Annual Health check up

(Image by Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons)

Nowadays, regular health tests are able to identify the risk of non communicable diseases, as it is very helpful to prevent morbidity and mortality. It is very important to know when to be done and what to be done. Here, I am going to write about the annual screening tests to be done, if your age is above 30 years of age. 

Check fasting blood sugar, fasting lipid profile and blood pressure once in a year. To see the normal and abnormal range, visit http://understandhealthtips.blogspot.in/2014/11/blood-sugar-interpretation.html. If fasting blood sugar is high, check postprandial blood sugar and HbA1c.

If blood pressure is high in first reading, check blood pressure in alternative days for a week at rest. The reading is remain high, consult doctor immediately. For more details, visit http://understandhealthtips.blogspot.in/2014/11/understanding-blood-pressure-reading.html.

To see the interpretation of fasting lipid profile, visit http://understandhealthtips.blogspot.in/2014/11/cholesterol-test-interpretation.html. If you are at high risk, consult doctor soon.

If you are a known case of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, cardio-vascular diseases or stroke, check urea, creatinine, liver function test, thyroid function test and electrocardiogram annually.

   

Understanding Blood Pressure Reading

Blood Pressure is referred as arterial blood pressure, is the pressure exerted by the circulating blood on its vessels. It is checked by an instrument called Sphygmomanometer, usually expressed as systolic and diastolic blood pressure and measured as in Millimeters of Mercury (mm Hg). Normal blood pressure of an adult at rest is 120(systolic)/80(diastolic) mm Hg.

Systolic Pressure indicates the pressure exerted on arteries when heart pumps the blood into the body during beating.Diastolic pressure is the pressure of arteries when heart rests between the beats.

You have to check the blood pressure periodically. Once reading shows more than the normal, check the blood pressure thrice in alternative days at rest. If the three readings are high, consult the doctor immediately.

Categories of blood pressure 

• Pre-hypertension means the blood pressure is between 120-139/80-89 mm Hg.
• High blood pressure means the blood pressure is between 140-180/90-110 mm Hg.
• Hypertensive crisis means the blood pressure is above 180/110 mm Hg.

Blood Sugar Interpretation

Blood Sugar Interpretation

Interpretation of Blood Sugar

Blood sugar concentration is the amount of glucose present in the blood of human being. The four tests help to determine the ability of the body to metabolise  the blood sugar.  

• FBS- Fasting Blood Sugar
• RBS- Random Blood Sugar
• PPBS- Post Prandial Blood Sugar
• GCT- Glucose Challenge Test
• GTT- Glucose Tolerance Test
• HbA1c- Glycosylated hemoglobin

Fasting Blood Sugar

Blood must be checked after 12 hours of fasting. Normal value is 60-110mg/dl.

Random Blood Sugar

Blood samples will be taken at any point of time irrespective of the consumption of food. Normal value is 60-130mg/dl.

Post Prandial Blood Sugar

Blood must be checked after 2 hours of eating.Normal value is 60-140mg/dl.

Glucose Challenge Test

It measures the blood glucose level 1 hour after the woman has drunken the 50 gm or 70 gm of oral glucose.It usually done to screen for the diabetes in pregnancy. Normal value is below 130mg/dl.

Glucose Tolerance Test

It is a 3 hour test, usually done if GCT value above 140mg/dl in pregnant woman. It consists of drinking 100 gm of oral glucose and taking blood samples at 1hr,2hrs and 3hrs intervals. Normal values will be 

• Fasing -<95 mg/dl 
• 1 hr -180 mg/dl 
• 2 hrs -<155 mg/dl 
• 3 hrs -<140 mg/dl 

HbA1c- Glycosylated hemoglobin

Recommended HbA1c value for non diabetic patients will be less than 4.5-5%.It indicates that in every 100 blood cells, 4 to 5 cells have glucose attached to them. In diabetic patients, less than 6.5% will be the normal range.

Cholesterol Test Interpretation

Lipid Profile/Lipid Panel Test Interpretation

The lipid profile test is recommended for adults over the age of 30 years. It consists of Total Cholesterol, HDL, LDL, VLDL and Triglycerides.

The normal ranges are

• Total Cholesterol-<200 mg/dl
• High Density Cholesterol (Good Cholesterol)-40-59 mg/dl
• Low Density Cholesterol( Bad Cholesterol)- <100 mg/dl
• Very Low Density Lipoprotein ( a component of bad Cholesterol)-<40 mg/dl
• Triglycerides-<150 mg/dl is highly desirable. The level of triglycerides may be raised if the LDL has increased.

It is also necessary to see, 

• Total Cholesterol/ HDL Ratio->4.5 indicates the high risk of heart diseases.
• Triglycerides/HDL Ratio- <2 is ideal/ >4 indicates the high risk of heart diseases.