Could someone please help me to understand my blood test results - concerned about cholesterol and thyroid

[itsahealthone]

I had a range of blood tests done and I am unsure as to how to read the results (despite lots of googling!).

If there is anyone here who could explain both the cholesterol result and the thyroid result for me that would be immensely helpful. And if there is anything else to note in the results then I would gladly hear about that too!

TIA

Sorry and here are the last 3 pictures!

And yes I do realise that the thyroid and cholesterol are both only slightly outside of the 'normal' range, but I am not sure to what extent I ought to be concerned. My dad has hypothyroidism. I am just a bit anxious about it. I am 30, for context. And female (if that is relevant).

Thank you for your help!

Why don’t you speak to your doctor instead of unqualified people on the internet?

Best person to interpret blood tests is the medical professional who requested them, who knows the clinical picture that caused them to be requested.

To provide some additional information and in response to the comments and questions above:

These tests were not requested through the NHS, I paid for them privately because of extreme fatigue so I wanted to get my iron and other things checked.

I can't ask the doctor (well, she was an Advanced Nurse Practitioner) because they are away now until Tuesday, and the thought of waiting until then to find out what my cholesterol and thyroid result show (even in outline) is a worry for me because I have health anxiety and this has triggered it.

I thought that perhaps there might be a nurse, doctor, scientist, blood specialist or someone else with knowledge or interest that could comment.

I am still hoping :)

Again, for context, I have no medical conditions and I am not on any medication. So aside from whatever the above shows I am healthy - as far as I know.

I’m no expert but your overall cholesterol is slightly elevated. Ideally it should be be below 5. LDL and non HDL are also “bad cholesterols and they are also slightly raised. Was it a fasting test? Fasting is more accurate, so it won’t be entirely accurate if you weren’t. How old are you? After 50, we are all in the risk group for high cholesterol and needing statins. Some lifestyle change could help. Can’t help you in the thyroxine but generally blood results one point outside of normal is of little significance. They could run that same blood sample again and it could come back normal.

But I also agree you need to speak to your nurse/Dr.

Your triglycerides:HDL ratio is very good as far as I can tell, this matters more to your cardiovasc disease risk than any other cholesterol number afaik.

Thyroid numbers seem to be notorious to understand, harder than cholesterol. is it possible that depression has caused your terrible fatigue? I don't think you'll find an explanation (or cure) in these blood tests.

OP if there was something to worry about over the weekend, they would have called you when the results came through.

For thyroid and especially cholesterol, there would almost never be a result that would need urgent attention. Try to use a mindfulness/meditation technique that works for you to put this out of your mind for now.

Okay - thank you for this. No it was not a fasting test. And I am 30 years old.

Thank you for this response! Yes: it is perfectly possible that depression has caused my terrible fatigue. I am actually taking antidepressants and quite a high dose. I didn't mention this above as it did not feel relevant, but the person who did my tests does know.

The thing is I have been depressed for a while and this fatigue is new. But my depression has been improving so I am not really sure what is going on!

Thank you @UniversalTruth I am going to try some mindfulness as I think this might help me to calm down. I do know that it wouldn't be an emergency situation though and I am still feeling awful unfortunately (with anxiety).

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I work in a lab (US) and I also say you need to talk to your physician. We don't interpret laboratory results even though we report them; that is your physician's job to look at your overall health picture and to see how these results fit in and any recommendations.

What were you going to say please @Celticandco ?

Sorry, nothing! I realised I was on the wrong thread but pressed the button anyway 🤦‍♀️

That was me Celticandco, I just name changed, god I'm useless..

The problem with private blood tests is that the cheap option doesn't come with the support/counselling necessary to provide the interpretation. Which is a very bad thing for anyone with even slight medical anxieties.

The results are only a smidge outside the "normal" window, but as you've got a family history of thyroid disorder it is definitely worth discussing this with your GP. They will arrange repeat tests. It doesn't look like anything to worry over - I say this as someone who's had a thyroid disorder for >8 years based on how I interpret my own test results. I'm not a medical professional.

There is nothing for you to worry about from those test results - medic.

Some thyroid conditions can absolutely be an emergency and sadly even fatal. Hyperthyroidism is a whole different kettle of fish to hypothyroidism.

I can only comment from my own experience of bloods but my cholesterol has been slightly over and my nurse told me most of the population is the same, ever so slightly raised.

Re: thyroid - it's very slight - that same blood sample could be respun and come out normal.

I'm not a medical professional but have underwent a ridiculous amount of blood tests in the last 5/6 years (former pancreatic cancer patient) - I had my nurse and doctor break EVERYTHING down for me so I understood and didn't worry x

Nothing to worry about. Indeed cholesterol is slightly elevated, however that could only be something you ate a day before. Thyroid is fine too.

If cholesterol is not a fasting sample it is not as accurate.
Your LDL and non- HDL are high, which is pushing up your total cholesterol. I couldn't see an HDL result to look at the ratio? But I've been up all night with poorly toddler so could be me being silly.
Your thyroxine is the smallest amount possible outside the normal range. Your TSH is normal. In hypothyroidism it would be expected for your TSH to respond to a low thyroxine, by asking your thyroid to produce more. This means you would have a high TSH which you don't have.
Nothing in these results points to a cause for fatigue really, in fact they are incredibly reassuring.
Why did you get them done privately? What should probably be done now is a repeat test in a few weeks time with improved accuracy to check what the results that were 'abnormal' in these are doing.
But OP, if you have health anxiety don't get sucked in to spending money on private healthcare. It's a bad road to go down and if you couldn't wait a few days to discuss the results with the provider who did the tests then you shouldn't be given access to information with no support/explanation.
You have paid a company to test bloods and are now asking strangers in the internet who know nothing about you (and you have not given the full info to - saying you weren't on meds then actually you are on anti-depressants) to interpret them to ease your anxiety.
Is this a safe, sustainable way to deal with concerns you have around your health?

I would go to HealthUnlocked and join their thyroid forum. Lots of very knowledgeable people on there. One of the first things they will ask is whether you did your test first thing in the morning after just water to drink as that’s important with thyroid testing. You might also want to read up on central hypothyroidism which is what I have. Be warned though getting decent treatment on the NHS will be almost impossible.