News Taffy

Well, the blood tests are back so how did the cardiologist and his wife do? The results are quite interesting. First we had a regular cholesterol check but my husband, who is a board certified Lipidologist, had advanced cardiovascular risk markers checked for both of us. Lipidology is the study of fatty substances in the blood so a lipidologist has further training in cholesterol management, risk assessment and intervention. My results showed that I am unlikely to ever die of heart disease. My total cholesterol, though not the ideal 150, was 164, well below the cutoff of 200. Anything over 200 is considered high and should be treated. My LDL, or bad cholesterol was low at 62 and my good cholesterol, HDL, was fairly high at 79. My triglycerides were 116 which is also in the normal range.

Since his last blood work a couple of years ago, a few things have changed for my husband. While his total cholesterol of 177 was acceptable, the advanced tests showed that he has a genetic predisposition for heart disease and that he has inflammation of his arteries which could eventually lead to a heart attack or stroke. He should probably be treated medically to prevent any progression of heart disease. In fact he has started taking an aspirin a day plus a cholesterol medicine.

Our little experiment has had some unexpected results. Our health is as good as we can make it for now but my husband does need some intervention to prevent heart disease from developing. The American Heart Association recommends adults over 20 have their cholesterol checked every 5 years. If you are a man over 45 or a woman over 50 or if you have other risk factors or health problems, you may need to have it checked more frequently. If you have any of the risk factors for heart disease I’ve mentioned earlier or you have concerns, talk with your family physician.

So our healthy life style has paid off. We have lowered the risk factors we can control for heart disease, stroke, diabetes and plenty of other diseases like cancer. We eat a balanced, healthy diet that allows for treats and we try to exercise regularly. That leads to our final test - how fit ARE we? I exercise at least 5 days a week but my husband finds it hard to keep a regular routine with his schedule. Plus, truth be known, he hates to exercise just for exercise’s sake. Right now he is dancing with me twice a week in a Latin dance class we love. I hope to have the results of our fitness tests soon. I’m going to talk trash here; I predict I’m much more fit than he is. I have a resting heart rate of 47 after all and I do exercise more. So check back and see who is in shape and who is not.

Until next week,
Lisa