SOMEWHAT FRANK

Cholesterol 101 : Reading Test Results

I recently took the liberty of scheduling an appointment with my doctor to get a physical and get a cholesterol blood test taken. I did this so that it could be added to my records at my physician’s office so that if I ever become ill I will have a historical reference point of what it is like for me to be healthy.

I just received the results back and did not know what to make of them, so I looked into it more closely with the help of a trusty search engine.

First of all, here were my results:

Lipid Panel                    In Range       Reference Range

Triglycerides                    105                         <150 MG/DL

Cholesterol, Total          176                           <200 MG/DL

HDL Cholesterol              47                            <OR = 40 MG/DL

LDL Cholesterol              108                          < 130 MG/DL (CALC)

So now let’s break the results down. First, I did some research on Triglycerides and found that "triglycerides in plasma are derived from fats eaten in foods or made in the body from other energy sources like carbohydrates." A more thorough explanation can be found on the American Heart Associate Web site. However my "Reference Range" of less than 150 MG/DL was listed on my results and I also listed it above. I verified the Triglyceride Reference figure on the AHA site as well and they appeared to sync up.

Next, I looked up cholesterol in general and found that it is defined as "a soft, waxy substance found among the lipids (fats) in the bloodstream and in all your body's cells."   Anything under 200 MG/DL is considered a normal level. My Cholesterol was 176 MG/DL and thus is approaching the 200 MG/DL level so I probably should watch what fatty foods mainly meats I eat.

According to the AHA, "cholesterol and other fats can't dissolve in the blood. They have to be transported to and from the cells by special carriers called lipoproteins. "

There are two types of lipoproteins, LDL or low-density lipoproteins and HDL or high-density lipoproteins. If we could revert back to the simplest thoughts that we picked up while watching any Disney film such as "Peter Pan" and think of the battle of "good" verses "evil" that took place, in doing so we would consider HDL to be "good" or Peter Pan and LDL to be "evil" or Captain Hook. HDL is believed to be "good" because it carries cholesterol through the blood back to the liver to be processed. Conversely, LDL is considered "evil" because it is a lighter sticky lipoprotein that adheres the cholesterol it carries to the walls of your vein thus causing build-up and blockage of blood flow. This blockage causes your heart to work harder and thus potential heart or brain ailments can result.

So let’s look at my "evil" lipoproteins which are 108 MG/DL in this particular test. According to the AHA, "a high level of LDL cholesterol (160 mg/dL and above) reflects an increased risk of heart disease. If you have heart disease, your LDL cholesterol should be less than 100 mg/dL."  The reference that my physician used was less than 130 MG/DL as a normal reading for my age and weight.

Since cholesterol can appear from your liver or from the foods you take in, it is good to remember that meats, eggs, poultry and fish have cholesterol while foods from plants do not. It may be a smart, proactive move to lower my LDL by watching the foods I eat and striving to eat more foods from plants (Popeye ate cans of spinach for a reason!) and less from meats sources.

So now let’s take a look at my "good" lipoproteins which were taken at 47 MG/DL. According to the AHA, "the opposite is also true: a low HDL level (less than 40 mg/dL) indicates a greater risk. A low HDL cholesterol level also may raise stroke risk." 

So in this particular test I came out as in the normal range again however, I may want to increase my HDL levels by increasing my exercise level. In the case of this blood test, my HDL may be lower then normal since I had not worked out in the week prior due to an erratic work schedule which included a trip to New Orleans where I indulged on many foods loaded with cholesterol!

So in general, my cholesterol test came back completely normal but health and longevity of life can be associated to the lifestyle you lead so a few changes I make to my lifestyle habits now may help to extend mine down the road. However, it also may be important to do a little family research and background checking and find out if anyone in the family has a history of high cholesterol since it can be associated with how your body (liver) handles cholesterol, which can be hereditary or genetic.

Are cell phones dangerous?

Cell phones are a wonderful thing. You can talk. Take pictures. Listen to music. Converse over email or text messaging, and browse the Internet among a handful of other things. I love to use my cell phone and actually use it more then any other phone at the office or at home. However, I use it with immense concern. I have concern about the use of the phone causing health issues, like cancer and brain tumors over time. Are these concerns warranted?

I have studied technology and specifically wireless communications as a graduate student at Northwestern University. My professor had advanced scientific & wireless knowledge and advised us all to get headsets for our cell phones. So why would someone who works in the field be this concerned to offer this advice? Given that cell phones operate with Radio Frequencies (RF) and thus use a form of electromagnetic energy located on the electromagnetic spectrum between FM radio waves and the waves used in microwave ovens, radars and satellites. How many times have you heard not to stand in front of the microwave since it could cause health issues?

The FCC offers recommendations for the appropriate and safe amount of exposure to RF energy. I found these RF Safety FAQ’s to be somewhat helpful in identifying and answering some my exposure questions.

According to the FCC, “the threshold level is a Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) value for the whole body of 4 watts per kilogram (4 W/kg)”. So what does that mean to a normal human being? I will use myself as an example; I weigh 171 pounds which converts to approximately 78 kg. So that means I can absorb 312 watts in my whole body. Still what does that mean in the case of a cell phone? The FCC has also required all wireless phones in the U.S. meet a conservative radiation safety standard of 1.6 SAR and most do with much to spare. When translated into wattage, wireless phones maximally emit power in the range of 0.2 to 0.6 watts. When you compare this to what a walkie-talkies which emit radiation in excess of 10 watts or an AM radio stations, which emit radiation at levels of 50,000 watts or more!  However these numbers do not take into account outside factors that come into play when using a cell phone. The amount of RF you are exposed to with the use of a cell phone depends on a number of factors which include:

1.) The age of your cell phone (an older analog model would create higher exposure levels than a newer phone).
2.) The duration and frequency of using your cell phone (this one is scary!)
3.) The distance from the base station pushing out the signals.

So let’s take a closer look at the three points above. Age of the cell phone is pretty self-explanatory; most people have upgraded from their “Saved by the Bell” Zach Morris phone to the newer digital style phones with all the bells and whistles so I would not be too concerned. However, if you have not, I would advise you to upgrade as soon as possible. There are a number of deals available that make new phones cost next to nothing.

Secondly, the duration and frequency of using your cell phone scares me a little bit. So if my phone emits 0.2 t0 0.6 watts of energy, how much is that same amount amplified by placing it directly next to the soft tissue of the brain? Currently, I subscribe to a cellular service package with unlimited night and weekend minutes. I did some checking and I usually use around 900 minutes a month. So this means that my brain is getting zapped with 0.2 to 0.6 watts of RF energy on an average of 900 minutes a month. I do not imagine this can be good for the soft tissue of my brain, especially since the FCC does not examine the affects of RF produced by cell phones on the soft tissue of the brain.

Third and finally, the distance from the base station you are connected to should be taken into account. This one may be very difficult to measure and quantify. In my specific network with SprintPCS, I rarely go with lack of service, which I assume means I am always fairly close to the next station to make up the web of cell pods that push out the signals.

The cellular network is set up in a hexagonal pattern which maps over the entire area you live. As you move from one hexagonal cell to the next you are fairly close to the center of the cell at all times. Though I do not know what scientific evidence I can draw and quantify from this information in relation to health issues.

So after examining those three factors, it seems that much like cigarette smoking was accepted and not linked to illness until the appropriate medical and scientific knowledge was gathered to prove otherwise, it is possible that cell phone usage and exposure to RF energy on soft tissue could cause serious health issues (i.e. tumors). So in the meantime there are a few options:

1.) Keep using my phone next to ear in hopes that this is just a scare.
2.) Take action!

Use a headset connected to the headset jack (not a Bluetooth device) to get the handset away from the soft tissue of the brain. Or get a cellphone with a speaker phone to get the handset further way from your skull.

Since an inadequate length of time has passed to show evidence that there is no link between tumors and cell phones because right now the studies conducted on cell phones and health concerns have been performed with adequate duration to do otherwise. I am going to have to go with option number two and use a headset for as many of the 900 minutes a month that I currently spend with the handset pressed firmly to my skull while is send waves electromagnetic radiation through the soft tissue of my brain and I would advise you to do the same until more solid research has been concluded.

Launched Take Two

Lesson number one of blogging...always remember to save and save often! I just learned that the hard way.

I just wrote my first blog entry ever and had it painfully lost by clicking on one of the colorful buttons that my blogging tool has to offer. I will never do that again. Nevertheless, this is take two of my first blog entry to Somewhat Frank a blog set up for me, Frank Gruber, to give candid perspective, advice, and "how to" knowledge in the areas of technology, business, news and other aspects of life.

After spending the last 8 years knee deep in web technology and online business I finally was driven to construct my own blog. What made me do it? I am not really sure, though I think my recent visit to the Webmaster World Search Conference in New Orleans showed me that people might actually be interested in what I have to say. Not to mention with my years of experience and Masters from Northwestern's McCormick School of Engineering I too could be a valuable resource online. Also I think the supportive nature of a few of the speakers at the conference may have been compelling enough to make me want to get this site up immediately.

The speakers that motivated me to blog while in the Big Easy were the following two people during a session entitled Blogging for Fun and Profit:

  1.) Jeremy Zawondny from Yahoo! spoke about his blog and how he started with only ten readers but has grown in three years to the thousands.

2.) Amanda G. Watlington spoke of the 70 bloggers she interviewed for her recent book on Business Blogs: A Practical Guide.

About Somewhat Frank & Frank Gruber

SOMEWHAT FRANK -- offers candid editorial on Web & Personal Technology and Social Media through the blog SOMEWHAT FRANK and video podcast SOMEWHAT FRANK TV. SOMEWHAT FRANK was named one of the best Web 2.0 blogs, has been named as a "must know" blog for startups and was also selected by Intel as an Intel Insider brand ambassador. SOMEWHAT FRANK is more than just a publication as it also offers boutique consultancy services and hosts and sponsors community events. Through SOMEWHAT FRANK you can connect and share your SOMEWHAT FRANK opinion with its worldwide audience of business and tech industry leaders, venture capitalists, investment professionals and entrepreneurs. SOMEWHAT FRANK is published by SOMEWHAT FRANK, LLC.

Frank Gruber

jet-setting entrepreneur, connector, writer and speaker

Email: Contact Frank

Blogger Since: June 2005

Location: Washington, DC / Arlington, VA (map it)

Astrological Sign: Taurus (Mess with the bull, you get the horns.)

I enjoy: Sunshine, strumming my six-string, long walks on the beach, baseball, mojitos and taking photos/videos of pretty much anything that moves.

Bio:
Frank Gruber (@FrankGruber) is well known new media journalist focused on sharing his Web product expertise and analysis on Web 2.0, social media and emerging technologies in articles and videos online. His works have been featured in TechCrunch, iMediaConnection, ReadWriteWeb Network and on his popular personal tech blog, Somewhat Frank. He keynotes regularly about entrepreneurship, emerging technology trends, social media and his love for the “shiny objects” or Web products across the country at industry events. Frank has been dubbed by the Washingtpost Post and LATimes as a "digital nomad" for his on the go work anywhere and everywhere lifestyle. Frank was also named on of 100 DC Tech Titans by Washingtonain Magazine in May 2009.

Frank co-founded TECH cocktail with Eric Olson, in Chicago (Frank's hometown - Go Cubs!) in 2006 to help better connect and amplify the local technology signal and have some fun doing it. Since 2006, TECH cocktail has grown to become a media company offering technology news, events and community-powered projects open to technology enthusiasts, entrepreneurs & professionals interested in the latest technology in their community.

Frank was formerly a product strategist and evangelist for the Aol social networking group, which included such products as AIM, SocialThing, Goowy, Bebo and ICQ with a focus on communications and lifestreaming products. Frank was instrumental in connecting Aol with a number of industry experts, media and start-ups (some of which were acquired by Aol). Frank’s previous team was also responsible for the launch of the widget driven myAOL personalized homepage/startpage product in 2007. Frank departed Aol right before the Aol spinoff January 1, 2010 (as covered by TechCrunch).

Frank has experience bootstrapping on a variety of start-up endeavors. Frank is a co-founder of Shiny Heart Ventures, a technology start-up focused on building community driven products that remind people of the joys of life. Shiny Heart Ventures first product, Thankfulfor.com is an online gratitude journaling community that has been praised by CNN, TechCrunch and CBS News among others. Shiny Heart Ventures is also co-producer of Digital Capital Week (@DCWEEK), a 10 day festival in Washington DC focused on technology, innovation and all things digital in our nation’s capital.

Frank currently lives in Washington, D.C. but travels a lot as he circles the globe speaking, hosting events and helping to amplify the local technology signal.

Publications:      
TechCrunch Articles:

The State of Online Feed Readers   
Let's Buy Some Music: Part 1
Subscription Music Services Compared: Part 2
Comparing the Mapping Services
Do More: Online To Do Lists Compared
Nine Chicago Startups Present at TECH cocktail
Midwest Startups Unite at Second TECH cocktail

Alt Search Engines Article:

I need a medic! A Health 2.0 Roundup

iMedia Connection Articles:

WOM in the Social Media Landscape
Creating the Positive User Experience
Integrate Your Local Media Strategy
Advertising on Social Networks

Audio/Video: 

A Social Media Discussion Lifestreamed
Trend TV Interviews Somewhat Frank Gruber
2007 Supernova Interview Series v3
TechCrunch - Video Of Unlaunched AOL Products
The Forces Behind TECH cocktail - BusinessPOV
TalkCrunch - Episode 4: Battle of the Online Feed Readers
Waxxi Interactive Podcast: Robert Scoble & Shel Israel
Waxxi Interactive Podcast: Michael Parekh & Mike Arrington
Frank Gruber and Eric Olson talk TECHCocktail 3

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In The News Archive:

10/12/06 - TECH cocktail: Eric Olson & Frank Gruber, Technology Evangelist
03/13/06 - The Innovators: Frank Gruber, Technology Evangelist
11/06/05 - Advanced ads, or attack of the splog people, Toronto Star
10/29/05 - How To Fight Those Surging Splogs, Wired News
10/19/05 - 'Splogs' Roil Web, and Some Blame Google, Wall Street Journal

Thanks for stopping by Somewhat Frank

After spending five years (from 2005 to 2010) updating Somewhat Frank day and night covering the tech beat, web 2.0 and social media booms I decided in 2010 it was time to redirect all my editorial and writing energy to grow Tech.Co (previously called Tech Cocktail) into a full-fledge media company. This move coincided with deciding to dive off the entrepreneurial diving board and quit my day job building social networking and personalization products for millions at Aol to go all in on my own ventures - life is too short not to. I wrote a book called Startup Mixology and shared some of my learning from the adventure. After growing TechCo to millions of readers globally my TechCo journey came to an end in 2018 as TechCo was acquired by MVF Global. 

Ok so back to Somewhat Frank, this site was a top Web 2.0 blog along with the likes of TechCrunch, Read Write Web, Mashable and more. Somewhat Frank was even referenced in Gary Vaynerchuk's NYTimes best selling book Crush It, on page 86 - and in Gary's rap video. I am proud of what Somewhat Frank was able to accomplish rolling solo back then with over 160,000 RSS and email subscribers. Now I'm back with a new format, an audio podcast. So I hope you enjoy it. 

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