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Indicators
There are a number of ways to determine how healthy you are. A lipid profile, blood pressure and diabetes risk assessment are just a few.
Lipid Profile
These laboratory tests are ordered as a group to determine your risk for coronary artery disease. A lipid profile usually includes tests for total cholesterol, HDL, LDL and triglycerides. Also included in a lipid profile is the ratio between total cholesterol and the HDL value. This ratio is a good indicator of risk for developing atherosclerosis (the buildup of cholesterol and fat in the walls of the arteries).
Total Cholesterol
Desirable: <200 MG/DL
Borderline High: 200-239 MG/DL
High: >240 MG/DL
Cholesterol is fat made in your liver and required for proper body function. Cholesterol is also found in foods. If excess cholesterol (which is waxy) is present in the blood it can stick to artery walls - called plaque. Plaque, over time, can narrow your arteries or block them completely, restricting blood flow.
Cholesterol levels can increase as you get older with no signs or symptoms associated with this rise in fat. Your physician can order a lab test to check your levels each year. You may be at risk if another member of your family has high cholesterol levels, if you're overweight or frequently eat foods high in fat.
Cholesterol can be lowered through a healthy diet and daily exercise. In some cases patients need to take cholesterol lowering drugs - prescribed by their physicians.
HDL (High-Density Lipoprotein) Cholesterol:
Low: <40 MG/DL
High: >60 MG/DL
HDL cholesterol is sometimes called "good" cholesterol because it helps prevent cholesterol from building up in the arteries. HDL, which is made mostly of protein and only a small amount of fat, helps clear LDL or "bad" cholesterol from the body. An easy way to think about HDL is that it's a brush that clears the arteries of build up cholesterol.
LDL (Low-Density Lipoprotein) Cholesterol:
Desirable: <130 MG/DL
Borderline High: 131-160 MG/DL
High: >160 MG/DL
LDL cholesterol is sometimes called "bad" cholesterol because it carries mostly fat and only a small amount of protein from the liver to other parts of the body. A high LDL cholesterol level is considered a risk factor for coronary disease because, under certain conditions, it can cause hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis).
Fasting cholesterol/HDL Ratio:
| Male | Female | |
|---|---|---|
| Average Risk | 5.0 | 4.4 |
| 2x Average Risk | 9.6 | 7.1 |
| 3x Average Risk | 23.4 | 11.0 |
The fasting cholesterol/HDL ratio is a number that is helpful in predicting an individual's risk of developing atherosclerosis, a condition in which plaque builds up on the walls of the arteries and blocks blood flow to the heart. This number is obtained by dividing the total cholesterol value by the value of the HDL cholesterol. High ratios indicate higher risks of heart attacks and low ratios indicate lower risk.
A high HDL number and a low total cholesterol lowers the ratio and is desirable. Conversely, a high total cholesterol and a low HDL number increases the ratio and is undesirable.
An average ratio would be about 4.5. Ideally you want to be better than average if you can. Thus the best ratio would be 2 or 3 or less than 4.
Cholesterol can be lowered through a healthy diet and daily exercise. In some cases individuals need to take cholesterol lowering drugs-prescribed by their physician.
Triglycerides:
Normal <150 MG/DL
Borderline high 150-199 MG/DL
High 200-499 MG/DL
Very high >500 MG/DL
Triglycerides are the chemical form in which most fat exists in food as well as the body. There is supposed to be a small amount of triglycerides in your bloodstream. When you eat, your body uses the calories it needs for quick energy. It then converts excess calories into triglycerides and transports them to fat cells to be stored. Hormones regulate the release of triglycerides from fat tissue so they meet the body's needs for energy between meals. In normal amounts, triglycerides are important to good health. But, much like cholesterol, high levels of triglycerides may increase your risk of developing coronary artery disease.
Systolic blood pressure
Systolic blood pressure is the top number in a blood pressure reading, representing the pressure when the heart contracts. A systolic pressure at or above 140 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) is considered hypertension or high blood pressure.
Diastolic blood pressure
Diastolic blood pressure is the bottom number, representing the blood pressure when the heart relaxes. Diastolic pressure at or above 90 mm Hg is considered hypertension.
Diabetes Risk Assessment
There are 20.8 million children and adults in the United States with diabetes, and nearly one-third of them (or 602 million people) do not know it. The diabetes risk assessment test can tell you if you are at risk for having or developing type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is more common in African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. If you are a member of one of these ethnic groups, you need to pay special attention to the test.