Choresterol level

I got a blood analysis done and my choresterol level is 169. Is that good or bad?

The doc won't tell me since the point of the analysis was the coagulation rate for having an
operation.

I'm a male, 30yo, 1.67m, 70kg.

-Mark

Fire the doc, you are the customer buying his services and the results of any tests he does. In the
absense of any other info, the number is good. If your triglycerides were over 150, there could
still be reason for concern. When testing for blood lipids (fats), triglycerides and ldl and hdl are
brokendown and seperate numbers given for each. The number you gave reflects the ldl and hdl but not
the trigs., there is a formula to relate the three measures, but we don't know them in this case. I
wouldn't put up with a doc who refused to relay and explain information.

>I got a blood analysis done and my choresterol level is 169. Is that good or bad?
>
>The doc won't tell me since the point of the analysis was the coagulation rate for having an
>operation.
>
>I'm a male, 30yo, 1.67m, 70kg.
>
>-Mark

<markd@toad-net.com> wrote in message
news:4043affd$0$247$4d5ecec7@reader.city-net.com...
>
> Fire the doc, you are the customer buying his services and the results of any tests he does.

I would disagree with that.

Well, not exactly disagree, but there's quite a debate about whether we (I work in the bit that
actually does the blood testing) do the test for the doctor or the patient, and personally I'm not
entirely sure which is the correct statement.

I'm more of the opinion that we do the test for the doctor.

OK so he uses the result to aid diagnosis & treatment of that patient, but he uses the number I
generate together with all sorts of clinical symptoms to make his judgement. After all, when someone
posts "I got a blood analysis done and my choresterol level is 169. Is that good or bad?" no end of
questions come to mind:

Was that a fasting or random blood sample? What is the operation in question ? Why is the operation
being done ? Is there a family history of lipidopathy ? What technique was used in the cholesterol
assay? What levels of accuracy & precision can we expect in such an assay? 169 what ? Megawatts per
cubic parsec ?

A statement like "my choresterol level is 169. Is that good or bad?" could - and probably now will
) - be a two hour essay for my trainee staff to write.

MB

jheiskan@welho.com jwales@bomis.com TKNOTT@qcl.org.uk Once upon a time, our fellow jjoyce rambled on
about "Choresterol level." Our champion De-Medicalizing in sci.med.nutrition retorts, thusly ...

>I got a blood analysis done and my choresterol level is 169. Is that good or bad?

If your TC was 169 than that is good, but if your LDL was 169 than that is bad. I am not very
confident that you even have the correct number to begin with, let alone know what you are actually
talking about.

Just my opinion. But, I am *right* as usual!

"Manky Badger" <mb@freeserve.puritan.co.uk> wrote

> Was that a fasting or random blood sample?

Fasting, of course.

> What is the operation in question ?

Circumcision.

> Why is the operation being done ?

You can figure that out for yourself.

> Is there a family history of lipidopathy ?

No.

> What technique was used in the cholesterol assay?

No clue.

> What levels of accuracy & precision can we expect in such an assay?

High, I suppose.

> 169 what ? Megawatts per cubic parsec ?

169 mg/dL

-Mark