Participants in Healing Heart support groups are requested to have some laboratory tests done as
they begin the program and then repeat these tests at the end of the ten week program. They can
decide on the basis of changes in test results and the way they feel whether the lifestyle changes
were worth the effort. Almost all have chosen to keep the changes, rather than return to their
former lifestyle and problems. You are encouraged to do the same, getting your lipids, blood
pressure, weight and body fat measured at the start and again at the end of ten weeks. Seeing
the numbers change for the better is proof that the program is working for you. But what do
those numbers mean? The following is a limited, brief explanation to help give you basic
understanding of the the meaning and normal values of these tests. For more information, ask
your physician for an interpretation of your test results.
The cholesterol level in your blood is a highly useful indicator in your health profile. It is
measured in the U.S. in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl) (see box below). The typical level of total serum
cholesterol (the amount most commonly found in Americans) is somewhere between 130 and 350
mg/dl., with the average around 215. To reduce plaque and heart attack risk, you should keep
your cholesterol under 150. Cholesterol levels provide information about many risks. If your
cholesterol level is near the 215 average mark, your lifetime risk of heart disease and stroke is
greater than 50%, of gallbladder disease 40% (90% of gallstones are made out of cholesterol),
of breast cancer in women 10% and of colon cancer 5%. Even small changes can have huge
effects. Lowering the cholesterol level from 260 to 200 decreases the risk of dying from heart
disease by 500%.
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If your numbers are much different - somewhere between one and ten...it means that your lipids are measured in millimoles per liter (mm/l) as it is in most places outside of the US. You can multiply mm/l by 38.61 to get the equivalent in mg/dl (or multiply mg/dl by 0.0259 to get mm/l), or click here for cholesterol conversion. |
In addition to total serum (blood) cholesterol, there are three lipoproteins which also give useful
information. HDL (High Density Lipoprotein) is often called good cholesterol. The typical
range in Americans is between 29 and 77. Any measure above 55 mg/dl is considered acceptable,
but levels closer to 100 are related to a lower chance of coronary artery disease. In the process
of lowering total cholesterol, HDL may also come down for a while. A Heart Risk Ratio is
calculated by dividing total cholesterol by HDL. As total cholesterol is lowered, HDL will also
often decline, sometimes causing the ratio to rise. This is not always a cause for serious concern,
as the ratio has less significance as the total cholesterol level gets closer to 150. See the section
on Risk Factors for an interpretation of the ratio.
LDL cholesterol, which is often called bad cholesterol, is useful in assessing heart disease risk,
but many physicians feel it is not nearly as important as the total cholesterol and HDL counts.
The typical level in the U.S. is between 75 and 185. It is considered beneficial to keep LDL
levels under 130, as higher levels are associated with greater risk.
Some labs also calculate VLDL, very low density lipoproteins. The typical range is from zero to 40 mg/dl. The link between VLDL and heart disease risk is less well established.
There is some controversy about tests to detect the level of C-reactive protein (CRT) and its value in predicting heart disease. On November 14, 2002, 2001 the New England Journal of Medicine published the results of one of the most definitive studies on this subject. To read a summary of that study, posted on the Healing Heart Discussion Group, click here.
Body Fat Percent is a way to determine the proportion of fat to other tissue. When fats are
reduced and exercise increased, sometimes weight doesn't drop as expected. The fatty tissue may
be replaced with newly formed muscle cells, which weigh more than fat. It is helpful to know
the percent of fat in the body is being reduced, even if weight sometimes doesn't change as much
as expected. To see general guide to body fat percentage, click here.
Triglycerides are the amounts of fats in your bloodstream. Since triglycerides usually go up after
eating, a test for triglycerides should be taken only following 14 hours of fasting, eating no foods
and drinking nothing but water. The typical triglyceride level is between 35 and 219 mg/dl, and
levels below 100 are considered helpful in reducing heart disease risks. Triglyceride levels are
somewhat different for men and women, and also change with age, rising to nearly double the
value of age 6 by age 60, and then they slowly decline. Triglyceride levels commonly go up for
three to six months when on a low fat, vegetarian diet. They usually go below the starting level
for much improvement after that. Fats in the blood rise to the top like the fats in soups or gravies
do after they cool. If people who eat the typcially high fat standard American diet could see their
blood sample after 8 hours, with its layer of yellow-white fat floating above the red and sticking
to the sides of the glass tube, it would be easier to motivate them to eat more sensibly.
Triglycerides, like cholesterol, is measured in mg/dl in the USA and in mm/l in most of the rest of the world, but the conversion factor for triglycerides is different from the one for cholesterol. For a triglycerides conversion chart, click here.
Blood Pressure is measured in two numbers. The higher number, called systolic, shows the
highest amount of pressure on the walls of blood vessels during each beat of the heart. The lower
number, diastolic, shows the amount of pressure on the arteries when the heart is resting between
beats.
Various things can temporarily affect blood pressure, so it is usually best to take an average of
many measurements rather than use only one. When some people go to a clinic their anxiety can
cause blood pressure to be much higher than normal, a condition called white-coat
hypertension . Recent use of coffee or tobacco can raise blood pressure. Many medications can
raise or lower blood pressure.
Age, health problems and physical fitness are considerations in deciding if a person's blood
pressure is normal. A general guide is given here, but you should check with your physician to
decide if yours is safe or requires attention.
The following two tables show what is generally considered normal and high levels of blood
pressure. Many different health conditions and medications may affect what is normal for each
person.
| Level Hg/mm |
Signifigance |
Usual Recommendation |
| 85 & below |
normal |
check @ 2 years |
| 85 - 89 |
high-normal |
check annually |
| 90 - 104 |
mild hypertension |
check 2 months later |
| 105 - 114 |
moderate hypertension |
medical intervention |
| 115 & above |
severe hypertension |
therapy may be advised |
When diastolic pressure is normal, a condition called isolated systolic hypertension may occur
if systolic measures are abnormally high. This is more common in older persons.
| Systolic: |
| Isolated Systolic Hypertension (when diastolic is under 90) |
| Level Hg/mm |
Signifigance |
Usual Recommendation |
| 140 & below |
normal |
check @ 2 years |
| 140 - 159 |
borderline |
check 2 months later |
| 160 - 199 |
hypertension |
consult your physician |
| 200 & above |
acute hypertension |
therapy may be advised |
New research indicates that the top number in a blood pressure reading is more useful than the bottom number in determining heart disease risk. Doctors have typically looked at diastolic pressure (the bottom number) to assess whether people are at risk for heart disease, but a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in early 2002 adds to growing evidence that it's systolic blood pressure (the top number) that matters most.
In the study, researchers looked at 4,714 French men, whose average age was 52, for a period of 14 years. They found that during that period,
men with systolic blood pressure of 160 or higher had more than twice the risk of death from heart disease compared to men with systolic blood pressure of less than 140. Systolic pressures between 140 and 160 were associated with a slightly increased risk. The diastolic pressure reading did not appear to have anyeffect on heart disease risk. Although earlier studies suggested that high systolic blood pressure was an important risk factor for elderly people, the new study shows that it is also important in middle-aged people. The researchers concluded that the optimal blood pressure reading is 120 over 80 or lower.
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