A, and vitamin-C may affect the test results. Hence, you are advised to inform your doctor about all your current medications before undergoing this test.
Test Preparation
Inform your doctor if you are on any medications, have any allergies or underlying medical conditions before your Folic Acid (Red Blood Cell) Clia / Cmia / Eclia Blood. Your doctor will give specific instructions depending on your condition on how to prepare for Folic Acid (Red Blood Cell) Clia / Cmia / Eclia Blood.
This test is done after you fast (without eating anything) for a whole night or for 8 to 12 hours. Usually, the blood is drawn in the morning after an overnight fasting.
Understanding your test results
There is no need for medical interventions if test results are in normal range or above the normal range
If test results are less than the normal range, then it indicates that there may be a chance for folate deficiency, megaloblastic anemia (large, abnormal and immature red blood cells), alcoholism, malnutrition, scurvy (deficiency of vitamin-C), adult celiac disease (immune reaction to the protein found in wheat), Crohn’s disease (chronic inflammatory bowel disease affecting the lining of the digestive tract), hemolytic anemias (abnormal breakdown of the red blood cells in the body), carcinomas (cancer in the cells that make up the skin or the tissue lining organs like liver and kidneys), Vitamin-B6 deficiency, Whipple’s disease (disease caused by Trpheryma whippelii), exfoliate dermatitis (redness and peeling of the skin over large areas of the body).
| Gender | Age groups | Value |
| UNISEX | All age groups | >280 ng/mL RBC |