lipid panel / cholesterol thingy page

[FlyNavyWife]

If you want to get this done/tested what do you ask for at the doctor's office? And is there a way to request that they actually measure everything instead of calculating stuff? Do you get a copy to take home with you?


My sister is really skeptical about my high-fat diet and wants me to get my levels checked and I'd LOVE to humor her.


Is there anything else I should try to convince the docs to check me for?


Obviously I don't want to go paying out of pocket for extra tests... but since I'm newly pregnant I figure I might be able to convince them to run this stuff for me for funsies.


Kind of curious about vitamin D levels too since I'm about to start supplementing. I'd like a baseline number so I can compare in a few months.

[Pikaia]

Can't hurt to ask, but all the medical caregivers I've had decline to run lipid panels on pregnant and breastfeeding women. The reason they've given me is that cholesterol is supposed to rise during pregnancy/breastfeeding, because you're supplying it to baby. So they say there's no need to be concerned with blood lipids during pregnancy/breastfeeding.

[nina_70]

For the vitamin D, if your doc won't run it (which mine won't) you can get it thro' Vitamin D council in 2 places, depending on your commitment level


http://www.grassrootshealth.net/ $40 test, but you participate for 5 years


http://www.zrtlab.com/vitamindcounci...&category_id=1 $65 test stand-alone

[Minxxa]

FNW... I definitely suggest getting the Vitamin D test before supplementing just so you know where you are. Mind you, a majority of your average americans have a deficiency, however it's better to know where you are before supplementing and then you can figure out how much you need, etc.


Mine was about 42ish, which is low-- so I started on 2000 iu of Vit D. In four months I was down to 27, LOL! So we upped to 4,000, but I consulted with my N.D. and did a 10,000 i.u. for 30 days, then back to 4000 i.u for maintenance. The concept being if 2000 wasn't enough to maintain, then 4000 would barely be enough to maintain where I was at, so in order to get it up where it needed to be, I needed to push it up there. And they recommend doing that in bursts... i.e. 30 days and then re-test, etc. until you get up to where you want to be. My last test after the 30 days etc was around 75, so much better, although I'm still shooting for a bit higher-- I want to be optimum, not ok!


I have to say that my energy level went crazy high after my vitamin D level came up-- I could DEFINITELY feel the difference in a huge way.

[FlyNavyWife]

pikaia that is kind of lame that they won't do it on pregnant women... I mean, I can still ask but... poo. Maybe if I communicate to them that I'm not "concerned/worried" - just curious. haha.


thanks nina. I really hope they'll do it because I don't want to pay out of pocket for it... AND if the doctors have a hard enough time getting blood from me, I don't think it's something I could do myself to send in. eek.


Minxxa, thanks for the tips... pretty sure at this point I'd be dismally deficient - but who knows for sure?

What number are you shooting for?

[Sharonll]

Just so you know, you only send in two large drops for the test at grassrootshealth.com. They give you a kit that contains a lancet to prick your finger. Super easy.

[FlyNavyWife]

oh that's cool . thanks for letting me know. i think i could squeeze out 2 drops of blood. haha.

[deanmc]

Just had my Lipid Panel done. Never had it done before (or paid much attention to it)

Total Cholesterol 238

LDL: 103

HDL: 129

Triglycerides: 32

HDL / LDL Ratio 1.8


In Big Magic Marker.... "Follow a Low Fat Diet"


Did some research to try and find out what all those numbers meant and learned quite a bit from Richard at Free the Animal


Here http://freetheanimal.com/2009/01/what-about-ldl-cholesterol.html


My LDL was calculated so next time (they want me retested in 6 mo.s) I'll see if I can actually have them test for it rather than calculate it.

[Sharonll]

I am seeing my doctor tomorrow, and have requested that my cholesterol is checked. They told me to fast for 12 hours before my appointment.


How do I ask for a "proper" cholesterol test? Always in the past, they've simply done the calculation. This time, I want the more exact test, but I'm not sure what to ask for.


Also, is there value in getting my blood sugar checked? I'm kind of curious about it, but don't have any real reason to get it checked otherwise.


After four months 99% primal, I'm really curious to find out how my body is doing.

[egmutza]

I believe you would need to ask for an NMR lipo-profile test or a VAP test. I'm not sure what the difference between the two is, but they both measure actual LDL levels, rather than calculating.