When meeting a patient for the first time, I can tell a lot about them by just looking at their numbers. You’re probably thinking “What numbers – maybe their height and weight?” Yes, those play a role, but instead I’m thinking more about their blood pressure, cholesterol, and glucose levels. Those numbers are full of information not just about their health history, but their future health, too.
Blood pressure is checked every time you come into our office and that number says a lot about overall health. If it’s on the high side, a patient is more at risk for heart disease and stroke. Simply put, high blood pressure does a lot of damage to the human body. The good news is there are several steps patients can take to lower their blood pressure without resorting to medication. Losing weight, quitting smoking, getting more exercise, following a diet that’s low in sodium and reducing stress can all naturally lower blood pressure. If those methods don’t work, there are several medications physicians can use to help bring it down.
If patients have high levels of cholesterol, a waxy substance in the lipids of their blood stream, it can also lead to heart attacks and strokes. Some of the same steps patients take to lower high blood pressure can also lead to lower cholesterol levels, including getting more exercise and eating a healthy diet. Medication is also available to help bring those numbers down.
The third number I look at is glucose. If glucose levels are too high, a patient is at risk of developing diabetes, one of the fastest growing diseases in the United States. Left untreated, it can lead to serious health problems, including heart attack and stroke, kidney damage, nerve damage, eye damage, and skin problems, such as taking longer to heal from cuts and blisters especially on the feet. Doctors look at a variety of issues when treating diabetes, including the blood sugar levels and family history. Sometimes, losing weight and starting an exercise regimen can lower glucose levels while other times patients need to begin taking insulin to regulate their blood sugar. Monitoring blood sugar levels is key for all diabetics and pre-diabetics (those at high risk of developing the disease).
Checking blood pressure, cholesterol, and glucose levels are so important because patients don’t always have symptoms when there is a problem. If you don’t know what your numbers are, ask your physician to check them and then explain to you what they mean. A little knowledge can go a long way to improving your overall health.
Dr. Gilbert Steffanides is a family medicine physician who sees patients at Waushara Family Physicians-Wild Rose and Waushara Family Physicians-Wautoma.
