Decoding Your Health Test Results Get the 411 On 9 Critical Medical Tests

Your doctor ordered a blood test. But do you understand the numbers? Or if you’re bordering on a heart attack, diabetes or underactive thyroid? We asked the experts to explain these critical medical test results – and what they say about your health... You look and feel great, but are you really in optimal health? Routine medical tests can tell you – if you know how to interpret the results. “A person who understands the significance of tests and results is better able to make decisions about their care,” says cardiologist Janet Wright, M.D. Read on to find out which tests you need, what’s being measured and the next steps to take if you don’t ace the exam. 1. Blood Pressure Blood pressure is simply a measurement of the force of blood pushing against artery walls as your heart pumps blood through the body. Your doctor will read off two numbers. The top, or systolic, is the pressure that occurs when your heart beats. The bottom, or diastolic, measures pressure when your ticker rests between beats. If your blood pressure is higher than normal, you have hypertension, which “damages arteries, leading to strokes, kidney failure, blindness and heart attacks,” Dr. Wright says. What’s optimal for your health: 120/80 mmHg. (That stands for millimeters of mercury, which is used to measure blood pressure.) What’s not: A top number over 140 or a bottom number higher than 90 indicate high blood pressure. A systolic number of 120-139 or a diastolic of 80-89 suggests pre-hypertension, which means you’re likely to end up with high blood pressure if you don’t exercise more or change your diet. Some people have low blood pressure, but this is a problem only if it causes fainting or dizziness. 2. Cholesterol The body needs some of this waxy, fatty substance to help it make hormones and vitamin D, for example. But too much cholesterol can accumulate on your arterial walls and “lead to heart attacks and strokes,” Dr. Wright says. You have a tougher time managing cholesterol levels if you have diabetes, leading to a condition called diabetic hyperlipidosis. Your body produces two kinds of cholesterol: HDL, or “high-density lipoprotein,” is good for you because it helps keep arteries clear. The higher this number, the lower your risk of heart disease. Bad cholesterol, or LDL or “low-density lipoprotein,” can build up in arteries and form plaque, a hard substance that can slow or block blood flow. Two other types of bad cholesterol, triglycerides and Lp(a) cholesterol, also contribute to arterial plaque buildup. Learn how to lower your cholesterol levels. What’s optimal for your health: Total blood cholesterol should be below 200 mg/dL (which means milligrams per deciliter of blood). HDL should be over 50 for women LDL, less than 100 is optimal; 100-129 is near-optimal What’s not: Total blood cholesterol of 200-239 is borderline high; over 240 is high. HDL: below 50 for women LDL: 130-159 is borderline high; 160-189 is high; 190 or above is very high 3. C-Reactive Protein (CRP) Your liver produces this protein, and levels rise when arteries are inflamed or swollen. It’s a sign of cardiovascular disease. A test called the hs-CRP (highly sensitive C-Reactive Protein) measures how much CRP is in your blood. / People with high levels have twice the risk of heart attacks than those with low levels, according to the American Heart Association. What’s optimal for your health: An hs-CRP level of less than 1.0 mg/L (milligrams per liter) indicates low risk; 1.0 to 3.0 mg/L means average risk. What’s not: An hs-CRP level more than 3.0 mg/L indicates a high risk. CRP levels too high? Get doctor-recommended tips for a healthy heart. 4. Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) This simple blood test will tell you if your body is producing enough THS. The hormone is produced by the pituitary gland to help control hormones produced by the thyroid, a butterfly-shaped gland in the lower part of your neck just above the collarbone. The thyroid controls many body processes, including bowel function, energy level and menstruation. An underactive thyroid slows metabolism, creating hypothyroidism. Symptoms include unexplained weight gain, decreased appetite, feeling too cold, oversleeping, constipation, hair loss, reduced sex drive, infertility, depression and excessive fatigue. An overactive thyroid speeds up your metabolism, a condition called hyperthyroidism. Symptoms include unexplained weight loss, increased appetite, feeling too hot, sleeping troubles, pounding heartbeat, diarrhea and feeling wound-up. “Your TSH will be elevated as it tries to push your gland to produce more thyroid hormone,” says Laura C. Knobel, M.D., a family physician in Walpole, Mass., and a member of the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Family Physicians. “If too much thyroid hormone is being produced, your TSH will be very low, or not even detected.” What’s optimal for your health: TSH from 0.4 to 4.0 mIU/L (milli-international units per liter) What’s not: Over 4.0 mIU/L indicates hypothyroidism. Under 0.4 means hyperthyroidism. 5. Blood Sugar A blood glucose test can indicate if your body is processing blood sugars properly and whether you're at risk for diabetes, one of the leading causes of disability and death in the U.S. When you eat, food is converted into blood sugar. In healthy people, a hormone called insulin, which is secreted by the pancreas, ushers glucose into cells throughout your body so it can fuel growth, cell repair and other functions. In some people, insulin doesn’t do its job, either because the pancreas, a gland behind the stomach, doesn’t make enough or because the body is resistant to it. The result: Too much glucose stays in the blood and diabetes develops. Over time, excess blood sugar can damage blood vessels, heart, kidneys, eyes and nerves. Three medical tests measure blood sugar levels: Hemoglobin A1C, fasting plasma glucose test (FPG) and oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Most doctors will do an FPG or OGTT, but the hemoglobin A1C is considered the most reliable. “It [shows] how high blood sugars have been over the last three months,” Dr. Knobel says. Find out how to prevent diabetes. What’s optimal for your health: An A1C under 5.7%, an FPG under 100 mg/dL or OGTT below 140 mg/dL What’s not: An A1 from 5.7%-6.4% indicates pre-diabetes; over 6.4% is considered diabetes. FPG: 100-125 mg/dL indicates pre-diabetes; over 125 indicates diabetes OGTT: 140-200 mean pre-diabetes; over 200 is diabetes 6. Bone Mineral Density (BMD) Doctors use bone mineral density tests to gauge skeletal health. The denser your bones, the stronger they are. But when they lose calcium (their primary substance) because of aging, poor diet, lack of exercise or a genetic predisposition, they become less dense, resulting in osteoporosis. Similar to an X-ray, a BMD test measures bone density against that of a healthy 30-year-old woman. The comparison is used to determine a T-score. A score of zero means your bones are equal to that of a healthy 30-year-old. Higher numbers indicate stronger bones; lower indicates weaker ones. With a BMD test, you may also get a Z-score, comparing your bone density to women your age. A Z-score is a less accurate way to diagnose osteoporosis, but it can tell your doctor if you’re starting to lose calcium. Find out how to build your bones. What’s optimal for your health: A T-score of minus 1 to plus 1 and a Z-score above minus 2 is normal. What’s not: T-scores from minus 1 to minus 2.5 indicate low bone density — a condition known as osteopenia. A T-score lower than minus 2.5 indicates osteoporosis. Z-scores below minus 2 require more testing. Here are two other non-lab health tests that offer clues to your well-being: 7. Body Mass Index (BMI) Doctors use BMI to determine if – and by how much – you're over- or underweight. It's calculated with weight and height. Isn't weight enough of an indicator? Not according to Erin E. Tracy, M.D., an obstetrician/gynecologist at Massachusetts General Hospital. “BMI is more accurate,” she says. Here’s why: Consider two women who each weigh 140 pounds. If one is 4 feet, 8 inches, and the other is 5 feet, 8 inches, the first woman with a BMI of 31.4 would be considered obese. The second? Her BMI of just 21.3 would be healthy. As your BMI goes up, so does your risk for several conditions, including diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. To figure out your BMI easily, use this calculator. What’s optimal for your health: A BMI of 18.5 -24.9. What’s not: An underweight BMI (less than 18.5 inches) means you’re probably not eating enough and not getting the nutrients your body needs, increasing your risk of anemia, osteoporosis and menstrual problems. Overweight: 25-29.9. Obese: 30 or over. 8. Waist Circumference This critical number tells you how much fat you have in your abdominal area. Nobody wants a flabby belly, but having one isn’t only about looks. Too much belly fat – also known as visceral fat – threatens your health. It surrounds your abdominal organs and secretes hormones that raise your risk of heart disease, cancer and diabetes. “Waist circumference is a better indicator of obesity than BMI since it measures central obesity, or the fat that accumulates around the middle section of the body,” Dr. Knobel says. Even normal-weight women need to watch their waistlines. Studies – including the Harvard School of Public Health’s Nurses’ Health Study, which followed 238,000 nurses – have found that women with excess waist fat die younger from cancer or heart disease than those with smaller middles, even if they're not overweight. You can do this one at home: Put the tape snugly around your waist around your belly button – and don’t hold your stomach in. What’s optimal for your health: Under 35 inches for women What’s not: Anything higher Will You See Your 80th Birthday? What is your life expectancy? Can you rely on good genetics to keep you thriving through the years, or do you need to do more to raise your odds of living longer?