Metals, toxins and medication
Aluminium
Aluminum in blood is mainly used to monitor buildup in people with poor kidney function or on dialysis.
Everything about this testWhat it measures
The analysis measures how much aluminum is in your blood. Aluminum is found in small amounts in food, drinking water and some medicines, such as antacids. Most aluminum from food is not absorbed; what does reach the blood is excreted by healthy kidneys. With poor kidney function this does not work well and aluminum can build up, for example in the bone.
- Buildup of aluminum with poor kidney function or dialysis
- Exposure to aluminum at work
High
A raised value fits a higher uptake or a reduced excretion of aluminum. According to the ATSDR, people with kidney disease can store a lot of aluminum and sometimes develop bone or brain diseases that may be caused by this excess. Sources include antacids containing aluminum, clay-based supplements and work that releases aluminum dust or fumes. Because aluminum is everywhere, contamination during the blood draw can also raise the value.
Low
A low or unmeasurable value is normal. The body does not need aluminum, so there is no such thing as a deficiency. A low blood value does not rule out that aluminum has been stored in the bone earlier.
If your result is abnormal
With a raised result, the GP looks for the source, such as antacids, supplements or work, and checks kidney function. With poor kidney function or dialysis, follow-up goes through the nephrologist; with exposure at work, through the occupational physician.
Reliability
Aluminum in blood is mainly informative in people with poor kidney function or on dialysis, and with known exposure at work; in healthy people without known exposure, a single value says little. According to the ATSDR, the measurement shows whether someone has taken in more aluminum than normal, but not whether this causes harm. Aluminum stored in the bone is not measured. According to the RIVM, aluminum from deodorant barely passes through the skin.
Limitations
- Aluminum is everywhere in the environment; contamination from the needle, the tube or the skin can falsely raise the result. That is why a special tube for metal testing is needed.
- Antacids containing aluminum raise the value.
- The blood value says little about aluminum that has been stored in the bone over time.
- There are no agreed cutoff values; the limit between normal and raised comes from the laboratory itself.
How common is this
According to the RIVM, total exposure to aluminum from food, consumer products and soil is well below the health-based limit value. For adults, antacids containing aluminum can be a major source. The RIVM advises against frequent or long-term use of detox clay.
Who is this useful for
Useful for people with poor kidney function or on dialysis, as an addition to the check-up by the nephrologist (kidney specialist), and with known exposure at work. In people with normal kidney function, without symptoms and without known exposure, the measurement adds nothing.
Downsides and risks
- Contamination during the blood draw can give a raised result that has nothing to do with exposure.
- A slightly raised value without symptoms easily leads to worry and to unnecessary follow-up testing.
Sources
Always discuss an abnormal result with your GP. If a result is strongly abnormal, we try to reach you as soon as possible. Read your result yourself as well and contact your GP if in doubt. A test does not make a diagnosis. Read more about risks and results