health check results

[added cholesterol info as requested by dad; not something I am terribly concerned about given my largely Japanese and vegetable-heavy diet]

Let's begin at the end, with a nice, fat WTF?!
Total score: D.
Now let's break it down:

Height/weight: A
I seem to be shrinking about a centimeter a year. Was 168.1 in 2008, 167.3 in 2009, and 166.8 in 2010. I know for a fact my posture is getting better, so I can only assume that I have successfully managed to reduce inefficient and unnecessary extra space in my body, thus making me more compact, dense, and as a result shorter.

Blood work: A

• Cholesterol
• total = 184 mg/dL
• LDL = 91 mg/dL
• HDL = 84 mg/dL

Liver function: C
Huh? This is attributed solely to something called bilirubin, which was 0.2 mg/dL higher than normal: "The total bilirubin level was noted to be just midly elevated in the blood test. Since no other abnormalities that go along with it were noted in the liver function test, it might constitutional, i.e. of a genetically-determined trait. No harm will be done at this level of abnormality, and there is no need for you to be nervous about it."
OK, so how about at least a B then? Damn, can't a guy get a break?

Renal function/urinalysis/electrolytes D
Damn! "Blood urea nitrogen, one of the parameters that reflect kidney functions, was noted to be elevated in the blood test. However, the extent of the abnormality at this level may just reflect the fact that food and fluid intake was restricted on the day of the examinations. In other words, mild dehydration might have been the cause of this mild increase in blood urea nitrogen."
Well yeah, I hadn't had anything to eat or drink since 6pm the previous day, a good 15 hours before, as instructed. So I do what I am told, they know that can screw up the results...and I get a D? No love man, no love.

Lipid Metabolism: A

Circulatory System: B
Every year the doctor takes a look at my ECG results and my blood pressure and pulse and says two things:

1. "You have a VERY low heart rate...you a marathon runner?" I got the low pulse from my dad, and now that I am actually running 3-4 times a week, it's even lower. My typical standing heart rate is in the low 50s.
   The comment was, again: "sinus bradycardia"
2. [looks at ECG results...scratches chin...looks at me...looks at results again...] "You...ever been diagnosed with or treated for a heart condition?" When I was in high school I was told I had nonclassic mitral valve prolapse. I was also told there wasn't a damn thing to be done about it, and it would either kill me, or it wouldn't.
   I guess I went for option #3: confuse my health check ECG results every year.

Chest X-Ray: A

Upper digestive tract: C
For the first time I did the drink-barium-and-ride-the-roller-coaster-x-ray-machine. I actually kinda enjoyed it, but the results: "Findings suggestive of chronic gastritis (chronic inflammation of the stomach mucous membrane) were noted in the upper gut barium swallow X-ray."
I suspect that is left over from my history of "stomach problems", which thanks to PCP I have largely solved, merely be eating real food that is non-surprisingly easy to digest.
And every now and then, just to remind myself, I binge on greasy, fried onion rings and then feel utterly miserable with multiple trips to the toilet.
So I'll take this C as a legacy issue.

Overall, I am quite happy with the individual results.
Numbers going down (good or bad!):

• Blood pressure: 108/57 (128/68 last year, 137/72 the year before that)
• Weight: 64.8 kilos (73.2 last year)
• Height: 166.8 (167.3 last year, 168.1 the year before that)