Current Events > Got some blood work done. Anyone willing to help me understand it?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Got results back for -

Cholesterol
Triglyceride
HDL Chol
LDL Calc
HbA1c Screen

It seems like I'm fine on everything. Take Cholesterol for example. It says the standard range is <=239 mg/dL, and I'm below that. But when I go down the list it gives me this -

LDL Cholesterol NCEP guidelines:
< 100 mg/dL Optimal
100 - 129 mg/dL Near Optimal
130 - 159 mg/dL Borderline High
160 - 189 mg/dL High
> 189 mg/dL Very High

So I'm getting conflicting things on the same page.

I also have zero clue what the other things are

Good cholesterol / bad cholestrol?

The blood teets my doc does doesnt differentiate. He just says "cholesterol very high!" Lol

looks like a lipids test? taking any new medications? they do these for me to make sure the new meds aren't doing anything drastic regarding cardiovascular disease risk and they let you know when they get the results if there is a worry.

Isn't your doctor supposed to help you interpret your bloodwork?

What are your actual lab values? I am assuming you're male.

You may be confusing a reference range for total cholesterol with LDL cholesterol. LDL is, from what I remember, an indirect measurement which is why total cholesterol is reported.

So your LDL is above 189? Try to get that below 70..........

SauI_Goodman posted...

Good cholesterol / bad cholestrol?

LDL is bad cholesterol.

cardiovascular problems ahead.

Jabodie posted...

Isn't your doctor supposed to help you interpret your bloodwork?

No idea, I've only started to go. Last week I was going to [ToS] and had to get some help. So yeah, I'm on a new medication

I also got my booster shot at a T-shot to be safe.

I've seen so many people in the past week. The one when I was having my breakdown, another one the next day to set something up for this week, and then yesterday I saw like 4 people. I finally do have a primary doctor, but I saw him before the blood work, which didn't get done until 10pm

kingdrake2 posted...

LDL is bad cholesterol.

Standard is <=159 mg/dL

I'm at 76.

HDL is the only thing I'm higher than average in

Yeah, keep that LDL below 100 and ideally below 70.

to add to my last post, this first test is usually a baseline they compare to later at a follow up appointment, especially if you are taking new medication. im in a similar situation where I take pretty brutal anti-psychotics to keep me sane and they do these for me every three months.

Super Saiyan 3 Goku posted...

Yeah, keep that LDL below 100 and ideally below 70.

Okay, thanks. I'll look up some good ways to lower it

KayfabeTactics posted...

Okay, thanks. I'll look up some good ways to lower it

Statin lol

MrPeppers posted...

Statin lol

Oh, I was just talking about eating better or whatever. I went for a 15mile hike on Saturday, so I'm getting enough exercise, imo

Cholesterol - Total Cholesterol, over 240 is bad but the LDL/HDL ratio is important too even below 240
Triglyceride - Fats derived from carbohydrate consumption, above 500 increases the risk of pancreatitis, which can be life threatening
HDL Chol - "good" cholesterol
LDL Calc - "bad" cholesterol, being above 190 means you have over 10% chance of having a heart attack in the next 10 years
HbA1c Screen - Diabetes screening, should be below 6.5%, above is diabetes, above 9% probably means you require insulin

GP here

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]


1 - Limit unhealthy fats like donuts and some veggie oil. Yeah, okay. I don't know what I would I be eating that has that stuff in it. Oh, ice cream? That's pretty much the only sugar thing I eat.

2- Get my Omega 3s - What are those? Oh, fish? I eat a lot of sea food. I've made a couple posts about all the swordfish I've been eating recently. I don't have any teeth, so I can't eat the nuts listed

3- Eat more fiber - Okay, I think I could add more fiber to my diet. Is rice a fiber? I eat a lot of white rice, but I have heard that brown rice is better. I'm not sure.

4- Cut back on added sugar - Guess I need to become a label reader now? Like I said, I don't eat a lot of sweets outside of ice cream. But I'm sure there is still things I eat that has added sugar.

5/6- Limit booze and smoking - I haven't drank in 14 months now. Well, I did once, but it as a mistake. And I haven't smoked in about 15 years now

7 - Exercise - I don't do a lot of this because I never know what to do, but I walk around everywhere and I think I'm in pretty good shape. I don't know how to correctly do things like lifting weights or doing crunches. I do have an ab machine I use, but I don't think I'm using it correctly

8- Better sleeping - Yeah, I can't do that. Getting sleep is one of the hardest things for me. Brought this up with my doctor and he said I need to find out if I snore or not, but nobody sleeps with me, so I have no clue. I was going to record myself, but I don't want to go through hours of dead air to see if I'm snoring or not.

9 - Drink more water - That's about all I drink. Sometimes I'll have a chocolate milk at work at lunch, but I work at a school and that is the "good" chocolate milk, lol

Llaeto7 posted...

Cholesterol - Total Cholesterol, over 240 is bad but the LDL/HDL ratio is important too even below 240
Triglyceride - Fats derived from carbohydrate consumption, above 500 increases the risk of pancreatitis, which can be life threatening
HDL Chol - "good" cholesterol
LDL Calc - "bad" cholesterol, being above 190 means you have over 10% chance of having a heart attack in the next 10 years
HbA1c Screen - Diabetes screening, should be below 6.5%, above is diabetes, above 9% probably means you require insulin

GP here

@Llaeto7

Cholesterol - 167
Triglyceride - 182
HDL - 55
LDL - 76
HbA1c - 5.1

KayfabeTactics posted...

@Llaeto7

Cholesterol - 167
Triglyceride - 182
HDL - 55
LDL - 76
HbA1c - 5.1

Cholesterol is very good. Your Triglyceride is very high. HDL is solid. LDL is very good. A1C is very good. To find out if you're insulin resistant, and your heart health, you divide your Trig with HDL, so in your case, we divide 182/55 which comes out as 3.3. 1.5 and below is optimal. 2.0 is still good. Anything higher than 2.5, you have an issue. Work on lowering your Triglycerides. How? Eat less processed, white bread, cake, doughnuts, ice cream, cookies, etc, sugar, fried, heavy saturated shit. Eat more avocados, omega 3's, lean meat, nuts, berries, and whole grains. But it confuses me how you have such a high Trig, but good Cholesterol, and low LDL with great A1C. This is a first. Something's going on there.

BTW, here is all of my "recent" visits -

Mar 7th 2022
Sep 17th, 2021
July 7th - 2020
Jan 14th - 2018
Sep 17th - 2002
Feb 22 - 2001
Aug 23 - 2000
May 6th - 1999
May 12 - 1998
May 6th - 1998
Apr 25th - 1997
Aug 1st - 1988
May 1 - 1988
Dec 1 - 1984
Nov 1 - 1983
Aug 1 - 1983

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]


Why not? I still have to talk to my doctor. I just wanted to put my mind at ease a bit

Sheiky-Baby posted...

Cholesterol is very good. Your Triglyceride is very high. HDL is solid. LDL is very good. A1C is very good. To find out if you're insulin resistant, and your heart health, you divide your Trig with HDL, so in your case, we divide 182/55 which comes out as 3.3. 1.5 and below is optimal. 2.0 is still good. Anything higher than 2.5, you have an issue. Work on lowering your Triglycerides. How? Eat less processed, white bread, cake, doughnuts, ice cream, cookies, etc, sugar, fried, heavy saturated shit. Eat more avocados, omega 3's, lean meat, nuts, berries, and whole grains. But it confuses me how you have such a high Trig, but good Cholesterol, and low LDL with great A1C. This is a first. Something's going on there.

Nothing rare about above average Trig with everything else being fine if he eats a good amount of carbs and he hasn't developed significant insulin resistance yet. He may be young or not have a significant genetic load of diabetes.

Also, you shouldn't get on Statin until your cholesterol is like 250-280 and over, and have a family history of heart disease/high blood pressure.

Sheiky-Baby posted...

Also, you shouldn't get on Statin until your cholesterol is like 250-280 and over, and have a family history of heart disease/high blood pressure.

There's plenty of cases in which a Statin should be started well before 250-280. TC isn't one of those cases though.

Llaeto7 posted...

Nothing rare about above average Trig with everything else being fine if he eats a good amount of carbs and he hasn't developed significant insulin resistance yet. He may be young or not have a significant genetic load of diabetes.

He already has signs of insulin resistance as I mentioned with the Trig/HDL.

Sheiky-Baby posted...

He already has signs of insulin resistance as I mentioned with the Trig/HDL.

Which is why I said "significant".

Sheiky-Baby posted...

How? Eat less processed, white bread, cake, doughnuts, ice cream, cookies, etc, sugar, fried, heavy saturated shit. Eat more avocados, omega 3's, lean meat, nuts, berries, and whole grains. But it confuses me how you have such a high Trig, but good Cholesterol, and low LDL with great A1C. This is a first. Something's going on there.

I eat a LOT of ice cream, lol. That's the only shitty thing I eat. I should switch to frozen yogurt or something. I eat a lot of fish. I can't eat nuts because I don't have any teeth. Berries are a good thing to eat more of. Does watermelon count? I heard that's a great snack because it's mostly water and it lets you eat a lot to help with overeating

Llaeto7 posted...

There's plenty of cases in which a Statin should be started well before 250-280. TC isn't one of those cases though.

Yeah, like I said, if he has a genetic disposition of heart disease/high blood pressure.

KayfabeTactics posted...

I eat a LOT of ice cream, lol. That's the only shitty thing I eat. I should switch to frozen yogurt or something. I eat a lot of fish. I can't eat nuts because I don't have any teeth. Berries are a good thing to eat more of. Does watermelon count? I heard that's a great snack because it's mostly water and it lets you eat a lot to help with overeating

Icecream is sugar + fat. It's really bad for you, if you eat a lot of it you're lucky you only have TGs of 180 to worry about my man. Cut down on that and you'll be fine.

Llaeto7 posted...

Which is why I said "significant".

He's already well over the 2.5 threshold. So he's pretty much there.

Sheiky-Baby posted...

Yeah, like I said, if he has a genetic disposition of heart disease/high blood pressure.

And a lot of other cases beyond that. A lot.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]


Because I want to know how to get better before I go and see the doctor again. Maybe I can even things even lower and they're be like, "Wow, you're doing a great job!"

KayfabeTactics posted...

Because I want to know how to get better before I go and see the doctor again. Maybe I can even things even lower and they're be like, "Wow, you're doing a great job!"

Testing again before 6 weeks have passed, ideally 8-12, is pointless.

Llaeto7 posted...

And a lot of other cases beyond that. A lot.

No, stop making it complicated. Is TC obese? Is TC blasting roids, or doing drugs? No? No genetic defects? Not over 40? Then he's good.

Sheiky-Baby posted...

No, stop making it complicated

Buddy, I'm not the one "making it complicated". Statins having far more indications than "cholesterol is like 250-280 and over, and have a family history of heart disease/high blood pressure", that's a simple fact.

Also TC, just work on your diet. Eat less ice cream, do more exercise. Cardio, and some weightlifting. Get your blood tested again in 3 to 6 months. You should be fine for now.

Sheiky-Baby posted...

No, stop making it complicated. Is TC obese? Is TC blasting roids, or doing drugs? No? No genetic defects? Not over 40? Then he's good.

I know I'm a bit overweight, but that's mostly because it's winter still and I can't really go for long walks like I can when the weather clears up. Right now I'm sitting at a 24.1 BMI if the first website that popped up is correct. I'm 5'5" and weight around 142, and I lose that weight quickly every year once the weather clears up