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Medical Mailbox
Blood Tests 101
Dear Dr. SerVaas,
I get so confused looking at my blood test results. In particular, could you please help me understand what a "risk" test is?
Elizabeth Morrison
Cincinnati, Ohio
It's a good idea to request a copy of your lab reports, Comparing results over time helps you and your physician identify trends and be proactive in addressing potential health concerns.
The "risk" or "cardiac risk" test helps predict your chances of having a heart attack. It is based on your total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, and triglyceride levels.
If any or all of the cholesterol or triglyceride tests are outside normal ranges, your risk may be reported as "slight," "moderate," or "high." Other labs use numerical values, with readings between 1.0 and 4.0 considered normal.
The cardiac risk test is only one blood test to measure heart health. Your ratio of total cholesterol to HDL (good cholesterol) is another key factor. Because a high HDL is heart-protective, an elevated total cholesterol reading may not be worrisome if your ratio is good.
A normal ratio is less than 5 to 1: the optimum ratio is 3.5 to 1. Plain niacin raises HDL and lowers LDL (bad cholesterol). It is said that enteric-coated niacin is not quite as effective.
I get so confused looking at my blood test results. In particular, could you please help me understand what a "risk" test is?
Elizabeth Morrison
Cincinnati, Ohio
It's a good idea to request a copy of your lab reports, Comparing results over time helps you and your physician identify trends and be proactive in addressing potential health concerns.
The "risk" or "cardiac risk" test helps predict your chances of having a heart attack. It is based on your total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, and triglyceride levels.
If any or all of the cholesterol or triglyceride tests are outside normal ranges, your risk may be reported as "slight," "moderate," or "high." Other labs use numerical values, with readings between 1.0 and 4.0 considered normal.
The cardiac risk test is only one blood test to measure heart health. Your ratio of total cholesterol to HDL (good cholesterol) is another key factor. Because a high HDL is heart-protective, an elevated total cholesterol reading may not be worrisome if your ratio is good.
A normal ratio is less than 5 to 1: the optimum ratio is 3.5 to 1. Plain niacin raises HDL and lowers LDL (bad cholesterol). It is said that enteric-coated niacin is not quite as effective.
Article reprinted from the January/February 2007 issue of The Saturday Evening Post magazine. Read more at www.saturdayeveningpost.com, © Copyright 2007 Benjamin Franklin Literary & Medical Society, All rights reserved