Know your lipid profile

When you visit doctors normally they write few tests on the prescription. And, when you have the report it looks and sounds Greek to you. Hence, to make life easier for our readers we have begun a series called ‘Know your report’ where we will demystify the numbers of your health scorecard.

Solving the lipid puzzle

Going for a lipid profile befuddles you. This blood work often intrigues you and figures rarely speak to you when you see your report. Putting it simply a lipid profile helps determine your risk factor for heart disease.

Lipid profile includes

• Total Cholesterol
• HDL the good cholesterol
• LDL the bad cholesterol
• Triglycerides

Sometimes the report may include additional tests, depending on your doctor’s decision and your risk factors.

Cholesterol facts

• Cholesterol is a wax-like substance manufactured in our liver.
• Cholesterol comes from food.
• Cholesterol forms complexes with proteins in the blood to produce lipoproteins that let it dissolve in blood and travel through the body.
• Cholesterol is crucial in the formation of cell membranes, some hormones and vitamin D.
• Total Cholesterol is a sum of HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and 20% of the triglyceride value. Total cholesterol level speaks about heart health of the people.

HDL (High Density Lipoproteins)—the proverbial good cholesterol has more protein and less fat and is protective to the heart and brain and removes excess of cholesterol from the plaque and slows their growth. It lowers the risk of heart attack and brain attack.

LDL (Low density lipoproteins)—the bad cholesterol has more fat than protein and deposit itself on artery walls, thereby making you vulnerable to heart attack, brain attack (paralysis) and leg attack (peripheral vascular disease)

Triglycerides (TGs) The source of triglycerides is diet. If high, it may be an independent risk factor for heart attack and brain attack. Individuals with high levels of triglycerides of >200 mg/dl are two times more vulnerable to suffer from atherosclerosis than those with lower levels. Diabetics and alcoholics often have raised TG levels.
To lower cholesterol have GNC Cholesterol Formula

Lipid Profile Figures

• Cholesterol/ HDL ratio should be <4 and LDL/HDL ration should be < 3
• The bottom line of a lipid profile is that you should have less of LDL and more of HDL for a healthy heart.

In general, reducing the total levels of cholesterol by 1% will reduce the risk of heart attack by 2%. For example, lowering blood cholesterol from 250 to 200 mg/dl reduces the risk of heart attack by 40%.

Remember

• Fast for at least 12 hours before undergoing blood test, with only water in between.
• You will have raised triglycerides if you skip fating.
• It has been shown that cholesterol values may be high if high intake of saturated fats or cholesterol-laden food or excess of alcohol is consumed 24 to 48 hours prior to the test.

Dr. H K Chopra, Senior Cardiologist, Moolchand Heart and Vascular Hospital

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