Hi Sina,

Your mother's lab work is pretty good.

Fasting blood sugar needs to be between 70 to 100 mg/dL.  Your mother's is good at 84 mg/dL.

Total cholesterol needs to be less than 200 mg/dL.  At 199 mg/dL your mother's total cholesterol is okay.

Triglycerides need to be less than 200 mg/dL, some MD's prefer less than 150 mg/dL.  If that is the case, refer to this article for tips - Triglycerides: Why they matter and how to lower them.

HDL needs to be above 40 mg/dL, ideally greater than 60 mg/dL.  HDL can be increased through physical activity.  Aim for being active 5 days/week for at a minimum of 30 minutes.

Also, reduce saturated fat and trans fat, increase dietary fiber (especially soluble fiber), and add omega 3 fatty acids (Get a Grip on Fatty Acids).  Moderate alcohol intake (no more than 1 drink per day) promotes increased HDL, but if your mother doesn't currently drink, I do not recommend starting.

LDL should be less than 130 mg/dL.  No worries for your mother at 106 mg/dL.

Creatinine should be between 0.6-1.2 mg/dL.  Your mother is within this range at 0.7 mg/dL.

The normal range for urea is 5 to 20 mg/dL.  Your mother's urea is slightly elevated at 25 mg/dL.  Urea is a bi-product of the breakdown of protein.  If your mother's diet is especially high in protein, it may be wise to cut back to a more moderate intake of protein.  However, I recommend discussing your mother's urea level with her MD to make sure there is no underlying cause for concern.

All the best,

Lisa Nelson, RD, LN

The Heart of Health ezine