Total Thyroxine

Abbreviation: Total T4

Panel: Thyroid Tests · All thyroid tests

Typical adult reference range

Conventional units5.0–12.0 µg/dL
SI units64–154 nmol/L

Ranges vary between laboratories and methods — compare your result with the range printed on your own report.

What a high or low result can mean

High total thyroxine: high values can be seen in hyperthyroidism and with increased binding proteins, including in pregnancy.

Low total thyroxine: low values may occur in hypothyroidism and with reduced binding proteins.

These are associations, not a diagnosis: the same result can have several causes, and your clinician interprets it with the rest of your results and history.

Good to know

Affected by changes in thyroid hormone binding proteins.

Please note: Reference ranges vary between laboratories, and between the methods and instruments they use — the range printed on your own report is the one your result should be compared with. A result outside the range is not by itself a diagnosis, and a result inside it does not rule out illness. These pages are an educational summary, not medical advice: always discuss your results with the clinician who ordered them, who can interpret them in the context of your health and history.