Health Screening Services Understand your vital numbers Book a health test in-store or online Shop online mccabespharmacy.com You’re Amazing. Let’s keep you that way!
Health Screening Services “Your health is our number one priority…it’s time to make it yours.” “It’s up to all of us to be proactive in managing our health. Today, you’re taking the first step! In this booklet you’ll learn all about those vital numbers and what they mean for you. A wide range of health screening services are available in your local McCabes Pharmacy. All services can be easily booked at mccabespharmacy.com” Your McCabes Pharmacy Team Blood Pressure Test A blood pressure reading shows the amount of work that the heart is doing to pump blood around the body. In most cases a person is unaware that they suffer from high blood pressure until an event such as a heart attack or stroke occurs. We recommend checking your blood pressure once a year if you are over the age of 30 and more frequently if you suffer from underlying medical conditions. The first step to improving your blood pressure is to know it. What do the numbers mean? Systolic Pressure - the pressure when the heart pushes blood out. Diastolic Pressure - the pressure when the heart rests between beats. Blood pressure tests are free and available in all McCabes Pharmacies. 24 Hour Blood Pressure Monitor A diagnosis of high blood pressure will not be made from one reading as measurements can vary depending on age, activity levels before the test and whether you are anxious before the test is performed. The more blood pressure readings you have, the more accurate your diagnosis will be, particularly as blood pressure fluctuates throughout the day and night. A 24 hour blood pressure test is often recommended by a doctor before deciding if a person needs to take medication to treat high blood pressure or indeed change the medication they are taking to manage it. A 24 hour blood pressure test is available in all McCabes Pharmacies, your pharmacist will fit a discreet monitor in-store and remove it the next day. You will be provided with a detailed report based on the readings the monitor has taken over the previous 24 hours and this report can then be taken to your GP. 2 Speak to your McCabes Pharmacist
Health Screening Services Understanding Blood Pressure BLOOD PRESSURE READING Less or equal to 120/80mmHg Less than 130/85mmHg 131/86 -139/89mmHg 146/96 – 159/99mmHg 160/100 – 179/109mmHg Greater or equal to 180/110mmHg FOLLOW UP ADVICE Follow lifestyle advice. Follow lifestyle advice. Follow lifestyle advice. This is borderline high, discuss with your doctor. Follow lifestyle advice and discuss with your doctor as this is a high result. Follow lifestyle advice. This is a high result so you should speak to your doctor within 24hrs, if feeling unwell we will call an ambulance. You should consult a doctor urgently as this is a very high reading. “You r heart is as big as two hands clasped togeth er. Togeth er, we can take goo d care of it.” 3 Book online at mccabespharmacy.com
Health Screening Services Body Mass Index (BMI) Test BMI is a measure of the amount of weight a person carries for their height, it’s one of the most accurate ways to determine whether an adult is overweight. A high BMI may indicate a risk of heart disease and diabetes, especially if there are other risk factors present. We recommend checking your BMI once a year. BMI tests are free and available in all McCabes Pharmacies Cholesterol Test High cholesterol is when you have too much of a fatty substance called cholesterol in your blood and is a major risk for coronary heart disease. It’s mainly caused by eating fatty food, not exercising enough, being overweight, smoking and drinking alcohol. It can also run in families. High cholesterol does not cause symptoms and you will only find out if you have it when you have a blood test. To test cholesterol, a small sample of blood is taken. This sample is then put onto a strip which is then put into a machine which reads the level of cholesterol. This test does not require fasting. We recommend testing your cholesterol levels annually, and more often if you have underlying conditions. What do the numbers mean? Total Cholesterol - the overall amount of cholesterol in your blood, including both “good” and “bad” cholesterol. Good Cholesterol (called HDL) - makes you less likely to have heart problems or a stroke. Bad Cholesterol (called LDL) - makes you more likely to have heart problems or a stroke. Triglycerides - a fatty substance similar to bad cholesterol. Vitamin D Test The main function of vitamin D is to aid the absorption of calcium during bone formation. It also has antiinflammatory properties and others that play a role in maintaining a normal muscle, immune, and nervous system. Vitamin D may also contribute to balancing mood. Testing measures the level of this essential substance in the blood and can diagnose deficiencies or be used to monitor treatment for a known deficiency. The test takes just 2 minutes! 4 Speak to your McCabes Pharmacist
Health Screening Services Understanding BMI BMI Less than 18.5 kg/m² 18.5 - 24.9 kg/m² 25 - 29.9 kg/m² >30 kg/m² CATEGORY HEALTH RISKS Underweight Healthy Weight Overweight Obese Risks include: osteoporosis, infertility and lung disease. Low risk of disease. Increased risk of type 2 diabetes, high BP, heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease and certain types of cancer. Higher increased risk of all the above. Understanding Cholesterol Cholesterol Total Cholesterol LDL Cholesterol HDL Cholesterol Triglycerides For people with established heart disease or diabetes Total Cholesterol LDL Cholesterol Understanding Vitamin D 25 Hydroxy D Test, or 25 (OH)D LESS THAN 30 ng/ml Deficient 30 - 39 ng/ml Adequate Healthy level mmol/1 No more than 5 No more than 3 More than 1 No more than 2 No more than 4.5 No more than 2.5 40 - 59 ng/ml Optimal 60 - 100 ng/ml Therapeutic ng/ml: nanograms per millilitre. Note: There is no consensus standard for Vitamin D levels. “You have over 60,000 miles of blood vessels. And we’re here to do the roadworks.” 5 Book online at mccabespharmacy.com Greater than 100 Excess
Health Screening Services Iron Test Haemoglobin is the iron-containing protein attached to red blood cells, it transports oxygen around the body. Either high or low levels of haemoglobin can be dangerous. The test involves a finger prick to obtain a very small sample of blood. This sample is then read by a machine which tells us the level of haemoglobin. Quick and simple! Glucose Test Diabetes is a metabolic disorder in which the body has high sugar levels for prolonged periods of time and is caused when there is inadequate production of insulin or insulin resistance. Symptoms may include frequent urination, excessive thirst or hunger, and weight changes. Your blood sugar levels go up and down throughout the day and for people living with diabetes these changes are larger and happen more often than in people who don’t have diabetes. One in ten people around the world are living with diabetes, a lifelong condition listed by the World Health Organization in 2019 as one of the top ten leading cases of deaths globally. To test diabetes we take a small sample of blood, a machine then reads the level of glucose. It takes the machine only 2 minutes to read the sample! What do the numbers mean? TARGET LEVELS BY TYPE Non-diabetic* Type 2 diabetes Type 1 diabetes UPON WAKING BEFORE MEALS (pre prandial) 5.0 - 7 mmol/L 4.0 - 5.9 mmol/L 4.0 - 7 mmol/L 4.0 - 7 mmol/L AT LEAST 90 MINUTES AFTER MEALS (post prandial) under 7.8 mmol/L under 8.5 mmol/L 5.0 - 9 mmol/L Diabetes HbA1c Test HbA1c is a blood test to measure your average blood sugar level over the last 3 months. Indications of diabetes or prediabetes are given under the following conditions: Normal: below 42 mmol/mol (6.0%) Prediabetes: 42 to 47 mmol/mol (6.0 - 6.4%) Diabetes: 48 mmol/mol (6.5% or over) 6 Speak to your McCabes Pharmacist
Health Screening Services Understanding Haemoglobin SEX OF PATIENT Male Female DESIRABLE RANGE 13 - 18 g/dl 11.5 - 16 g/dl Understanding Glucose DESIRABLE 2.5-8 mmol/L Glucose level Action BORDERLINE - LOW 11 - 13 g/dl 9.5 - 11.5 g/dl LOW Less than 11 g/dl Less than 9.5 g/dl BORDERLINE 8-11 mmol/L HIGH Over 11 mmol/L Follow lifestyle advice Discuss with your doctor Discuss with your doctor Understanding Diabetes (HbA1c) NORMAL RANGE BORDERLINE REFERRAL 4% and 5.6% 5.7% and 6.4% indicates increased risk of diabetes 6.5% or higher should be discussed with your doctor The goal for our patients with diabetes is a HbA1c less than 7%. The higher the HbA1c, the higher the risks of developing complications related to diabetes. “You can’t change you r genes. Togeth er, we can change you r lifestyle.” 7 Book online at mccabespharmacy.com
We’re here to advise and reassure you. To heal and soothe you. To cherish and nurture you. To strengthen and support you. To remind you that you’re amazing. And to keep you that way. PLEASE NOTE: The guidelines shown in this booklet for desirable levels would apply to patients who do not have a history of heart disease, peripheral artery disease or cerebrovascular atherosclerotic disease, if they smoke or if they are diabetic. In these cases the desirable levels may differ and the pharmacist is available to explain this in more detail for you.
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