YOU DOCS | 75 percent of adults, children are deficient in Vitamin D, made from sun's rays
How important is a vitamin D test? I requested it from my doctor and didn't get it. Should I push for it? I take 2,000 IU of D per day. I'm a redhead, have fair skin and always wear sunscreen, hat and shades outside.
A. The vitamin D test (officially known as the "25-hydroxy vitamin D test") is the "it" screening these days and, given your (smart!) penchant for covering up in the sun, you should insist on it.
About three-quarters of all adults and children are deficient in "the sunshine vitamin" -- so called because your body can make D when exposed to enough of the sun's ultraviolet rays. If you run chronically low on this vitamin, your risk goes up for several forms of cancer.
Being sun-smart can make you low on D, as can being dark-skinned, obese or elderly.
We prefer that you get vitamins from food, but in D's case, that's tough. So you have to supplement.
Aim for 1,000 IU daily; 1,200 if you're over 60. Go back to your doctor and ask for the test.
Q. My good HDL cholesterol is 115. When I took the RealAge test, the highest number I could choose from was 100. Does that mean I have abnormally high good cholesterol, and is that a good thing?
A. You may have hit the jackpot -- or not. High HDL (anything above 60 mg/dL) is generally a very good thing. It gathers up bad LDL cholesterol and sweeps it off to the liver before it can plant itself in your arteries.
Some people have lots of HDL, but it's lazy about keeping their arteries clean. Unfortunately, there's no test to tell if your HDL is motivated or a slacker.
So what can you do? Your best bet is to take a family survey. If you have relatives who also have high HDL and have lived a long time with no history of cardiovascular disease, you're probably golden. If not, do whatever you can to decrease all your other risk factors. Get your LDL (lousy) cholesterol below 100, and keep your HDL high through diet and physical activity; reduce stress; and keep your blood pressure down.
See "The Dr. Oz Show" at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. weekdays on WFLD.
King Features Syndicate
