Understanding your cardiovascular and metabolic health is important for your wellbeing. Here’s a simple guide to help you make sense of your test results, whether you’ve been tested for cholesterol, diabetes, or kidney disease.
Cholesterol: Lipid panel
Cholesterol levels can show your risk for heart disease. Cholesterol is important for the body to function, but too much of it is bad for your heart health.
Cholesterol levels are checked with a blood test called a lipid panel. You may need to fast (no drinking or eating) before having your blood drawn.
There are two main types of cholesterol: HDL (“good” cholesterol) and LDL (“bad” cholesterol). LDL builds up in your arteries, causing plaque and blockages. HDL flows through the bloodstream and removes unneeded cholesterol.
Total cholesterol is the total amount of cholesterol circulating in your bloodstream.
Heart-healthy cholesterol levels are:
- Total cholesterol: Less than 200
- HDL: 60 and higher
- LDL: Less than 100
At-risk cholesterol levels are:
- Total cholesterol: 200-239
- HDL (male): 40-59
- HDL (female): 50-59
- LDL: 100-159
Dangerous cholesterol levels are:
- Total cholesterol: 240 and higher
- HDL (male): Under 40
- HDL (female): Under 50
- LDL: 160 and higher
High total cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease. Your provider may use a subcategory to define your cholesterol level, like “borderline high” or “near optimal”.
Depending on your age and risk factors, you should get your cholesterol checked every one to five years. It’s important to check your cholesterol levels because high cholesterol can go unnoticed, and it may be possible to change your numbers through lifestyle and diet.
Diabetes: A1C
An A1C blood test (also known as a glycohemoglobin test) measures the amount of glucose (sugar) in your blood over the last three months.
Glucose is controlled by insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas. When you have diabetes, your pancreas either isn’t working correctly or your body isn’t using insulin how it should.
An A1C test can:
- Detect prediabetes
- Diagnose Type 2 diabetes
- Monitor Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes treatment
Your A1C test result will be a percentage. A higher percentage means a higher amount of sugar in the bloodstream.
A1C test results:
- Less than 5.7%: No diabetes or well-controlled diabetes
- 5.7% to 6.4%: Prediabetes
- 6.5% or higher: Diabetes (Type 1 or 2)
Consistently elevated blood glucose levels and a high A1C usually indicate diabetes. Your provider should go over your results with you and discuss a treatment plan, if one is needed.
Your A1C may be influenced by genetic traits and other conditions. Talk to your doctor about whether your score seems accurate, especially if you have anemia, are pregnant, or take certain medications.
Your A1C changes over time, and lifestyle can make all the difference. Exercising and eating a nutritious diet can help you take charge of your health.
Chronic kidney disease: eGFR and uACR
Your kidneys are important for removing waste, maintaining blood pressure, and balancing minerals in the body. When you have chronic kidney disease (CKD), your kidneys can’t properly do their job. CKD occurs when the kidneys have been damaged for at least three months and struggle to perform their usual tasks.
CKD can lead to complications like heart disease, anemia, stroke, kidney failure, and high blood pressure.
To see how well your kidneys are working, your provider may either do a blood or urine test. The blood test is called eGFR (estimated glomerular filtration rate) and the urine test is known as uACR (urine albumin-creatinine ratio).
The eGFR determines what stage of CKD you’re in by estimating how well your kidneys remove waste from your blood. A higher number is better for the eGFR. An eGFR greater than or equal to 60 is considered normal, so long as there are no other signs of kidney damage.
eGFR test results:
- 90 or higher GFR, with other signs of kidney damage: Stage 1 (normal function)
- 60 to 89 GFR, with other signs of kidney damage: Stage 2 (mild loss of function)
- 45 to 59 GFR: Stage 3a (mild to moderate loss of function)
- 30 to 44 GFR: Stage 3b (moderate to severe loss of function)
- 15 to 29 GFR: Stage 4 (severe loss of function)
- Less than 15 GFR: Stage 5 (kidney failure)
The uACR is the ratio of albumin (protein) to creatinine in your urine. If your kidneys are working properly, the creatinine should be filtered out into your urine and the albumin should be kept in the blood. A lower number is better for the uACR.
uACR test results:
- Under 30 ACR: A1 (normal or mildly increased)
- 30-300 ACR: A2 (moderately increased)
- Over 300 ARC: A3 (severely increased)
An eGFR under 60 and/or a uACR over 30 for at least three months indicates CKD.
Reviewed by the Ovia Health Clinical Team
Read more
Fiber and fat: nutrition to balance high cholesterol
What is cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome?
Sources
Cleveland Clinic. “Understanding Your Cholesterol Numbers | Cleveland Clinic.” Cleveland Clinic, 2022, my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/11920-cholesterol-numbers-what-do-they-mean.
Cleveland Clinic. “A1C: What It Is, Test, Levels & Chart.” Cleveland Clinic, 22 Nov. 2022, my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/9731-a1c.
National Kidney Foundation. “Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD).” National Kidney Foundation, 11 Sept. 2023, www.kidney.org/kidney-topics/chronic-kidney-disease-ckd.
