know my blood pressure and cholesterol levels

Total: 165
LDL: 82
HDL: 63

The doctor says it’s all very good—hooray!

Marking this task done.

Blood pressure is 131/70

Systolic 131 = High normal
Diastolic 70 = Optimal

For the cholesterol test, I’m supposed to fast 12 hours and then drop in for bloodwork, no appointment necessary. So sometime this week or next, I’ll stop eating after 7pm and then go to the clinic before work when it opens at 7:30am.

The student health center recommended getting a cholesterol test last year, but I haven’t gone to a doctor yet under my new insurance. But I’ve made an appointment for next week! This will be a good place to record the numbers so I can refer back to them in the future.

My stats are:

• height: 6’1”
• weight: 157 lbs (bmi of about 21, which is good)
• blood pressure: 118/73 (120/80 is borderline okay)
• total cholesterol: 153 (under 200 is good)
• good cholesterol (HDL): 50 (40-60 is good)
• bad cholesterol (LDL): 90 (under 100 is good)

Other things that I don’t really know much about:

• Sodium: 140 mEq/L (135-148 good)
• Potassium: 4.5 mEq/L (3.5-5.5)
• Chloride: 102 mEq/L (95-110)
• Total CO2: 31 mEq/L (18-32)
• BUN: 10 mg/dL (5-26)
• Creatinine (Kidney): .9 mg/dL (.5-1.5)
• Calcium: 9.7 mg/dL (8.5-10.6)
• Total Protein: 8.0 g/dL (6.0-8.5)
• Albumin: 4.9 g/dL (3.2-5.5)
• Total Bilirubin: .5 mg/dL (.1-1.2)
• Glucose: 86 mg/dL (60-99)
• ALT (GPT): 15 U/L (0-55)
• AST (GOT): 26 U/L (0-50)
• Alk Ptase: 53 U/L (25-150)
• Triglyceride: 66 mg/dL (<150)
• VLDL (Calc): 13 mg/dL (no suggested range)
• Chol/HDL Ratio: 3.1 (<4.0)

That’s all I got. Also got tested for HIV, Chlamydia, and Gonorrhea and luckily don’t have any of those.

Anybody know what any of those secondary numbers mean? Why measure them if they don’t tell me what they mean?

I’ve had this goal on my list as long as any of the goals on my list. Today I can mark it done. My numbers were nothing special, but what is special is that I now know them.

BP: 129/80 (a bit high, but I’m always a bit high)
Total Cholesterol: 250 (I think I can do better)
HDL: 60
LDL: 158

The numbers don’t make me feel anything (because I mostly don’t know what they mean, yet) but marking this goal off my list feels great!

...although I manage to visit my primary care, ob/gyn and other doctors 1-2x a year so I do have blood pressure checked regularly (usually about 90/60), I held the script for blood count and cholesterol check for two years…too hard to get over there during business hours…so about a month ago when I had blood drawn for supplementary life insurance I got the results sent to me and forwarded them to my primary care. HDL and total cholesterol were depressingly great. One of the reasons I started trying to maintain my health better in 2007 is I realized I may be around a while, so I might as well do what I can to make sure I am reasonably functional for that period.

BP is weirdly low (100/70 ish) and cholesterol is “normal”...my doctor doesn’t give out the actual numbers unless they’re abnormal.

I saw my new doctor last week and my BP was 128/80 (just a little high, but not HIGH). I still have no idea what my cholesterol numbers are. I’m halfway there toward meeting this silly goal.