blood work

HerveDuchemin · 04-10-2009, 07:37 AM

I got blood work results yesterday. Anyone who is proficient at reading numbers please answer here or PM me? Specifically liver enzymes, and bilirubin (and some other things I'm concerned about).

Cholesterol: 161
HDL:62
LDL:89
Triglycerides: 48
Albumin: 5.7 H (concerned)
Hepatic Function -- SGOT(AST): 17, SGPT(ALT) 14, TOTAL Protein: 8.7H
Bilirubin, Indir 1.11H (concerned, though doctor said it was ok)
RBC: 5.79H (high also)

Any input, I'd appreciate....Alan Aragon? in10city?

willldabeast · 04-10-2009, 08:23 AM

how much water do you drink?
has your weight fluctuated a lot lately?

HerveDuchemin · 04-10-2009, 08:27 AM

yes, i recently went from 185-173 in about month and a half, dieting, hitting things hard. Water intake as of late has been about a half gallon to a gallon a day, depending on how active I am. On active days I'll have about a gallon, when I dont exercise much, a half gallon.

HerveDuchemin · 04-10-2009, 11:22 AM

bump

willldabeast · 04-10-2009, 11:53 AM

I am no MD but I am pretty sure one of the main causes of elevated Albumin is dehydration. I am guessing you have lost a lot of water exercising that much. What did your doctor say?
In the meantime, I would up the water intake.
Also, loosing 12 lbs in a month is way too much

HerveDuchemin · 04-10-2009, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by willldabeast

I am no MD but I am pretty sure one of the main causes of elevated Albumin is dehydration. I am guessing you have lost a lot of water exercising that much. What did your doctor say?
In the meantime, I would up the water intake.
Also, loosing 12 lbs in a month is way too much

they say that about the weight loss, but hey lol i feel fine and listen to body. I will up the water, I agree my intake has been low, that is probably the culprit. thanks. is that why my albumin is too high?

**alan aragon** · 04-10-2009, 12:40 PM

Personally I'd defer this one to Mr. Horse. I don't see any reason to panic, but then again, the trend direction of these values is sometimes more relevant than the values themselves - particularly if viewed within the context of the rest of your labs, not to mention your overall habits (which I'll guess are just fine). PM horsie & see what he says. Better hurry up though, he's gonna get his MD in mid-May, & I'm sure that he'll be busy as **** riding up to that point.

HerveDuchemin · 04-10-2009, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alan aragon

Personally I'd defer this one to Mr. Horse. I don't see any reason to panic, but then again, the trend direction of these values is sometimes more relevant than the values themselves - particularly if viewed within the context of the rest of your labs, not to mention your overall habits (which I'll guess are just fine). PM horsie & see what he says. Better hurry up though, he's gonna get his MD in mid-May, & I'm sure that he'll be busy as **** riding up to that point.

can i set up an appointment to see you in person Alan? Paid of course?

reefpicker · 04-10-2009, 01:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HerveDuchemin

I got blood work results yesterday. Anyone who is proficient at reading numbers please answer here or PM me? Specifically liver enzymes, and bilirubin (and some other things I'm concerned about).

Cholesterol: 161
HDL:62
LDL:89
Triglycerides: 48
Albumin: 5.7 H (concerned)
Hepatic Function -- SGOT(AST): 17, SGPT(ALT) 14, TOTAL Protein: 8.7H
Bilirubin, Indir 1.11H (concerned, though doctor said it was ok)
RBC: 5.79H (high also)

Any input, I'd appreciate....Alan Aragon? in10city?

I know you didn't ask me, but in any event....

First, I disagree with Alan. You should take the advice of an experienced MD over any student, unless you have specific reasons not to trust your MD.

Second, if your concern is regarding your specific lifestyle, you should consider going to a sport medicine doctor.

Finally, as far as the numbers are concerned....
If the billirubin is only slightly elevated, the RBC is high, these two could be related (more RBC's might affect the billirubin, which is produced by the death of RBCs), but it could be pathologic. Same with the Albumin... (elevated b/c of high RBC).

Elite athletes (cycling, running, etc) often have high RBC's. Perhaps iron supplementation can elevate RBC's... not sure.... I know for a fact that you do not want RBC to be too high, as it makes the heart work harder.

Theoretically, severe dehydration can elevated all of these numbers, but it would have to be chronic and rather severe. There are far more likely explanations (liver infection, for example), that can account for most of these findings.

Are you following up with the doctor? was he concerned about the other numbers?

I wish you well... Let us know how this turns out!

PD Looking at your post again, I see proteins are also elevated.... Why did you post this here??? are you concern and your dr is not? I would think he should be....

HerveDuchemin · 04-10-2009, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reefpicker

I know you didn't ask me, but in any event....

First, I disagree with Alan. You should take the advice of an experienced MD over any student, unless you have specific reasons not to trust your MD.

Second, if your concern is regarding your specific lifestyle, you should consider going to a sport medicine doctor.

Finally, as far as the numbers are concerned....
If the billirubin is only slightly elevated, the RBC is high, these two could be related (more RBC's might affect the billirubin, which is produced by the death of RBCs), but it could be pathologic. Same with the Albumin... (elevated b/c of high RBC).

Elite athletes (cycling, running, etc) often have high RBC's. Perhaps iron supplementation can elevate RBC's... not sure.... I know for a fact that you do not want RBC to be too high, as it makes the heart work harder.

Theoretically, severe dehydration can elevated all of these numbers, but it would have to be chronic and rather severe. There are far more likely explanations (liver infection, for example), that can account for most of these findings.

Are you following up with the doctor? was he concerned about the other numbers?

I wish you well... Let us know how this turns out!

PD Looking at your post again, I see proteins are also elevated.... Why did you post this here??? are you concern and your dr is not? I would think he should be....

Doctor said hes not concerned...because im healthy and told him my lifestyle...but I was personally concerned at how to fix these high numbers and achieve the good balance.

reefpicker · 04-10-2009, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HerveDuchemin

Doctor said hes not concerned...because im healthy and told him my lifestyle...but I was personally concerned at how to fix these high numbers and achieve the good balance.

Could be you have a trained's athelete physiology. You might want to get the opinion of a sports medicine dr.

I know that high RBCs is a common side effect of cardiovascular training (specially at higher elevations). Increase O2 demand causes inc. RBC production. More RBCs can inc. your Bilirubin levels, not sure how this tie up to Albumin and protein, but possible that higher number of RBCs dying (from the elevated RBC total) leads to this.... not sure... This is just completely SWAGing.

Analyst · 04-10-2009, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HerveDuchemin

Doctor said hes not concerned...because im healthy and told him my lifestyle...but I was personally concerned at how to fix these high numbers and achieve the good balance.

If your doctor isn't concerned, I wouldn't be, either. Unless (as Reef noted above) you have reason not to trust your doctor.

I spent many months worrying over an echocardiogram that showed slightly thick heart muscle walls. I googled everything I could about it and ended up worrying over having rare heart conditions, etc. A later echo, after I'd lost weight and gotten into running, showed everything completely normal. I worried over nothing.

If you're really concerned, get a second opinion. But you're obviously in very good health (the rapid weight loss was probably a little hard on you, but otherwise), so in my non-medical opinion I'd say "don't worry about it"

HerveDuchemin · 04-10-2009, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Analyst

If your doctor isn't concerned, I wouldn't be, either. Unless (as Reef noted above) you have reason not to trust your doctor.

I spent many months worrying over an echocardiogram that showed slightly thick heart muscle walls. I googled everything I could about it and ended up worrying over having rare heart conditions, etc. A later echo, after I'd lost weight and gotten into running, showed everything completely normal. I worried over nothing.

If you're really concerned, get a second opinion. But you're obviously in very good health (the rapid weight loss was probably a little hard on you, but otherwise), so in my non-medical opinion I'd say "don't worry about it"

thx for that

eddiebo · 04-10-2009, 02:40 PM

I get blood tested done every 3 months, so have seen some interesting variations, my NONPROFESIONAL understanding is your doctor may have been looking more to see if they were low, and not be concerned with the mild elevation simply because your liver tests are well within normal range.

The other posters may be very well onto something, that the "elevated" numbers may be due to your altheticism. The "normal" range may not truly take some extremes into account.

Though am curious and would like to hear back if and when you are better informed as to the cause of the elevation.