What are the implications and recommendations based on the provided comprehensive metabolic panel results?

From the Guidelines

Your lab results are overall very good, but we need to focus on lifestyle modifications to address your borderline Hemoglobin A1c and slightly elevated triglycerides. Your kidney function is excellent with normal BUN and creatinine levels, and your liver function tests are all normal. Your electrolytes (sodium, potassium, chloride, and CO2) are all within normal range. Your blood sugar at the time of testing was normal at 82, though your Hemoglobin A1c is slightly elevated at 5.8%, which indicates your average blood sugar over the past three months is in the prediabetes range (5.7-6.4%) 1. Your cholesterol panel shows mostly good results with normal total cholesterol (184), excellent HDL "good" cholesterol (68), and normal LDL "bad" cholesterol (91), which is in line with the recommendations for LDL-C levels in patients without clinical ASCVD, as stated in the 2018 American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology/Multisociety Cholesterol Guideline 1. Your triglycerides are slightly elevated at 152 (normal is under 150). Based on these results, I recommend focusing on lifestyle modifications including regular physical activity (aim for 150 minutes per week), maintaining a healthy diet rich in vegetables, fruits, and whole grains while limiting processed foods and sugary beverages, as suggested by the implications of recent clinical trials for the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III guidelines 1. These changes will help address your borderline A1c and slightly elevated triglycerides. No medications are needed at this time, but we should recheck these values in 6 months to monitor your progress.

From the FDA Drug Label

The FDA drug label does not answer the question.

From the Research

Lab Results Explanation

• The patient's sodium level is 136, which is within the normal range [2].
• The patient's potassium level is 4.3, which is also within the normal range.
• The patient's chloride level is 101, and CO2 level is 27, both of which are within normal limits.
• The patient's BUN (blood urea nitrogen) level is 11, and creatinine level is 0.60, indicating normal kidney function.
• The patient's BUN/creatinine ratio is noted, but the value is not provided.
• The patient's eGFR (estimated glomerular filtration rate) is 105, which is within the normal range.
• The patient's glucose level is 82, which is within the normal range.
• The patient's calcium level is 9.4, which is within the normal range.
• The patient's alkaline phosphatase level is 104, which is slightly elevated.
• The patient's albumin level is 4.3, and A/G ratio is 1.4, both of which are within normal limits.
• The patient's total protein level is 7.3, which is within the normal range.
• The patient's AST (aspartate aminotransferase) level is 18, and ALT (alanine aminotransferase) level is 20, both of which are within normal limits.
• The patient's total bilirubin level is 0.4, which is within the normal range.
• The patient's cholesterol level is 184, which is slightly elevated [3].
• The patient's triglyceride level is 152, which is elevated [4].
• The patient's HDL (high-density lipoprotein) level is 68, which is within the normal range.
• The patient's LDL (low-density lipoprotein) level is 91, which is within the normal range.
• The patient's chol/HDL ratio is 2.7, which is within the normal range.
• The patient's non-HDL cholesterol level is 116, which is slightly elevated.
• The patient's globulin level is 3.0, which is within the normal range.
• The patient's hemoglobin A1c level is 5.8, which is within the normal range [5].

Recommendations

• The patient's elevated triglyceride level may require treatment with a statin, such as atorvastatin [2, 3].
• The patient's slightly elevated cholesterol level may also require treatment with a statin [3].
• The patient's alkaline phosphatase level is slightly elevated, which may require further evaluation [6].
• The patient's hemoglobin A1c level is within the normal range, but it is recommended to monitor this level regularly to ensure good glycemic control [5].