How to read the health check report? What do abnormal values ​​mean? Famous doctors answer 5 common Q&As during health checkups

The westernization of diet and the aging of the population have led to a high prevalence of chronic diseases in Taiwan, which has increased from 28.3% in 2000 to 42.1% in 2018. More than 80% of the elderly report suffering from more than one chronic disease.

Although chronic diseases mostly occur in the elderly, there is a trend of getting younger year by year. One in four adults suffers from metabolic syndrome. Therefore, early detection and early treatment through health checks have become a key to health care. However, due to the impact of the epidemic in recent years, the utilization rate of adult preventive health care services in 2011 was only 30%.

Dr. Chen Zhemin, Chief Physician of the Family Medicine Department of the Ren'ai Branch of Taipei Municipal United Hospital, sorted out the common health check-up questions of the public, taught everyone how to interpret health check-up reports, and also told you what examination items the government currently provides? Where can I get a health check-up?

Question 1: What are the examination items in the adult health check-up?

"answer"

Adult health check-up mainly includes four parts, namely: basic information questionnaire, physical examination (including general physical examination, height, weight, blood pressure, BMI and waist circumference), laboratory test (including urine protein test and blood biochemical test - GOT, GPT, creatinine, blood sugar, blood lipids, etc.) and health consultation! In addition, the government will provide additional subsidies for lifetime hepatitis B and C screening for people aged 45 to 79 and Aboriginal friends aged 40 to 79.

Question 2: How to read the health check report? What do abnormal values ​​mean?

Answer》The following are some common health checkup report data:

●Body Mass Index (BMI): measures obesity

What is BMI? How to calculate?

BMI is a value obtained by dividing body weight (kg) by height (m) squared, and can be used as a standard to measure obesity levels.

What is the normal range of BMI?

BMI<18.5: indicates "underweight" and needs to pay more attention to whether the calorie intake is sufficient and exercise moderately

18.5≦BMI<24: This means you are currently in a "healthy body position" and can continue to maintain it.

24≦BMI<27: Indicates "overweight" and requires moderate diet control and exercise to return to a healthy body shape

BMI≧27: Has reached the "obese" standard. It is recommended to consult a nutritionist to manage weight through diet and exercise.

What are the health effects of being overweight and obese?

In addition to easily increasing the burden on the knee joints, excessive fat can easily affect hormone secretion, causing menstrual disorders and even infertility. In addition, the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure will also be greatly increased!

Waist circumference: assessing the amount of visceral fat

What is the significance of measuring waist circumference during health check-up?

Waist circumference can reflect the accumulation of abdominal fat and can also be used to assess the risk of diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. 50% of people with excessive waist circumference will have metabolic syndrome (link).

What is the standard waist circumference? What are the health effects of having an excessively large waistline?

The waist circumference of men is <90 cm, and that of women is <80 cm. If it exceeds this limit, it is considered as having an "abdominal obesity" problem.

Too much fat accumulated in the abdomen can easily lead to metabolic abnormalities, resulting in problems such as insulin resistance, increased blood sugar, and high blood pressure.

●Blood pressure: assesses cardiovascular status in the body

Normal blood pressure should be systolic pressure <120 mmHg, and diastolic pressure <80 mmHg. If the blood pressure range is between 120/80-140/90 mm/Hg, it is in the early stage of hypertension, which means it is more likely to develop into hypertension. Long-term hypertension can easily lead to vascular sclerosis, organ failure such as heart and kidney, and even stroke, heart disease and other hazards.

What is blood pressure?

Blood pressure is the pressure that blood flows from the heart to the blood vessels. The contraction and relaxation of the heart will cause different pressures, so there is a difference between systolic and diastolic pressure.

What factors affect blood pressure?

High blood lipids can lead to blood viscosity, lack of blood vessel elasticity or narrowing of arteries, which can increase blood pressure. Therefore, measuring blood pressure can be used to assess the body's circulation status.

What is the blood pressure standard? What are the effects of high blood pressure on your health?

Normal blood pressure should be systolic pressure <120 mmHg, and diastolic pressure <80 mmHg. If the blood pressure range is between 120/80-140/90 mm/Hg, it is in the early stage of hypertension, which means it is more likely to develop into hypertension. Long-term hypertension can easily lead to vascular sclerosis, organ failure such as heart and kidney, and even stroke, heart disease and other hazards.

Glomerular filtration rate (eGFR): assesses kidney function

What is glomerular filtration rate?

The glomerular filtration rate refers to the total amount of blood that the kidneys can purify in one minute. The smaller the value, the worse the kidneys' ability to eliminate toxins and the tendency of renal function decline.

What are the effects of poor kidney function?

In addition to metabolizing waste, the kidneys also have the function of regulating water and blood pressure, activating vitamin D and producing erythropoietin. Therefore, when there is a problem with kidney function, conditions such as uremia, hypertension, edema, anemia and osteoporosis are likely to occur.

What is the normal value of glomerular filtration rate?

The normal value is between 100-120 mL/min/1.73m2. When there is some proteinuria and eGFR≧90, it enters the first stage of chronic kidney disease. When the value is <15, it is end-stage renal disease and dialysis is needed to help the body metabolize water and waste.

●GOT, GPT: assess liver health

GOT and GPT are important enzymes in the body, mainly present in liver cells. When liver cells are necrotic, these two substances will be released into the blood. Therefore, GOT and GPT are often used clinically to assess the degree of liver inflammation or damage, and are therefore often referred to as "liver function indicators."

What are GOT and GPT?

GOT and GPT are important enzymes in the body, mainly present in liver cells. When liver cells are necrotic, these two substances will be released into the blood. Therefore, GOT and GPT are often used clinically to assess the degree of liver inflammation or damage, and are therefore often referred to as "liver function indicators."

What are the normal values ​​of GOT and GPT? What does exceeding the standard mean?

The normal value should be less than 40 U/L. If it exceeds this value, it indicates that the liver is inflamed and damaged.

The liver has the functions of producing bile, coagulation factors, storing nutrients, synthesizing proteins and detoxifying in the body. Therefore, when the liver is damaged, it is easy to have problems such as fatigue, jaundice, insomnia, indigestion, etc.

● Blood sugar: When insulin secretion is abnormal, there will be high blood sugar problem

Normal fasting blood sugar level for 8 hours should be below 100 mg/dL, and blood sugar level after a meal should be below 140 mg/dL. When fasting blood sugar level exceeds 126, it is diagnosed as diabetes.

Why does blood sugar become high?

Blood sugar is the glucose in the blood. Under normal circumstances, the human body will secrete enough insulin to balance the level of blood sugar. Therefore, when insulin secretion is blocked or insufficient, it will lead to high blood sugar.

What is the normal blood sugar level?

Normal fasting blood sugar level for 8 hours should be below 100 mg/dL, and blood sugar level after a meal should be below 140 mg/dL. When fasting blood sugar level exceeds 126, it is diagnosed as diabetes.

What are the effects of high blood sugar on the body?

If organs are immersed in high blood sugar for a long time, they are prone to cardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure and stroke due to vascular mutations, retinopathy and blindness, and even abnormalities in the kidneys and nerves.

Blood lipids: including cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, HDL

What are blood lipids?

Blood lipids mainly include cholesterol and triglycerides. Cholesterol is mainly produced by the liver, while triglycerides are more affected by diet and can store energy for the body to use when needed.

What are LDL and HDL? What is the difference?

Cholesterol is fat-soluble, so it needs to be transported in the blood by lipoproteins. Based on the fat density, lipoproteins are divided into low-density lipoproteins and high-density lipoproteins. The cholesterol they carry is therefore divided into low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C).

One of the biggest differences between LDL and HDL is that LDL transports cholesterol from the liver to the blood vessels. When it accumulates on the blood vessel walls, it can easily lead to blood clots. HDL, on the other hand, is the scavenger of blood vessels and is responsible for transporting cholesterol from the blood vessels to the liver for metabolism. That’s why it’s called good cholesterol.

What is the normal blood lipid value?

Total cholesterol: <200 mg/dL

Triglycerides: <150 mg/dL

LDL cholesterol: <130 mg/dL

High-density lipoprotein cholesterol: Males ≧40 mg/dL, Females ≧50 mg/dL

Question 3: Who needs an adult health check-up? What subsidies are currently available for health check-ups?

Chronic diseases usually have no symptoms in the early stages, and regular health checks are needed to detect them early in order to understand one's own health status. It is recommended that if you have a family history of chronic diseases, are overweight, have a habit of smoking and drinking, are over 40 years old, have an irregular daily routine, or are aware of physical abnormalities, you should develop a good habit of regular health checks and make good use of the adult preventive health care services provided by the National Health Administration of the Ministry of Health and Welfare to "early detection and early treatment."

●How much is the health check-up subsidy? Do I need to pay for it myself? Who are the recipients of the subsidy?

Currently, the National Health Administration of the Ministry of Health and Welfare provides free adult health checkups every three years for people over 40 years old and once a year for people over 65 years old (or indigenous people over 55 years old, or people with polio who are over 35 years old). The items include the above-mentioned examinations.

Question 4: Where can I get a health check-up?

Currently, the Taipei City Government Health Bureau provides a "Map of Specialized Medical Institutions for Adult Preventive Health Care" (link), which allows users to directly search online for medical institutions near their homes that can provide adult health examinations.

Question 5: What should you pay attention to during health check-ups?

●What should you pay attention to in your diet during health check-ups?

Adult health check-ups require blood tests for fasting blood sugar, cholesterol, blood lipids, etc., so fasting for more than 8 hours is required. It is generally recommended not to eat after midnight.

●What should I bring for the health check-up?

The public must bring their ID cards and health insurance cards, and indigenous people should remember to bring their household registration books or supporting documents to medical institutions.

● Doctors recommend health checkup procedures

Because the health check requires fasting for 8 hours, it is recommended that you search online for medical institutions near your home that can perform health checks, and call to make an appointment to avoid being unable to complete the health check on site.

Suggested process: Search online for medical institutions that can perform adult health checkups → Make an appointment by phone → After confirming the date, fast for 8 hours before the checkup → Bring your health insurance card and ID card to the medical institution → Have a safe checkup → Receive the report in about a week.

This article is provided by / Good Food Class

Author: Nutritionist He Caixuan

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