For those paleo's with an interest in such things.
I had my vegetarian blood work done 4 months ago. Tomorrow I will post the comparision between veg. and paleo. It should be an interesting study.
Jeff
I have no idea why this center aligned!
Testing your blood to avoid cardiovascular disease
Don't let complacent doctors put you at risk for heart disease and stroke. The following chart shows the most common blood tests that can help reveal underlying cardiovascular disease risk factors.
As can be seen on the chart below, blood test results that conventional doctors accept as being "normal" can be lethal to you. In other words, what the "Standard Reference Range" allows is not always a practical indicator for where your "optimal" level should be.
In many cases, a "Standard Reference Range" reflects what is expected to be seen in the average population. Since cardiovascular disease remains the number one killer of Americans, you don't ever want to be part of the "average" range when it comes to cardiovascular disease risk factors.
By keeping your blood levels in the "Optimal Range," rather than the average "Standard Reference Range," you take advantage of the increasing volume of evidence showing that most heart attacks and strokes are preventable.
As you can see, the "Standard Reference Range" often dangerously differs from what the published research indicates is protective against cardiovascular disease.
Blood Test What The "Standard Reference Range" Allows The "Optimal" Level
Where YOU Want To Be
Fibrinogen Up to 460 mg/dL Under 300 mg/dL
C-reactive protein Up to 4.9 mg/L Under 2 mg/L
Some studies indicate C-reactive protein levels should be below 1.3 mg/L(33,34)
Homocysteine Up to 15 micro mol/L Under 7 micro mol/L
Glucose Up to 109 mg/dL Under 100 mg/dL
Iron Up to 180 mg/dL Under 100 mcg/dL
Cholesterol Up to 199 mg/dL Between 180-220 mg/dL
LDL cholesterol Up to 129 mg/dL Under 100 mg/dL
HDL cholesterol No lower than 35 mg/dL Over 50 mg/dL
Triglycerides Up to 199 mg/dL Under 100 mg/dL
DHEA Males: No lower than 80 mcg/dL Between 400-560 mcg/dL
Females: No lower than 35 mcg/dL Between 350-430 mcg/dL
*There are numerous published studies indicating that cholesterol levels should ideally be under 200. The Life Extension Foundation believes it is more important to concentrate on suppressing dangerous LDL cholesterol and increasing beneficial HDL levels. If other risk factors such as homocysteine, fibrinogen, C-reactive protein, etc. are individually adjusted to reflect "optimal" ranges, then a slightly higher total cholesterol of up to 220 might be acceptable. Please note that cholesterol levels below 180 present increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke and other diseases, so it is important that people maintain a minimal amount of cholesterol, i.e. 180 milligrams per deciliter of blood. It is important to note that in the past, cholesterol levels well above 200 were considered within the "normal" reference range.
Note: For those with existing cardiovascular disease, the Troponin I blood test is highly recommended. Optimal levels are under 0.4 ng/mL, intermediate levels are between 0.5 and 1.9 ng/ml and dangerously high levels are considered over 2.0 ng/ml. Based on an extrapolation of the most recent New England Journal of Medicine study35, cardiac patients with troponin I levels over 0.4 ng/mL should ask their cardiologists to consider antiplatelet or antithrombotic therapy. In The New England Journal of Medicine study, those with troponin T levels in the intermediate range were seven times more likely to die over a 37-month period, while cardiac patients with troponin T levels above the intermediate range were almost 13 times as likely to die over a 37-month period.
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