What Is a MELD Score? Meaning, Ranges & How It's Used
What the number means, the three lab values behind it, and how to read every range from 6 to 40.
The MELD score is the number doctors use to rank how urgently a person with chronic liver disease needs a liver transplant. We break down what it means, how it's calculated, and what each range tells you.
MELD stands for Model for End-Stage Liver Disease. It's a scoring system that turns three routine blood-test results — bilirubin, creatinine, and INR — into a single number from 6 to 40. The higher the number, the more severe the liver disease and the higher a person sits on the transplant waiting list.
It was introduced in 2000 to predict three-month survival, and it has been refined twice since: MELD-Na (which added sodium) and MELD 3.0 (which added albumin and sex). Our guides cover all three.
Three evergreen, plain-English guides to help you understand the MELD score and its updates.
What the number means, the three lab values behind it, and how to read every range from 6 to 40.
The formula step by step, a worked example, and the MELD-Na sodium adjustment.
What changed in 2016 and 2023, what's new in each version, and why it matters for transplant priority.
Send us a note and we'll point you to the right resource. (For your own care, always talk to your doctor or transplant team.)
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