What Does This Blood Report Indicate?

Posted on Tue, 12 Jul 2016

Question: I just received a blood panel and i am concerned and confused by my cholesterol levels.

My overall Cholesterol was 204 which is high
My LDL the bad guy was 106 which is high
BUT my HDL the good one was also very high at 92
My Triglycerides was 30 which is low.

Because my good HDL was so high, i'm very confused if I need to be worried. Please advise.. (also this was after fasting).

I am 39 years old. 5'4" and weigh 114 lbs. Try to work out 3 times a week. genreally eat very healthy. But there is a history of CAD in my family.

Answered by Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
no worries...

Detailed Answer:
Hello,

the cholesterol levels are considered to be high or low according to the patient's history. For example a patient with diabetes or coronary heart disease (or generally a patient with high cardiovascular risk) will have to achieve lower targets for LDL. Since you haven't mentioned any medical history which raises your cardiovascular risk, I supposed you don't have any...

So in your case your cholesterol is great! The high HDL is protective. The higher the better regarding HDL levels. Your age, sex and healthy lifestyle are also positive factors. Your CAD history depends... If you have a first degree relative that had a heart attack before 55 (man) or 65 (woman) then it's a negative factor. If the CAD history is your only negative factor then your cholesterol cannot be considered high (and require treatment) unless signs of atherosclerosis become evident. Physical examination may reveal such signs...

I hope it helps!
Kind Regards!

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis (43 minutes later)

Nether of the two family members who had CAD had a heart attack before the ages you listed. My grandmother was in her 80s and my father is 72 and just had bypass surgery but hadn't had a heart attack.

The only medical history I have is Hashimotos thyroiditis.

Does that change anything? Or am I still good to go?

Answered by Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis (8 hours later)

Brief Answer:
that's great!

Detailed Answer:
Sorry for the delayed answer...

You're just fine. Having a heart attack after the ages I've mentioned is not considered a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. You shouldn't worry about your cholesterol at this point.

Kind Regards!

Note: For more detailed guidance, please consult an Internal Medicine Specialist, with your latest reports. Click here..

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar