What Is a MELD Score? Meaning, Ranges & How It's Used

Foundations · Evergreen guide

If you or someone close to you has been diagnosed with chronic liver disease, you've probably heard the term "MELD score." It can sound like a mystery number, but it's actually a simple idea: a way to turn routine lab results into a single score that reflects how severe the liver disease is.

What MELD stands for

MELD is short for Model for End-Stage Liver Disease. It was developed in 2000 to estimate the risk of death within three months for people with advanced (end-stage) liver disease. Today, its main job is to help transplant centers decide who gets a liver transplant first.

What the score is used for

There aren't enough donor livers for everyone who needs one, so patients are ranked on a national waiting list. The MELD score is the backbone of that ranking in the United States: a higher MELD score means more severe liver disease and a higher position on the list.

Doctors also use the MELD score to watch how someone's liver disease is progressing over time, even when a transplant isn't yet on the table.

The three lab values behind the number

The original MELD score is built from three routine blood-test results:

Bilirubin — a yellow pigment the liver normally clears. When the liver struggles, bilirubin builds up (which can cause jaundice).
Creatinine — a waste product filtered by the kidneys. A high creatinine can signal that kidney function is declining, which often happens alongside advanced liver disease.
INR (International Normalized Ratio) — a measure of how well the blood clots. The liver makes clotting proteins, so a high INR can mean the liver is making fewer of them.

Newer versions of the score (MELD-Na and MELD 3.0) add sodium and, for MELD 3.0, albumin and sex. We cover those updates in our guide to MELD-Na vs MELD 3.0.

How to read the score: ranges

The MELD score runs from 6 to 40. Higher is more severe. Here's a general way to think about the bands — though your own care team will interpret your number in the full context of your health.

MELD score	General severity
6–9	Lower severity; often monitored over time
10–19	Moderate liver disease
20–29	Severe liver disease
30–39	Very severe; high transplant priority
40	The maximum (capped) score

A score of 40 is the highest the scale allows. Patients who are acutely ill and hospitalized may be assigned a status (such as Status 1A/1B) rather than a MELD number.

What can change a MELD score

Because the score comes from lab values, anything that changes those labs changes the score. For example:

Kidney injury can raise creatinine and push the score up.
Biliary obstruction or infection can raise bilirubin.
Blood-thinning medication can raise INR.

For a small number of patients, "exception points" can be added when a condition — such as certain liver cancers — is serious but isn't well captured by the standard labs.

Frequently asked questions

What is a normal MELD score?

There isn't really a "normal" MELD score, because the score is only calculated for people with known liver disease. The lowest possible value is 6, which reflects relatively mild disease.

What does a MELD score of 15 mean?

A score of 15 sits in the moderate range. It signals meaningful liver disease, and the transplant team would typically monitor labs closely and begin or continue the transplant evaluation.

Can my MELD score go down?

Yes. If the underlying issue improves — for example, kidney function recovers or an infection is treated — the labs can improve and the score can fall. It's a snapshot, not a permanent label.

Keep reading: Want to see how the number is actually computed? See our guide to the MELD score calculator and formula.

Medical disclaimer: This article is for general education only and is not medical advice. Your MELD score should always be calculated and interpreted by a qualified clinician. If you have questions about your own health or lab results, talk to your doctor or transplant team.