I took my annual physical exam on 7/31/09. My previous one was on 8/14/08. They did pretty much the same stuff. Physical Exam, Spirometry Test (for Lung Capacity), EKG Test (for electrical activity of heart), Blood Test, Urine Test.

I got the results for my physical exam yesterday:

Weight: 98 lbs (previously 102.4 lbs)
Blood Pressure: 90/60, 102/53 [previously 110/70 mmHg] (Normal less than 120 systolic / 80 diastolic)
Cholesterol: 62/77 [previously 65/78] (Ideal is >40 good cholesterol / <130 bad cholesterol)
Triglycerides: 53 [previously 41] (Ideal is <150)

I don’t know why but I get excited to get these results, like getting a report card.

I have two blood pressure results because I got it taken twice on the same day, about two hours apart. I was surprised at how it changed. The latter one isn’t as accurate though.

Some fluctuation in blood pressure is completely normal. Changes of 25 to 30% during the day are not abnormal — they reflect the fact the body is a dynamic, changeable organism. Many normal things can have large effects on blood pressure. Walking 20 feet can raise systolic blood pressure by 10 to 15 points. Your stress level, how tight your shoelaces are, what you had for breakfast, and how well you slept last night can all change your blood pressure, too.

- http://highbloodpressure.about.com/od/quickfacts/f/pressure-swings.htm

I’m glad my bad cholesterol went down a bit but what does it mean when my good cholesterol goes down too? Is that a bad thing?

Cholesterol is a fat-like substance in the blood which, if elevated has been associated with heart disease.

Total Cholesterol: A high cholesterol in the blood is a major risk factor for heart and blood vessel disease. Cholesterol in itself is not all bad, in fact, our bodies need a certain amount of this substance to function properly. However, when the level gets too high, vascular disease can result. A total cholesterol of less than 200, and an LDL Cholesterol of 100 or less is considered optimal by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. The levels that your doctor will recommend depend upon whether you are at high risk for cardiovascular disease.

As the level of blood cholesterol increases, so does the possibility of plugging the arteries due to cholesterol plaque build-up. Such a disease process is called “hardening of the arteries” or atherosclerosis. When the arteries feeding the heart become plugged, a heart attack may occur. If the arteries that go to the brain are affected, then the result is a stroke.

There are three major kinds of cholesterol, High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) , Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL), and Very Low Density Lipoprotein (VLDL).

LDL Cholesterol is considered “bad cholesterol” because cholesterol deposits form in the arteries when LDL levels are high. An LDL level of less than 130 is recommended, 100 is optimal, values greater than 160 are considered high risk and should be followed up by your physician. Those persons who have established coronary or vascular disease may be instructed by their doctor to get their LDL Cholesterol well below 100. You should ask your doctor which LDL target he or she wants for you. There are two ways to report LDL. The most common is simply an estimate calculated from the Total Cholesterol, HDL, and triglycerides results. This may say “LDL Calc” . A directly measured LDL Cholesterol is usually more accurate, but more expensive and may require that your doctor specify the direct LDL.

HDL cholesterol is a ‘good cholesterol’ as it protects against heart disease by helping remove excess cholesterol deposited in the arteries. High levels seem to be associated with low incidence of coronary heart disease.

- http://www.amarillomed.com/howto.htm

I wasn’t happy about the higher triglycerides value but I blame that on the fact that last year, I was pretty good about not eating for more than 12 hours before my physical but this year, I slipped and I ate ice cream 11 hours before my physical, right before going to sleep =[. Having read up on this though, not fasting seems to only affect Glucose, not Triglycerides…

Glucose: This is a measure of the sugar level in your blood. High values are associated with eating before the test, and diabetes.

The normal range for a fasting glucose is 60 -99 mg/dl. According the the 2003 ADA criteria, diabetes is diagnosed with a *fasting* plasma glucose of 126 or more. A precursor, Impaired Fasting Glucose (IFG) is defined as reading of fasting glucose levels of 100 – 125. Sometimes a glucose tolerance test, which involves giving you a sugary drink followed by several blood glucose tests, is necessary to properly sort out normal from IFG from diabetes.

Be aware that variations in lab normals exist. Also, Europeans tend to use a 2 hour after eating definition of diabetes rather than a fasting glucose. Using the European standards tends to increase the number of people who are classified as having diabetes.

Triglyceride is fat in the blood which, if elevated, has been associated with heart disease, especially if over 500 mg. High triglycerides are also associated with pancreatitis. Triglyceride levels over 150 mg/dl may be associated with problems other than heart disease. Ways to lower triglycerides: 1) weight reduction, if overweight; 2) reduce animal fats in the diet: eat more fish; 3) take certain medications your physician can prescribe; 4) get regular aerobic exercise; 5) decrease alcohol and sugar consumption—alcohol and sugar are not fats, but the body can convert them into fats then dump those fats into your blood stream 6) restrict calories – carbohydrates are converted to triglycerides when eaten to excess.

- http://www.amarillomed.com/howto.htm

I asked again about getting a blood test to determine my blood type. Apparantly years ago, they stopped testing for this since they found it to be an unnecessary cost. The suggested way of finding out is by donating blood. Unfortunately, I am below the limit. You need to be at least 110 lbs to donate blood! I don’t think I will gain 10 lbs anytime soon. I asked how much it was and Dr. Lyon said it was around $100. I was shocked at the price. How can something that used to be free so expensive now?