My blood test results after 11 years as vegan...

[RunsWithFoxes]

Some highlights from the first comprehensive blood test I've had since becoming vegan 11 years ago:

+ total cholesterol: 140 (HDL:44 LDL:70)

+ risk of cardiovascular disease: < 0.2 (considered EXTREMELY low risk)
- < 1.0 = low risk
- 1.0 to 3.0 = moderate risk
- 3.0 to 10.0 = high risk
- > 10.0 = make out a will

+ Vitamin B-12: 314 ; reference range is 200-1100; desired value >400
- doc said I need to increase my Vitamin B-12 supplementation; will do

+ Vitamin D: 28 ; reference range is 20-100; desired value >32
- doc said I need to increase my Vitamin D supplementation; will do

+ PSA: 0.8 ; good number - gotta watch out prostate cancer

Summary: I would much rather watch from the sidelines as 100's of thousands of carnies march to early tragic deaths from cardiovascular disease, and have Vitamin B-12 and Vitamin-D on the low side of normal, rather than vice-versa. I'm currently not suffering any (known) malfunctions traceable to either low Vitamin B-12 or D.

[VEGIHEAD]

Awsome results....
You must be VERY proud....

And I sure you can get those 2 levels up easy...

Congratulations...

[karenlovessnow]

Nice test results! Good work!

[chocsoymilk]

Great job!

I wonder over how long a period your cholesterol will continue to drop after becoming a vegan.

I bc vegan 2.5 yrs ago and after 1 year my cholesterol had dropped 25 pts., but I haven't had it checked since then.

Also, is your diet primarily whole foods or do you just stick with a primarily average vegan diet (lots of good, some crap?)

Just interested.

[RunsWithFoxes]

Also, is your diet primarily whole foods or do you just stick with a primarily average vegan diet (lots of good, some crap?)

Primarily whole foods. Each week I come home from the grocery loaded with stuff that was yanked out of the ground or plucked off a bush/tree. I consume almost no refined sugar. My dentist raves about my teeth - don't know if there's a connection there.

[Tazula]

Interesting to see others blood tests...

mine gets tested every week for a different purpose but the results are always good to know your in good health.

[Mrrple]

Nice.

Get your 15 minutes of sunlight a day, that's the best way to get D.

And there's always fortified drinks or supplements for the Winter times <3

B12 is easy too

Good job!

[figsNolives]

..it's been so long since I visited veggieboards...nice to come back now.

Ok,so I got my blood work test results. Here they are, I get an A+ LOL

This was a new doctor that I saw, and told her I'm a vegetarian (but I'm more 99% vegan) , but did not think of getting iron, or B12 numbers tested.. arghhhh ...(and she didn't either but I'm not too worried, I do take a daily multivitamin and Nutritional yeast on occasion and a calcium/Vitamin D supplement although I am in the Sun a lot so not worried about vit.D)...

All units are mg/DL and I was fasting.

Basic Metabolic Panel
Glucose, serum - 81
BUN - 8
Creatinine,serum - 0.9
BUN/Creatinine ratio - 9
Sodium, serum - 141
Potassium, serum - 4.4
Chloride, serum - 105
Carbon Dioxide, Total - 25
Calcium, serum - 9.1

Lipid Panel
Cholesterol, Total - 121
Triglycerides - 62
HDL Cholesterol - 46
VLDL Cholesterol - 12
LDL Cholesterol - 63

TSH - 0.588 (I've always seemed to have a low TSH number)

My HDL seems a bit low even though it's in the normal range, any ideas how to raise it?

thanks

[ksfc]

My HDL seems a bit low even though it's in the normal range, any ideas how to raise it? thanks

I'm not an expert, but from what I've read the critical number is your total cholesterol, which at 121 is excellent. I believe that there is virtually zero risk of heart attacks and strokes if total cholesterol is under 150 (without the use of medication). There's a lot of media focus on the ratios (the latest fad focus), but I think that's a red herring for the vast majority of people - it's the total number that matters most.

Congratulations on your health! But you probably knew you were good anyway. If you want to get your iron tested, go and donate blood - you'll find out and save lives at the same time! I love going along and having them say my iron's just fine and lecturing me about eating plenty of beef to keep it up and then watching their reaction when I say it's been years since I had any animal products and I haven't taken an iron supplement in probably 15 years. The only times I've approached anemia was when I did eat meat and dairy.

[Dirty Martini]

Actually, mortality increases when total cholesterol levels are under 150ish or above 260ish. Deaths are typically non-cardiovascular when cholesterol is under 150, but mortality increases nonetheless.

You can raise your HDL by eating more monounsaturated fats. They won't raise your LDL.