By Maegan Butterfield
Gabe Sermon, a physician for Emery Medical Center, invited the community to a lunch and learn on Thursday to enjoy a lunch while learning the risks and benefits of a lipid panel.
A lipid panel is a blood test that serves as an initial medical screening tool for abnormalities in the body, including cardiovascular disease. Sermon answered many questions to the related topic, including why people need a lipid panel, the ages at which people should receive a lipid panel and much more.
“People should want to lower their risk for cardiovascular disease,” he explained. “Males should screen for a lipid at age 20, females age 30. Research is still being checked on kid’s screening because of the increase of obesity in children today.”
Sermon went on to explain what lipid numbers mean. “The numbers take into concern when patient’s results come back as a low risk, medium risk and the highest risk. The doctor will look at the patient’s numbers to figure out the best treatment options for them according to their own numbers.”
Sermon gave various options including doing nothing and staying the same, taking medication and having the numbers be fixed to low risk but still be truly unhealthy or lifestyle changes. Sermon let those attending know that lifestyle changes are the best way to be the healthiest.
“Find something you enjoy to get you up and moving,” he said. “If you go out and do something because you have to, it won’t last long. Go out and find something you find enjoyable to get you moving and stay moving.”
Sermon concluded the lunch and learn by reminding people it’s easier to get a lipid panel as well as focus on their HDL and LDL cholesterol numbers by treating them the right way and living a healthy lifestyle for the best lifestyle.
