Keep a tab on cholesterol!

Q The result of my recent cholesterol report is:

Total Cholesterol — 205

HDL Cholesterol ( Direct) — 40 LDL Cholesterol ( Direct) — 117 Triglycerides — 94

TC/ HDL Cholesterol Ratio — 5.2 DL/ HDL — 3

Non- HDL Cholesterol — 165.1 VLDL cholesterol — 18.88 Please tell me if I have a high risk of suffering from heart disease.

— Shanker C.

A cholesterol report is just one of the many pieces of the puzzle that constitutes a person’s risk of heart disease. Assuming you are less than 40 years of age and have no other risk factors such as smoking, diabetes, or a family history, then this report is ok.

When you physically visit a doctor, he/ she is able to assess other risk factors as well, based on which your cholesterol targets are sets.

— Dr Anoop Agrawal, senior consultant cardiologist

QI am 34 years old. My weight is 90 kg and my height is 5’ 9”. I eat food from outside every day, and I consume alcohol occasionally. I burp frequently, with a loud sound. Is it because of some gastric problem?

— Anonymous

Yes, it is possible. Being overweight, the consumption of alcohol, and spicy food could all be contributing factors to your problem. The medical conditions associated with it could be gastroesophageal reflux disease ( GERD), hiatus hernia, or an overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine. The condition needs to be evaluated based on patient medical history, physical examination, blood tests, and endoscopic tests. A simple course of antacids and antibiotics based on the underlying cause coupled with some lifestyle modifications can help a lot.

— Dr Mohd Saad Uddin Azmi, consultant gastroenterologist and therapeutic endoscopist