| Your cholesterol test results came back. Now | | | | HDL (High-density lipoprotein cholesterol) – is |
| you're in a mild state of panic because according | | | | the smallest of the 5 lipoproteins found in our |
| to it, your cholesterol level is higher than normal. | | | | bodies. HDL is also known as the "good |
| The phrase "high cholesterol level" has come to | | | | cholesterol" because HDL particles are able to |
| mean "heart disease." You're not due to see your | | | | remove cholesterol from arterial plaques and |
| doctor until the next morning. What to do? Get a | | | | transport it back to the liver for excretion. |
| grip. Make technology work for you. Just a few | | | | Needless to say, if you have more HDL to help |
| clicks with your mouse should give you enough | | | | avoid accumulation of cholesterol in your arteries, |
| information on how to read your lab test results, | | | | then you're in good shape. |
| for your own peace of mind. The internet will tide | | | | HDL Levels |
| you over. | | | | Below 40mg/dL (men)/ 50mg/dL (women) Low |
| So what does a blood chemistry test result look | | | | 40–59mg/dL - Medium |
| like? It will have some sort of a table and will list | | | | 60mg/dL and above - Desirable |
| the words cholesterol, LDL, HDL , triglycerides etc. | | | | LDL (Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol) – is |
| At the very least it will loosely resemble the | | | | the so-called "bad cholesterol". If our blood |
| sample below. Reference Values are likely to | | | | contains high levels of LDL, they start to build up |
| berepresented differently, according to your | | | | in our arteries, forming plaques and causing the |
| country and/or ethnic origin. Name: PATIENT | | | | arteries to narrow. These arteries can easily get |
| JANE___________ Age/Gender : 45 | | | | blocked by blood clots, resulting to stroke or |
| F___________ Requesting Physician : | | | | heart attack. In short, we want this number to be |
| ___________ Date : ___________ BLOOD | | | | low. |
| CHEMISTRY Test DescriptionConventional Units | | | | LDL Levels |
| Result Units Reference Value Glucose (Fasting) 97 | | | | Below 100 mg/dL - Desirable |
| MG/DL 70 - 105 Creatinine 0.81 MG/DL 0.6 - 1.3 | | | | 100-129 mg/dL - ear/above desirable |
| Blood Uric Acid 3.4 MG/DL 3.4 - 7.0 Cholesterol | | | | 130-159 mg/dL - Borderline high |
| 199 MG/DL 140 - 200 Triglycerides 113 MG/DL 40 | | | | 160-189 mg/dL - High |
| - 150 HDL 49.9 MG/DL 45-65 HDL 126 MG/DL 85 | | | | 190 mg/dL Very high |
| - 115 Remarks: | | | | Triglycerides - a type of lipid found in our blood. |
| ___ Pathologist: ______________ Medical | | | | Lipids are groups of naturally occurring molecules |
| Technologist: _____________ | | | | that is mostly fat. Our body converts the food |
| Let us run down the list of cholesterol-related | | | | that we eat into calories, and all excess calories |
| terminologies found in this piece of blood | | | | are converted to triglycerides. These triglycerides |
| chemistry result: | | | | are later released when we need extra energy. |
| Cholesterol – is fat. Well, it is a very close | | | | So if your calorie intake is more than what you |
| relative. It is soft and waxy and is naturally | | | | burn, your triglyceride level goes up. |
| produced by our bodies, mostly by our liver. We | | | | Triglyceride Levels |
| actually need cholesterol and we produce enough | | | | - Less than 150 mg/dL ( milligrams per deciliter) |
| that we don't need to supplement it thru diet. | | | | Desirable |
| Dietary cholesterol come from foods of animal | | | | - 150 to 199 mg/dL Borderline high |
| origin (yes, that crispy fried chicken, that juicy | | | | - 200 to 499 mg/dL High |
| steak or that succulent king crab). Cholesterol | | | | - 500 mg/dL Very high |
| travels inside our bodies via lipoproteins. | | | | All the information given here are good reference |
| Lipoproteins are molecules composed of protein | | | | material to help you understand your cholesterol |
| and lipids. Cholesterol levels are expressed in | | | | profile but are not meant to offer a medical |
| milligrams per deciliter. That's milligrams of | | | | diagnosis of your condition. And now that you're |
| cholesterol, and 1/10 of a liter of blood. | | | | done reading this, click away and visit other |
| Cholesterol Levels | | | | websites that may offer answers to all the |
| Below 200 mg/dL - Desirable | | | | questions running around in your head, BUT be |
| 200-239 mg/dL - Borderline high | | | | sure to ask the same questions when you see |
| 240 mg/dL and above High | | | | your doctor. |