St. Joseph’s/Candler Primary Care Physician Dr. Anna Spelts explains common lab work

Regular health screenings with your primary care physician can help find problems before they start or early, when your chances for treatment and possible cure are better. By getting the right health services, screenings and treatments, you are taking steps that can help your chances of living a longer, healthier life.

Some patients may need to visit with their primary care doctor multiple times a year, especially if they have a chronic condition such as diabetes or kidney disease. For the average, healthy person, an annual visit with your primary care physician is recommended.

“There are so many reasons to have a primary care doctor,” says Dr. Anna Spelts, physician with St. Joseph’s/Candler Primary Care in Richmond Hill. “We build relationships with our patients, and your primary care doctor should be the one who knows you best health-wise. You’d be surprised what we can take care of in-house without unnecessary ER.”

During your checkup, your provider will perform common tests to measure your health, including routine lab work. Just as important as seeing your doctor regularly is understanding what he or she is telling you.

“Not everything that is high is bad and not everything that is just slightly out of reference range is alarming,” Dr. Spelts says. “For example, if your hemoglobin is high one day, maybe you didn’t drink enough water.”

“I think it’s good for a patient to be their own advocate, but I also don’t want this to be a source of anxiety. That’s why it’s good for the provider and patient to communicate on lab results even when there are no major concerns.”

Lab work results in a lot of numbers. Let’s take a look at some of the common numbers and what it means for you.

Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a fat-like, waxy substance that can be found in all parts of the body. It helps the body make cell membranes, many hormones and vitamin D. Your total cholesterol is a calculation based on the compilation of three primary components.

• Triglycerides: Triglycerides are fats used by the body for energy. You want your triglycerides to be less than 150.
• HDLs: Our High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) is our good cholesterol. It helps to remove cholesterol from the blood and keeps plaque from building up in the arteries. You want your HDL to be greater than 60.
• LDLs: Our Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) is bad cholesterol and is a type of fat in the blood that contains the most cholesterol. It can contribute to the formation of plaque buildup in the arteries. You want your LDL to be less than 100.

How to improve your numbers: Watching and reducing fat sources in your diet can lower your triglycerides. Exercise and a diet that includes Omega-3 foods, such as salmon and tuna, are good ways to increase your HDL. Our LDL is the toughest to lower because it is greatly influenced by our family genetics. Exercise and consuming more oat and plant fiber can help lower LDL. Medication also may be needed to help people control their cholesterol.

A1C

The hemoglobin A1C test measures your average blood glucose for the past two to three months. It is the best method of checking for diabetes.

What you want it to be: For low-risk, non-diabetics, a normal A1C is less than 5.7. If your A1C is between 5.7 and 6.4, you may be considered pre-diabetic. If your A1C is greater than 6.5 you are in the diabetes range.

How to improve your number: For those with pre-diabetes, your physician may suggest lifestyle changes including routine exercise and following a proper diet. Medication also may be needed. For those with diabetes, you want to keep your A1C under 7. That can be maintained through diet, exercise, taking prescribed medications and regularly checking your blood sugar. For those with a healthy A1C, it’s still important to get regular exercise and follow a healthy diet to maintain that number.

Iron

Iron is needed to make hemoglobin, which is the part of the red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout the body. Most of your body’s iron is stored in hemoglobin. Low hemoglobin is an important indicator of anemia.

What you want it to be: Women should have a hemoglobin level between 12 to 16. Men’s should range between 14 to 18. When the hemoglobin level is low, you may have anemia.

How to improve your number: If you aren’t getting enough iron, you can increase it by modifying your diet to include iron-rich foods, such as beef, chicken, clams, leafy greens and legumes.

Other numbers your doctor will look at:

BMI

Your Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measure of height and weight.

What you want it to be: A normal, healthy range is 18.5 to 24.9. 25 to 39.9 is considered overweight. 30 to 40 is obese and greater than 40 is morbidly obese.

How to improve your number: If your BMI is outside the healthy range, the best way to lower it is through diet and exercise. Talk to your provider about safely starting a new workout routine if you don’t commonly exercise.

Related Article: Why do we always tell you to consult your doctor before starting a new exercise routine? Here are two very good reasons.

Blood Pressure

Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the artery walls. It measures the activity of your heart with stress and rest. The top number (systolic) is the pressure inside the artery when the heart contracts and pumps blood through the body. The bottom number (diastolic) refers to the pressure inside the artery when the heart is at rest.

What you want it to be: A normal blood pressure is below 120/80. Your blood pressure is considered elevated when it’s 120-129 and less than 80. Anything higher is considered hypertension.

How to improve your numbers: One of the easiest ways to reduce high blood pressure is lowering your sodium intake. Daily sodium intake should be less than 2,000 milligrams. Exercise and maintaining a healthy weight also can help lower your blood pressure.

You can have your blood pressure checked more than during a doctor’s visitor at local pharmacies or your neighborhood fire station.

These are just some of the tests that your physician may check for. It’s always important to talk to your doctor about anything concerning and don’t be afraid to ask questions.

“These tests are important and are even necessary in younger people because while they may be healthy on the outside, you just don’t know if they have any familial traits that need to be treated early that can help prevent serious complications down the road,” Dr. Spelts says. “We try to communicate all these tests and results we get with our patients so, if necessary, they know how to change their outcomes for the better.

 

Looking for a primary care provider? St. Joseph’s/Candler has offices across the region from Richmond Hill to Savannah to Statesboro and in South Carolina. Find your provider here.