Have you been through the gauntlet of cardiovascular tests, only to be given a “total cholesterol” number at the end that the doctor wasn’t happy with? Since your total cholesterol number doesn’t really tell us anything useful, let’s break those lab results down into something that does!
Top 5 Lab Tests for Heart Health:
1. Triglycerides. Triglycerides are a type of fat found in your blood and a well-established predictor of heart disease. Your triglyceride number measures how well your body is able to metabolize the sugar and carbohydrates (which turn into sugar) that you’re eating. Triglycerides matter. A high triglyceride number indicates a high potential for inflammation. (Even people who can eat whatever they want without gaining a pound may have high triglycerides and internal inflammation because the body can’t process the amount of sugar they’re consuming.) Sugar, processed carbohydrates and alcohol affect triglycerides negatively (by increasing them). You should aim for your triglyceride number to be less than 100 mg/dL and ideally closer to 50 mg/dL.
2. CRP. Your C-Reactive Protein is a general blood marker for inflammation in the body. It measures a protein that signals a response to inflammation, and is directly associated with overall heart and cardiovascular health. Increased CRP without any acute inflammation happening (from an infection, recent injury or surgery) may mean inflammation in the vessels. Not good. You want your CRP level well below 1.0 mg/dL and preferably closer to 0 mg/dL, indicating that no inflammation exists.
3. HDL. HDL helps with transporting those triglycerides through your bloodstream. This means having a high HDL level is heart protective. Ideally, you want your HDL above 50 mg/dL. We’ve seen clients come in with a low number and increase it to 70 mg/dL and even 80 mg/dL by following our guidelines—which is fantastic for their hearts! You can increase your HDL by consuming fewer carbs and more healthy fats, especially the saturated kind like full-fat grass fed meat and dairy. Getting in physical activity also helps increase your HDL.
4. LDL. Similar to the problem with your total cholesterol number, your LDL cholesterol number isn’t much help without knowing the whole makeup of the LDL. You see, there are two particle sizes: big fluffy type A profile particles (these are good!) and small, dense type B particles (these are harmful). Knowing the ratio of type A to type B is what really matters. You can find out the full breakdown of your LDL by getting a NMR Lipoprofile test. If you’re total LDL number is considered “high,” many doctors will firmly suggest a drug without ever running this test and finding out your LDL particle size.
5. HgbA1C. Hemoglobin A1C is a type of hemoglobin (a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen) that increases as blood sugars increase. It measures the sugar sticking to your red blood cells. Because red blood cells last about three months, this lab value reflects how well your blood sugar levels are controlled over a three month time frame. This makes it a better indicator of how well you’re managing your blood sugar levels than measuring one point in time which is what a fasting blood glucose test measures. You want your HgbA1C to be in the 4-5%range.
Here’s a quick review on how you can support your heart:
- Consume fewer processed carbohydrates and sugar.
- Embrace healthy fats like coconut oil, butter, avocado, nuts and seeds.
- Avoid trans fats (hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated fats) and vegetable oils.
- Eat PFC balanced.
- Take heart healthy supplements (CoQ10, Fish Oil, Probiotic, L-Glutamine, Vitamin D, Magnesium and a Multivitamin).
- Exercise daily!
- Address your stress.
- Get a full NMR Lipoprofile Test done (you can order it from places like this) so that you have all the info!
To learn how each of these things support your heart, refer to my post, “7 Ways to Protect Your Heart Naturally” and don’t miss my post, “7 Things Your Doctor Didn’t Tell You About Heart Health.”
Now, if you’re still feeling confused about your cholesterol lab test results and you need help interpreting them, we do just that in our coaching program. We’ll help you decipher everything and get you on track to managing your cholesterol and supporting your heart in a way that suits your lifestyle. (We don’t believe in a “one-size-fits-all approach!). Apply to our program and we’ll set up a call to discuss the best fit for you HERE!
This is interesting. I was looking at my results from last year and there are some other categories on here and some missing from what you are explaining. NON HDL Cholesterol and CHOL/HDL Ratio are both listed and then also a Cholesterol Total. What are thes etwo categories? C-Reactive Protein test is nothing I have even seen on my test. Thinking when I am at the doc this week I will be asking for it as part of my blood work!
Ooo thanks for asking! Great questions. I tried to stay with our motto and “keep it simple” in this post (as simple as possible as it’s a complex topic!). To answer your Q’s:
Non-HDL Ratio: This is the amount of cholesterol not on the particles. It’s a calculation of total cholesterol minus HDL. There is no “ideal level’ yet- it’s still to be determined.
Chol/HDL Ratio: The total-to-HDL cholesterol ratio should be a marker for the amount of time LDL particles spend in the blood. Again, I don’t know of an “ideal level” yet. I suggest keeping the focus on the labs I outlined in this post.
CRP is a test that I’d say is standard on a lipid panel only about half of the time. Half of our clients have to request it, and I think it’s because it’s a general marker for inflammation and if it’s elevated, conventional docs don’t know what to do about it (because it doesn’t tell you specifically where the inflammation is coming from). That said, there’s enough research showing that an elevated CRP is associated with cardiovascular disease so I think it’s an important market to get assessed.
Hope that helps! If you need further help with interpretation, would love to get you set up with an appointment! [email protected] 🙂 <3
Thank you! This is really helpful! I am going to ask for the CRP test in my lipid panel tomorrow while I am at the doctor. Inflammation can come from so many places though right?
That’s typical of what we see when working with clients and their doctors.