Home › Biomarkers › Bilirubin, total
Bilirubin is a yellowish substance that forms when your body breaks down old red blood cells. A high value can point to a condition of the liver or the bile ducts, and a low value is usually no cause for concern.[1]
On this page you can read what total bilirubin is, what the guidelines say about a value that is too low or too high, what affects your value and which other values are best looked at alongside it.
Also known as: total bilirubin, total serum bilirubin, TSB, TBIL. At the lab: BILG.
Bilirubin is a yellowish substance. Your body makes it when it breaks down old red blood cells. It is found in bile, a fluid your liver makes to help you digest food.[1]
If your liver is healthy, it removes most bilirubin through the bile ducts. These are the small tubes that carry bile away from your liver. If the liver is damaged or the bile ducts are blocked, bilirubin can end up in your blood. Too much bilirubin in your blood can turn your skin and eyes yellow.[1]
Bilirubin is usually measured in your blood, but it can also be measured in your urine.[1]
A doctor may request this test to look at the health of your liver. For example, if your skin or eyes turn yellow, your urine is dark, your stools are pale or you have abdominal pain. Symptoms like these can point to a liver condition.[1]
The test also helps to see whether the bile ducts are blocked, to monitor an existing liver condition and to see how a value changes during treatment.[1]
In newborn babies, the value is often measured as a precaution. Many healthy babies get yellow skin because their liver is not yet developed enough. This is usually harmless and goes away within a few weeks.[1]
Bilirubin is only one measure of your liver health. Sometimes other tests are needed, such as liver function tests, urine tests or an ultrasound.[1]
Labplusarts, the lab BioProfile works with, uses a reference value of 3 to 20 umol/l for Bilirubin, total. The lab calls a value between those limits normal.[2]
| Value | What it can mean | Who it is for |
|---|---|---|
| 3 to 20 umol/l[2] | The lab calls this value normal | Bilirubin, total (BILG) at Labplusarts |
Source: Labplusarts, the lab BioProfile works with. Reference value for Bilirubin, total (BILG).[2]
According to MedlinePlus, a low value is usually no cause for concern. It can be caused by certain medicines, such as antibiotics, the contraceptive pill, sleeping pills and some other medicines.[1]
A high value can point to a liver condition, a blockage of the bile ducts or anaemia because your body breaks down red blood cells faster than it makes them. A result outside the range does not have to mean something is wrong. Some medicines, certain foods or strenuous exercise can also raise the value. Discuss your result with your doctor.[1]
BioProfile is working on its own zones for each value, from risk to optimal. A doctor reviews those zones before they appear in your result.
Certain foods can raise your value. Sometimes your doctor will ask you not to eat or drink for a number of hours before the test.[1]
Some medicines can raise your value, while others can lower it. Tell your doctor what you take. Don't stop taking a medicine on your own. Only stop if your doctor tells you to.[1]
Strenuous exercise can make your bilirubin higher than normal.[1]
What counts as normal can differ between labs, between the sexes, and between adults and babies or children.[1]
Bilirubin, total is included in BioProfile 77, 98, 121 and 150.[3]
The BioProfile editorial team wrote this page on 10 October 2026 from the sources below, which we read on 10 October 2026. Every number on this page appears in one of those sources, with that source's number next to it. An expert has yet to check this page; after that check, the expert's name and the date of the check will appear at the top. This page offers explanation, not a diagnosis. Discuss a value outside the range with your GP.
