HEALTH TALK EDITION Summer 2012 doctor will likely test your blood for cholesterol as part of the standard tests. This is one of many good reasons to go for a checkup. But, if you want to check your cholesterol for yourself, without visiting a doctor’s office, you can visit one of two LabCare locations in Danville (201 South Main St or 159 Executive Dr, Suite K) and have a lipid profile completed for only $23 which includes testing for triglycerides. Make sure you don’t eat after 12AM the previous night before having your test done. If you are a do-it-yourselfer, kits are also available online, in drug stores, and at large retail stores for around $30. (online search phrase – “cholesterol test kit”). One of the benefits of doing it at LabCare is that a professional will handle the test for you, you’ll get results the same day (if you go in before 10AM), and if there are any issues, you have a local person to help you.
KNOW YOUR NUMBERS • Total cholesterol of 200 mg/dl or lower • HDL (Good – H for “Healthy”) for 40 mg/dl or higher (50 mg/dl or higher for women) • LDL (Bad – L for “Lousy”) of 130 mg/dl or lower (the target for some one with diabetes is 100 and depending on your risk factors, your doctor may set a different target) • Triglycerides of less than 150 mg/dl The numbers can change based on the state of health of the individual. According to Dr. Jaswani, “The more risk factors you have, the stricter the target becomes. So if you have high blood pressure or you smoke, then your target LDL becomes stricter. It’s important to set realistic targets so that you don’t get impatient with your progress.”
3. Waist Size “The One Number You Think You Already Know”
Forty is an interesting number. It is the number of home runs an all-star baseball player hits. The age when life gets complicated. The number of yards in a dash. There are a lot of things that the number 40 represents. But the most important thing this number represents for a man is his waist size. If your waist is 40 inches
or larger, it increases your risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Don’t think you’re getting off easy by saying you wear size 34 pants.You must measure around your belly button and in most men, there is a big difference between the size of your waistband and the size of your waist around your belly button. If it’s greater than 40 inches, then you need to realize that this is a major warning sign. For women, the magic number is 35. In people of Asian descent, the number is 36 for men and 32 for women.
4. Body Mass Index (BMI) Body Mass Index (BMI) is a number that is designed to represent your overall weight in relation to your height. It’s time for algebra class.
5. Blood Sugar and Hemoglobin A1c For those with Type 2 Diabetes or who are at high risk of Diabetes For people with type 2 diabetes, these are two additional numbers to which you should pay special attention.
KNOW YOUR NUMBERS • Normal - fasting blood sugar level is less than 100mg/dL or an A1c of less than 5.7% • Prediabetes – fasting blood sugar level of 100 to 125 mg/dL or an A1c of 5.7% to 6.4% • Probable Diabetes – fasting blood sugar level of 126 mg/dL or more or an A1c of 6.5% or higher and you’ve gotten these results two or more times.
BMI = ( Weight in Pounds / (Height in inches x Height in inches) ) x 703 That’s the formula. For example (175/(68x68))x703 = 26.6. Math hint: multiply your height in inches times itself first. (68x68=4624 in this example).Then divide your weight by the number you just got. (175/4624=.0378 in this example).Then multiply that number times 703. (.0378x703=26.6 in this example)
KNOW YOUR NUMBERS For adults 20 years and older: • 18.5 is considered underweight. • 18.5 to 24.9 is considered a normal weight. • 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight. • 30 or higher is considered obese. If you have a large change in BMI, regardless of where it falls on the chart, it should be evaluated. People of Asian descent may be at risk with a lower BMI. A clinical diagnosis for obesity includes waist size and risk factors.
Treating diabetes is about treating to targets based on an individual assessment. These numbers can fluctuate depending on the individual, and it’s important to work with a doctor who looks at the big picture. In patients with diabetes, doctors tend to be more aggressive on the rest of the important numbers (blood pressure, cholesterol, waist size, and BMI). “Most men don’t realize that they need to be screened for these factors before they experience any symptoms at all. Men can avoid most large problems by being screened for these cardiovascular risk factors,” Dr. Jaswani says. “Men don’t like to go to the doctor unless there is a symptom that is really bothersome to them. But it’s important to get these yearly checkups and to be screened for these silent risk factors before it’s too late.” KNOW YOUR NUMBERS! To stay informed about breaking news in health care, register for Danville Regional Medical Center’s eNewsletter by going to danville.privatehealthnews.com.
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| JUNE 2012 | Showcase Magazine 27