My Lab Results

Well, I just got back my test results that I have been waiting for. They were:

• Total cholesterol: 239--->should be less than 200. Was 254 on 7/2/08. At first glance it looks great that these numbers went down, but keep reading. The decrease is actually due to a decrease in my good cholesterol, which is NOT a good thing.
  
• HDL ("good cholesterol"): 46--->should be higher than 40. I've heard optimal is 60. In 2008, my HDL was 60, so it has apparently gone down-not a good thing. Now I've got to work my butt off to get the numbers back up to 60 or more.
  
• LDL ("bad cholesterol"): 161--->should be less than 100. It was 158 in 2008, so the bad cholesterol is pretty much the same.
• Triglycerides: 160--->should be less than 150. Was 182 on 7/2/2008. I supposed that I should pat myself on the back that I have improved in this area.
  
• Glucose fasting: 105--->normal levels are 70-99. Was 107 in 2008. The doctor mentioned that the glucose levels have been slightly elevated for the past couple of years, and this makes me "pre-diabetic".
• Kidney and liver function: normal
• Thyroid function: normal

In one of my past posts I mentioned that I wanted to do a "Super-size Me" experiment, except in reverse. If you haven't seen the documentary "Super-Size Me", it basically consists of a man eating McDonald's fast food three times a day for thirty days. Within the thirty days, he gains weight, his liver and kidneys are shot to hell, his cholesterol goes through the roof, and his glucose levels spike up. As a matter of fact, his kidneys were functioning as if he were an alcohol.

Well, I plan on doing the opposite. I told my doctor that after my marathon and eating better, I would like to take my tests again because I would like to see if there is a significant change in my cholesterol, triglycerides and glucose levels. So apparently I will need to start studying about how I can improve these numbers!