HealthCareMagic is now Ask A Doctor - 24x7 | https://www.askadoctor24x7.com

question-icon

Blood Test Done. What Are The Findings And Precaution To Be Taken?

default
Posted on Mon, 18 Feb 2013
Question: Dear Doctor,

I did my blood test yesterday and the report is

GLUCOSE, FASTING, PLASMA / URINE
GLUCOSE, FASTING, PLASMA 95 mg/dL

I have attached the full report alongwith. is this something to be worried about ? any precuations to be taken ?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Madhuri Patil (39 minutes later)
Hi XXXXXXX
Thank you for the query.
I just wanted to know if you are a known case of diabetes or this test is done as a routine? Are you overweight? Do you have family history of diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease?
Do you smoke? Do you drink alcohol? If yes, is it in excess?
The fasting sugar is perfectly fine. But the cholesterol is not slightly but well out of the range and high.
Please make sure you take care of your diet and do regular physical exercise. Repeat the cholesterol profile (total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, Triglycerides) after 3 months. If there is fall in values then you can continue with lifestyle measures like diet and exercise only. But if no much difference is seen and if you have other risk factors of heart disease like known case of diabetes, high BP, family history and smoking etc then you will need to start medications for the cholesterol right away.
In your diet, please stop high fat items like fried snacks, heavy gravies, vegetables and dals cooked in excess oils, red meat, egg yellow, milk cream, ghee, butter, sweets and bakery items.
Reduce all types of sweets for the high triglycerides. Do not consume fruit juices. Eating fresh fruits is advised. Eat lots of salads made out of fresh vegetables. Eat whole grain chapati, rice, cereals. Do not use items made of Maida and white rice as they also tend to increase triglycerides. Alcohol has to be reduced to once a week rountinely. Smoking has to be stopped if any and if necessary take professional help for that.
Walk everyday for 40 to 45 minutes. The days you cannot exercise, jog inside the house for 25 to 30 minutes. You must sweat and have doubled heart rate by any exercise you do. This will burn calories and in turn distribute the cholesterol in good directions reducing your cardiovascular risks.
I hope you got to know about what precautions to be taken. Take care.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
default
Follow up: Dr. Madhuri Patil (18 minutes later)
Hi Dr XXXXXXX

thanks for you quick replies.

coming to your questions.

This test (blood sugar)is done as routine , as I did lipid profile test about 2 months back and it was high.

on 14th Nov 2012, the levels were

S cholesterol 251 mg/dl

S triglycerides 437 mg/dl
VLDL cholesterol 87.4 mg/dl
HDL cholesterol 55 mg/dl
LDL cholesterol 108.6 mg/dl
Ratio of Cholesterol / HDL 4.56


My weight is 63-64 kgs for a height of 5'6". So I guess the weight and BMI is fine. Dont drink alcohol or smoke. No family history of diabetes. My father has high blood pressure and heart problems , but only at advanced age 65 +.

a quick followup question : if I dont reduce my cholesterol levels and it remains at current levels, what are the risks in the immedeate term and long term ? what are the risks of staying with high cholesterol levels ?. I am asking this as I did the tests more out of casual interest, there doesnt seems to be any visible symptoms immedeately .
doctor
Answered by Dr. Madhuri Patil (14 minutes later)
XXXXXXX

The high cholesterol even in thousands will not make you feel symptomatic. But it starts laying layers inside our blood vessels making them stiff and narrowing their lumens. In turn, following acute stress or physical exercise which you are not accustomed to, the arteries will not be able to supply required amount of blood to the heart and that is how people get angina (heart pain) or directly heart attack.
That is the risk of having high cholesterol.
The short term risk is nothing but the long term risk is heart disease, stroke, blocking of arteries supplying your legs and sometimes gall stones and liver disease happen out of high choelsterol.
When you say your father got heart disease at his age of 65 +, do you know when did he start having the problem of blood vessels supplying the heart? It starts as early as 20 years prior to the actual event. These days a lots of studies are coming up showing the origin of heart disease, paralysis etc during childhood or young adulthood itself and this is true when you have it in your family.
So in short, please take care of these risk factors.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
default
Follow up: Dr. Madhuri Patil (10 hours later)
HI Dr XXXXXXX

thank you very much for the informative answers.

given that the cholesterol has gone a little down over the last couple of months and the current levels, would you recommend to follow just the lifestyle changes , or is there a need of medication or anything else ?

Thanks,

XXXXXXX
doctor
Answered by Dr. Madhuri Patil (40 minutes later)
Try lifestyle measures for next three months. Check the Lipid profile after that. And as I have mentioned, if LDL levels would still be beyond 130 and triglycerides would be more than 200 then you will need medications.
Please change the lifestyle step by step and figure out yourself practical ways to be consistent with the changes for long run. Eventhough some times you happen to go off the track due to some functions, family responsibilities, travel etc, come back quickly to the healthy patterns to avoid acute surges in cholesterol levels.
I hope this helps. Let me know the lipid levels done 3 months following proper lifestyle changes. All the best.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
Answered by
Dr.
Dr. Madhuri Patil

Diabetologist

Practicing since :1999

Answered : 362 Questions

premium_optimized

The User accepted the expert's answer

Share on

Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties

159 Doctors Online

By proceeding, I accept the Terms and Conditions

HCM Blog Instant Access to Doctors
HCM Blog Questions Answered
HCM Blog Satisfaction
Blood Test Done. What Are The Findings And Precaution To Be Taken?

Hi XXXXXXX
Thank you for the query.
I just wanted to know if you are a known case of diabetes or this test is done as a routine? Are you overweight? Do you have family history of diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease?
Do you smoke? Do you drink alcohol? If yes, is it in excess?
The fasting sugar is perfectly fine. But the cholesterol is not slightly but well out of the range and high.
Please make sure you take care of your diet and do regular physical exercise. Repeat the cholesterol profile (total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, Triglycerides) after 3 months. If there is fall in values then you can continue with lifestyle measures like diet and exercise only. But if no much difference is seen and if you have other risk factors of heart disease like known case of diabetes, high BP, family history and smoking etc then you will need to start medications for the cholesterol right away.
In your diet, please stop high fat items like fried snacks, heavy gravies, vegetables and dals cooked in excess oils, red meat, egg yellow, milk cream, ghee, butter, sweets and bakery items.
Reduce all types of sweets for the high triglycerides. Do not consume fruit juices. Eating fresh fruits is advised. Eat lots of salads made out of fresh vegetables. Eat whole grain chapati, rice, cereals. Do not use items made of Maida and white rice as they also tend to increase triglycerides. Alcohol has to be reduced to once a week rountinely. Smoking has to be stopped if any and if necessary take professional help for that.
Walk everyday for 40 to 45 minutes. The days you cannot exercise, jog inside the house for 25 to 30 minutes. You must sweat and have doubled heart rate by any exercise you do. This will burn calories and in turn distribute the cholesterol in good directions reducing your cardiovascular risks.
I hope you got to know about what precautions to be taken. Take care.