Tests to request at your next physical

Understanding your health status is an important first step in preventing numerous diseases. Even though you may feel fine, your body could be telling a different story. Requesting a handful of basic tests at your next doctor’s visit can help paint a picture of your overall health and empower you to be proactive about staying well.

Understanding your blood pressure can help you avoid future health problems. Blood pressure is defined by two numbers: systolic pressure and diastolic pressure.

When the heart beats, it creates pressure in the arteries called systolic pressure. This is the higher number of the two components of your blood pressure. Diastolic pressure measures arterial pressure when the heart is resting between beats. A normal blood pressure reading is 120/80. Someone with high blood pressure, or hypertension (the clinical term), has systolic pressure above 140 and diastolic pressure above 90.

People older than 20 should have blood pressure screenings at least every two years, if the first test gives a normal reading, suggests the American Heart Association. If the blood pressure reading is high, your doctor may take more readings over a course of time, or have you check your blood pressure at home. If you are diagnosed with hypertension, your doctor will work with you to develop a treatment plan focused on diet, exercise and medication, if necessary. 

Another important test to undergo at your physical is a complete lipid panel. This test measures the total sum of cholesterol in blood; low-density lipoprotein (LDL); high-density lipoprotein (HDL); and triglycerides.

LDL, or “bad” cholesterol, is the major carrier of cholesterol in the blood stream. HDL, or “good” cholesterol, carries LDL back to the liver to prevent it from attaching to the artery walls. Triglycerides are a type of fat in the blood that can be stored in fat cells. 

Getting a lipid panel involves a simple, fasting blood test, and the results help your doctor understand your risk for heart disease and other illnesses. A healthy lipid panel would show total cholesterol at 200 or less mg/dl; LDL at 100 or less; HDL greater than 40 in men and greater than 50 in women; and triglycerides less than 150.