Interpreting Your Test Results | Heart Health | Kishwaukee Community Hospital

Interpreting Your Test Results

Determining the extent of your cardiac evaluation requires interpretation of the following test results and risk factors. What do your test results mean?

Cholesterol

Total Cholesterol (fasting is highly desirable prior to this test)
200 or less - desirable cholesterol level
201 to 239 - borderline high cholesterol level
240 or higher - high cholesterol level

LDL Cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol; test is valid if taken after fasting)
100 or less - optimal LDL cholesterol level
100 to 129 – near optimal/above optimal LDL cholesterol level
130 to 159 – borderline high LDL cholesterol level
160 to 189 – high LDL cholesterol level
190 or greater – very high LDL cholesterol level

HDL Cholesterol (the "good" cholesterol; fasting is highly desirable prior to this test)
40 or less – low HDL cholesterol level
60 or greater – high HDL cholesterol level (desirable)

Triglycerides

(test is valid if taken after fasting)
150 or less - normal level of triglycerides
150 to 199 - borderline high level of triglycerides
200 to 499 - high level of triglycerides
500 or greater – very high level of triglycerides

Sources: National Cholesterol Education Program, ATP III At-A-Glance: Quick Desk Reference
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Public Health Service
National Institutes of Health
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
NIH Publication No. 01-3305, May 2001

Blood Glucose Fasting

(no food or drink, except water and medications for at least 12 hours before testing)
99 or less - normal blood glucose level
100 to 125 - elevated blood glucose level, may indicate impaired fasting glucose or pre-diabetes
126 or higher - tested on two different days; may indicate diabetes

Source: A portion of this information was taken from the American Diabetes Association, www.diabetes.org, 10/17/08.

Blood Pressure (systolic over diastolic, "120 over 80")

Systolic Pressure (when heart is beating)
119 or less - normal systolic blood pressure
120 to 139 - pre-hypertenstion
140 or higher - hypertension, may indicate need for treatment

Diastolic Pressure (when heart is at rest)
79 or less - normal diastolic blood pressure
80 to 89 – pre-hypertension
90 or higher - hypertension may indicate need for treatment

Sources: American Heart Association, www.americanheart.org, last reviewed 4/18/08.

Coronary Artery Calcium Level (determined by Cardiac CT)

Cardiac CT reveals the extent of calcification in the heart's coronary arteries, which indicates the presence of atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries. Determining the extent of cardiac risk requires interpretation of the calcium score in combination with other tests and risk factors, particularly age and gender. Generally, Cardiac Calcium Scoring is not predictive of risk in persons under age 40.

0 - no identifiable calcification
1 to 10 - minimal identifiable calcification
11 to 100 – mild calcification
101 to 400 – moderate calcification
401 and above – significant calcification

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