Health Report Card

My company recently got into an arrangement with Quaker to run a "Love Your Heart" campaign. I went along on a whim (last minute actually) as I've never had my cholesterol level measured. Each participant will have the opportunity to have their bio-markers measured. Persons with high cholesterol will be provided sponsored Quaker Oats breakfast for 1 month, including weekends, their diet tracked and end results measured. A dietitian will be on hand to provide advice along the way.

I've just got my results. Thank goodness the dietery care I exercised over the years plus the running I've done have paid off. The results:

Total cholesterol: 4.1 (less than 5.2)
HDL (good cholesterol): 1.1 (more than 1.03)
LDL (bad cholesterol): 2.22 (less than 2.58)
Total Cho/HDL ratio: 3.7 (less than 5.0)
Glucose:4.9 (3.9 - 5.5) - even though I didn't fast the night before

I wish to stress that running is not the solution to health problems. It may help balance your blood sugar and BP but not cure cholesterol problems or worse, cancer. In fact Jim Fixx - widely recognized as the person who started the joggin craze in the 70s - died of heart attack while on the run. This excellent short article touches on the cause of his death.

I strongly advice all runners to get their bio-markers checked annually, if not regularly. Awareness and action save lives.