What Does Your Lipid Test Profile Mean?

Prevention is better than cure! A full body checkup can identify and detect diseases at an early stage. It is recommended that above the age of 18 years a full body checkup is done at annual intervals. The normally recommended tests are

Blood Tests- Lipid profile, CBC Test, FBS Test
Complete Urine Analysis.
ECG (Resting).
X-Ray Chest.
Ultra-sonogram of the abdomen (Screening only).
Pap Smear (for women).
Stool Test(optional).
Clinical examination, summary, and advice by a physician.

Here is what your Lipid Profile Test analysis means. Lipids are the different kinds of cholesterol and fats present in your blood. The Lipid Test and the Fasting Blood Sugar Test are done from a single sample of blood collected early morning as it requires 9 to 12 hours of complete fasting. Every full body checkup contains theses tests and here is why.

Total cholesterol levels are indicated in levels of HDL, LDL, and Triglycerides.

High-density Lipid levels the more, the better with 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) being normal. Levels more than 240 mg/dL is high and mean the fat conversion of LDL is better. Hence HDL is called good cholesterol.

Low-Density Lipids are the lesser, the better with 60 mg/dL or higher being good. Levels less than 40 mg/dL is low and raises your chances of heart disease and strokes.

Triglyceride levels of 100 mg/dL or lower are ideal. When they rise beyond 130-160 mg/dL medical intervention is necessary as they are precursors of heart problems and strokes. If you already have heart problems then lower than 70mg/dL should be the LDL goal.

Lifestyle changes, exercise, and diet can normalize your lipid profile. You may have to ingest medications like Statins, Niacin among others prescribed and follow a good diet.

Include a glass or two of red wine each day to help lower your risk of heart disease. People who drink alcohol in moderation have lower rates of heart disease as alcohol lowers risk of blood clots, raises HDL levels and reduces the inflammation marker levels.

Fish oil supplements and a fish-rich diet lower the chance of heart attacks. Doctors prescribe fish oil supplements when the triglyceride levels are very high.

Eating a fibre-rich diet can lower triglycerides and total cholesterol especially for people with diabetes. Fibre-rich foods are vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Increase your water intake too!

Eating soy protein instead of animal protein and Garlic supplements help. Niacin the B vitamin boosts HDL levels when taken in high doses and under the supervision of a doctor.

High triglyceride levels do not cause diabetes. Rather, triglyceride levels indicate that the function of turning food into energy isn’t working. If your FBS glucose levels are also high, you could have diabetes, and over time the high blood sugar levels can injure nerves, harm blood vessels, affects your vision, kidneys, and even your brain cells. Diabetes increases your risk of heart disease, heart attack, and strokes significantly.

Follow your doctor’s guidance about eating, exercising, and taking prescribed medicines, to restore your blood sugars, triglyceride and cholesterol levels to a normal and healthy level.