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The Fasting Glucose, Triglyceride, and Cholesterol Blood Test: Simple Methodology Yielding Profound Results

Dr. Ralph Ofcarcik, Ph.D.
Director of Nutrition Services

     For many of us, fasting glucose and lipid blood testing is a yearly ritual included in our annual medical exam.  Although extremely simple, these tests can yield surprisingly useful data for the detection and early warnings of disease.  At Red Mountain Spa, we use a workhorse clinical spectrophotometer known as the Cholestec LDX Analyzer that requires only a few drops of blood and can generate data (glucose; triglycerides; total, LDL, HDL, and VLDL cholesterol) in less than 5 minutes. 

     A typical evaluation of the results is simple –certainly easy to understand, i.e.

            Glucose > 100 mg/dl = diabetic tendency

            Triglycerides > 150 mg/dl = increased risk of heart disease

            Total Cholesterol > 200 mg/dl = increased risk of heart disease

            LDL Cholesterol > 130 mg/dl = increased risk of heart disease

            HDL Cholesterol < 40 mg/dl = increased risk of heart disease

            VLDL Cholesterol – Currently, there is no standard

            Glucose  If a guest’s blood sugar is significantly higher than 100, and she or he is not under the care of a physician, our first recommendation would be to see your doctor.  It is possible that the elevated glucose may be a sign of diabetes – but not always.  It could also be symptomatic prednisone use, Cushing’s syndrome, or pseudo Cushing’s syndrome (which is normally attributed to chronic stress, obesity, and/or excessive alcohol consumption).  Usually, just by asking a few key questions will yield valuable clues regarding the hyperglycemia.

In some cases, a guest’s glucose level may be disturbingly low (below 50) – usually caused by a hypoglycemia tendency, glycogen depletion (from mucho exercise), or taking diabetic medication (or a ginseng supplement) just prior to testing.  However, it can also be a red flag for much more serious conditions such as cancer or liver disease.  Like before, our advice is to see your doctor.

            Triglycerides  High triglycerides (over 150) are not good news for the heart and may indicate a tendency toward heart disease and risk of heart attack or stroke.  However, it could also corroborate a tendency toward diabetes and hypothyroidism, or it may simply be indicative of a high-fat/high-carb diet (i.e. donuts, ice cream, etc.). 

If all other blood factors are “in line”, elevated triglycerides may signify the beginning of metabolic syndrome – a condition currently thought to affect 40% of all U.S. adults.  In the intermediate stages, high triglycerides would normally be accompanied by low HDL cholesterol (< 50 for women, and < 40 for men).  Since the hallmark of metabolic syndrome is insulin resistance, lifestyle changes though weight loss, stress reduction, low-carb/moderate-protein diets, and possibly the use of insulin-sensitizing supplements may be advised.

            Non-HDL Cholesterol  For years, the total cholesterol standard (200) has been used as a marker for clinicians in prescribing blood cholesterol-lowering medication.  Ditto for the LDL standard of 130 (or 100 for those who have had a coronary infarct).  Recently, however, a new parameter, non-HDL cholesterol, has been reported to be a more reliable predictor of heart disease risk.  Not surprising, it is calculated by subtracting HDL from total cholesterol.  This infamous group of lipoproteins includes LDL cholesterol (main culprit); IDL (intermediate density lipoprotein) and VLDL (very low density lipoprotein) cholesterol – both now known to have atherogenic potential; and lipoprotein a (another marker molecule of atherosclerosis).  Target non-HDL goals are currently 160 (for those who have never had a heart attack) or 130 (for heart attack/stroke survivors).  The National Cholesterol Education Program now regards non-HDL cholesterol as a superior marker of heart disease risk to LDL cholesterol.

           Triglyceride/HDL Ratio  Another reliable parameter for predicting heart disease is the triglyceride/HDL ratio.  This is not surprising since high triglycerides alone may increase the risk of heart disease three-fold, even in people with low total and LDL cholesterol.  Now surpassing total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol ratio in statistical reliability for predicting coronary heart disease, it is easily determined by another simple calculation, i.e. triglycerides divided by HDL.  According to the experts, our goal should be to have a TG/HDL ratio of less than 2.  Four is considered high and 6 is cause for alarm.

You can make an appointment to have this valuable testing done during your next Red Mountain Spa visit by calling the spa at 1-800-690-9215.