Health Screening (2012) - Blood Pressure and Total Cholesterol

It's routine for me to have an annual health screening. Besides providing a more accurate picture of my health condition, i love that anticipation of not knowing what to expect; for better or for worse!

After eleven days of waiting (impatiently if i may add), the confidential medical docket finally arrived in my mailbox today.

The very first thing i checked was my BMI (Body Mass Index) as it is no secret i have ballooned in the last five years. My work in NUS has resulted in a ten-kilogram gain, which is a great deal when i am no taller than 1.65 meters!

*happy* i have cut down four kilograms over the past four years and my Asian BMI is finally in the normal range. Phew.... My goal is to reduce another five kilograms!

Next up is blood pressure - recorded as 134 / 73 mmHg. Categorised as "High Normal", this did not come as a surprise as i have been under great stress in my job since the fourth quarter of last year.

In fact, i half expected myself to be somewhere around "Grade 1 Hypertension". It could have been the case if someone took my blood pressure this morning.

Since i started health screening a few years ago, total cholesterol has always been noted as my biggest problem. From a high of 252 in year 2009, i managed to arrest it last year by scoring a healthy 198.

At 237 this year, my total cholesterol is now (sadly) in the second worst level in four years. On a happier note, i scored better results in HDL (known as good cholesterol) and reduced my triglycerides by almost 30%!

Well, it is still a worrying trend when my LDL (known as bad bad cholesterol) has spiked from 130 to 173 within a year. Sigh; guess i have to include more non-meat products in my diet....

Never mind, i have great affection for sweet potato soup, deep fried mushrooms and barbecued corns.