Few important preventive health parameters

Here's is everything you need to know about the few important preventive health parameters and what its results mean. Lipid Profile To help determine risk of heart disease and to help make decisions about what treatment may be best if there is borderline or high risk. What is cholesterol? Just like there is fat in your body, cholesterol is also a type of fat or lipid that is produced in the liver and is necessary for the proper functioning of the body. If our body produces it, why is cholesterol harmful? When cholesterol levels are in the normal range, in a healthy body, the blood flows freely through the veins and arteries. When the cholesterol levels are high, it starts forming clots (plaques) in the blood vessels causing hypertension (high BP), angina (chest pain), heart attacks, strokes and peripheral vascular diseases. Types of Cholesterol: Total cholesterol All of the cholesterol in all the lipoprotein particles. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) Good cholesterol: It removes excess cholesterol and carries it to the liver for removal. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) Bad cholesterol: It deposits excess cholesterol in walls of blood vessels, which can contribute to atherosclerosis. Triglycerides Measures all the triglycerides in all the lipoprotein particles; most is in the very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL). Some other information may be reported as part of the lipid profile. These parameters are calculated from the results of the tests identified above. Very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C) - calculated from triglycerides/5. Non-HDL-C - calculated from total cholesterol minus HDL-C. Cholesterol/HDL ratio - calculated ratio of total cholesterol to HDL-C. If your values are slightly above or 'borderline', you need to be careful but there's no cause for alarm. A slightly elevated cholesterol level can sometimes be due to genetic predisposition and while you can't do much about your genes, you can modify our lifestyle to help lower your cholesterol levels. A good way to do that is to alter your diet, exercise regularly and keep you weight in check. Unhealthy lipid levels and/or the presence of other risk factors such as age, family history, cigarette smoking, diabetes and high blood pressure, may mean that the person tested requires treatment. Monitoring and maintaining healthy levels of these lipids is important in staying healthy. What foods can help me control my cholesterol levels and maintain heart health? Just a few simple tweaks to your daily diet can help you get your cholesterol levels under control: 1. Olive oil: Switch to olive oil for cooking. Olive oil contains a mix of various anti-oxidants which lower your bad cholesterol (LDL). Use it for your tadka or add it as a dressing to salads. Extra virgin olive oils are even more beneficial as they are less-processed and retain more anti-oxidants than the other varieties. 2. Nuts: Walnuts and almonds are rich in omega three fatty acids and PUFA (poly unsaturated fatty acids) which help reduce LDL cholesterol and keep the blood vessels healthy. A handful of these nuts (unsalted, unfried) should help. 3. Oats: Being high in soluble fibre, oats reduce the absorption of cholesterol (Total & LDL) in your blood. Eating 1 ½ cups of cooked oats with milk and bananas or apples gives you your daily requirement of soluble fibre. 4. Fish: High in omega 3 fatty acids, it helps increase the levels of the good (or HDL) cholesterol. If you do not eat fish or do not have access to good fish, add ground flax seeds (alsi), pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds (til), soyabean oil, canola oil to your diet. Omega 3 fatty acid supplements are also available. 5. Garlic: Though the cholesterol lowering effects of garlic has been debated in recent times, it has been shown that allicin in the garlic does help.  Read more What foods should you avoid? The best way to keep your cholesterol levels down is to avoid processed foods like biscuits, cookies, cakes and fried foods. Apart from that, red meat and egg yolk can also make matters worse, so giving them a miss will definitely help control your bad cholesterol levels. How much exercise should I do in order to keep my cholesterol levels in check? Most people will tell you that simply walking everyday will help regularize your cholesterol levels, but there can be nothing farther from the truth. The intensity and the amount of time spent exercising is very important to have significant beneficial effects. If you have been a sedentary person all your life, you can start with a 45 minute walk but should soon increase the intensity by adding jogging and other forms of cardio exercises to your routine. If exercising regularly is not something you can do try to make changes in your everyday routine to incorporate exercise. Small changes like walking down the road as you shop instead of taking your car, a taxi or auto, climbing stairs instead of taking the elevator, playing some sport or even doing your household cleaning yourself can help. Diabetic profile: The goals of diabetes testing are to screen for high blood glucose levels (hyperglycemia), to detect and diagnose diabetes and Prediabetes, to monitor and control glucose levels over time, and to detect and monitor complications. A fasting plasma glucose test is simply a blood glucose test that is conducted when the person has not had any caloric intake for at least eight hours.  Read more Fasting Glucose Level ( after an 8-12 hour fast) Indication From 70 to 99 mg/dL Normal fasting glucose From 100 to 125 mg/dL Prediabetes (impaired fasting glucose) 126 mg/dL and above on more than one testing occasion Diabetes Since conditions other than diabetes (including stress) may elevate blood glucose levels temporarily, a doctor may order a repeat test or a different type of test if the results of a person's fasting plasma glucose test are borderline or are high in the absence of diabetes symptoms. Sometimes urine samples are tested for glucose, protein, and ketones, often as part of a urinalysis, during a routine physical examination. If glucose and/or protein or ketones are present in the urine sample, the person has a problem that needs to be addressed. Complete Blood Count (CBC) The complete blood count (CBC) is often used as a broad screening test to determine an individual's general health status. Test Parameter Low High RBC Red Blood Cell Count: transport oxygen throughout the body. Known as anemia. Due to acute or chronic bleeding, RBC destruction, Nutritional deficiency (e.g., iron deficiency, vitamin B12 or folate deficiency), Bone marrow disorders or damage, Chronic inflammatory disease, Chronic kidney disease. Known as polycythemia Due to Dehydration Lung disease , Kidney or other tumor  that produces excess erythropoietin, Smoking Hb Hemoglobin: the total amount of the oxygen-carrying protein in the blood Usually mirrors RBC results, provides added information Usually mirrors RBC results WBC White Blood Cell Count: part of the body's defense system against infections and cancer and also play a role in allergies and inflammation. Known as leukopenia Due to bone marrow disorders or damage, Autoimmune conditions Severe infections, Lymphoma or other cancer that spread to the bone marrow, Dietary deficiencies Diseases of immune system (e.g., HIV/AIDS) Known as leukocytosis Due to Infection, most commonlybacterial or viral Inflammation Leukemia , myeloproliferative disorders,Allergies,asthma, Tissue death (trauma, burns, heart attack), Intense exercise or severe stress Plt Platelet Count: cell fragments that are vital for normal blood clotting. Known as thrombocytopenia: Due to Viral infection (measles, hepatitis), Rocky mountain spotted fever, Platelet autoantibody, Drugs (acetaminophen, quinidine, sulfa drugs), Cirrhosis, Autoimmune disorders, Sepsis, Leukemia, lymphoma, Chemo or radiation therapy Know as thrombocytosis: Due to Cancer (lung, gastrointestinal, breast, ovarian, lymphoma) Rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, lupus, Iron deficiency anemia Hemolytic anemia Blood Chemistry: 1. SGPT: To screen for liver damage and/or to help diagnose liver disease. Very high levels of SGPT (more than 10 times normal) are usually due to acute hepatitis, sometimes due to a viral infection. Levels of SGPT may also be markedly elevated (sometimes over 100 times normal) as a result of exposure to drugs or other substances that are toxic to the liver as well as in conditions that cause decreased blood flow to the liver. Other causes of moderate increases in SGPT include obstruction of bile ducts, cirrhosis (usually the result of chronic hepatitis or bile duct obstruction), heart damage, alcohol abuse, and with tumors in the liver. 2. Creatinine: Creatinine is a waste product produced by muscles from the breakdown of a compound called creatine. Almost all creatinine is filtered from the blood by the kidneys and released into the urine, so blood levels are usually a good indicator of how well the kidneys are working. Increased creatinine levels in the blood suggest kidney disease or other conditions that affect kidney function. These can include: Damage to or swelling of blood vessels in the kidneys (glomerulonephritis) caused by, for example, infection or autoimmune diseases Bacterial infection of the kidneys (pyelonephritis) Death of cells in the kidneys' small tubes (acute tubular necrosis) caused by, for example, drugs or toxins Prostate disease, kidney stone, or other causes of urinary tract obstruction Reduced blood flow to the kidney due to shock, dehydration, congestive heart failure, atherosclerosis, or complications of diabetes 3. Uric acid: The uric acid blood test is used to detect high levels of this compound in the blood in order to help diagnose gout. The test is also used to monitor uric acid levels in people undergoing chemotherapy or radiation treatment for cancer. Rapid cell turnover from such treatment can result in an increased uric acid level. High : hyperuricemia Low Over-production of uric acid in the body or the inability of the kidneys to adequately remove enough uric acid from the body Low levels of uric acid in the blood are seen much less commonly than high levels and are seldom considered cause for concern. Although low values can be associated with some kinds of liver or kidney diseases Many drugs can increase or decrease the level of uric acid. In particular, diuretic drugs like thiazide drugs can cause uric acid levels to go up. Routine Urine analysis: The urinalysis is used as a screening and/or diagnostic tool because it can help detect substances or cellular material in the urine associated with different metabolic and kidney disorders. Read more Parameter Importance Color The depth of urine color is also a crude indicator of urine concentration: Pale yellow or colorless urine indicates a dilute urine where lots of water is being excreted. Dark yellow urine indicates concentrated urine and the excretion of waste products in a smaller quantity of water, such as is seen with the first morning urine, with dehydration, and during a fever. Transparency "Normal" urine can be clear or cloudy. Substances that cause cloudiness but that are not considered unhealthy include mucus, sperm and prostatic fluid, cells from the skin, normal urine crystals, and contaminants such as body lotions and powders. Sp. Gravity There are no "abnormal" specific gravity values. This test simply indicates how concentrated the urine is. Reaction The kidneys play an important role in maintaining the acid-base balance of the body. Therefore, any condition that produces acids or bases in the body such as acidosis or alkalosis, or the ingestion of acidic or basic foods, can directly affect urine pH. Diet can be used to modify urine pH. A high-protein diet or consuming cranberries will make the urine more acidic. A vegetarian diet, a low-carbohydrate diet, or the ingestion of citrus fruits will tend to make the urine more alkaline. Albumin When urine protein is elevated, a person has a condition called proteinuria; this can be an early sign of kidney disease. Sugar When glucose is present, the condition is called glucosuria. It results from either: 1. An excessively high glucose concentration in the blood, such as may be seen with people who have uncontrolled diabetes mellitus 2. A reduction in the "renal threshold." When blood glucose levels reach a certain concentration, the kidneys begin to excrete glucose into the urine to decrease blood concentrations. Sometimes the threshold concentration is reduced and glucose enters the urine sooner, at a lower blood glucose concentration. Bile Salts In certain liver diseases, such as biliary obstruction or hepatitis, bilirubin leaks back into the blood stream and is excreted in urine. The presence of bilirubin in urine is an early indicator of liver disease and can occur before clinical symptoms such as jaundice develop. Bile Pigments Positive test results help detect liver diseases such as hepatitis and cirrhosis and conditions associated with increased RBC destruction (hemolytic anemia). Red blood Cells Inflammation, injury, or disease in the kidneys or elsewhere in the urinary tract, for example, in the bladder or urethra, can cause RBCs to leak out of the blood vessels into the urine. Epithelial Cells In urinary tract conditions such as infections, inflammation, and malignancies, more epithelial cells are present. Casts Normally, healthy people may have a few (0-5) hyaline casts per low power field (LPF). After strenuous exercise, more hyaline casts may be detected. Cellular casts, such as RBC and WBC casts, indicate a kidney disorder.

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