Test results may vary depending on your age, gender, health history, and other things. Your test results may be different depending on the lab used. They may not mean you have a problem. Ask your healthcare provider what your test results mean for you.
The normal range for total copper in the blood is 62 to 140 micrograms per deciliter (mcg/dL).
A low amount of copper could mean that you have:
- Kidney disease
- A nutritional deficiency
- Inability to absorb copper
In Wilson disease, blood levels of copper are low even while copper builds up to toxic levels in the liver and other organs. An exception is the person with Wilson disease who has acute liver failure. In this case, the level of copper in the blood may be higher than normal.
Any of the following conditions could cause your test result to be high:
- Copper toxicity from taking in too much copper, perhaps through water or dietary supplements
- Anemia
- Biliary cirrhosis, a liver disease
- Hemochromatosis, a condition in which your body absorbs too much iron
- Overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism)
- Underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)
- Infection
- Leukemia
- Lymphoma
- Rheumatoid arthritis