Q: I am a 32-year-old female. I am 165 cm tall and I weigh 79 kg. My recent blood test profile revealed the following (highs): Glucose - 6.3 (range 3.9 - 6.1); Urate - 391 (range 155 - 357); ALT - 77 (range 30 - 65); GGT - 58 (range 5 - 55). I am a non-vegetarian, but I consume red meats once a year. Lentils are also not part of my regular diet. Exercise does not feature prominently on my daily routine. However, I used to eat a lot of chocolates, which have been cut down to none at all. Please advise.

A:I will assume that the glucose value you mention is in fact the Haemoglobin A1c which is an estimate of your blood glucose levels over the previous 3 months. Ideally the level should be between 4-6. You should have fasting and post prandial blood glucose levels done to determine if you have diabetes. Also a lipid profile is important to see if you have hyperlipidaemia (high cholesterol) because abnormal values predispose one to vascular disease. I am not sure why the other tests were done if this was part of a routine physical examination. If one calculates the BMI (Body mass index which is 29) from your height and weight you are by current standards overweight. A value of 30 will make you obese. You do need to lose weight - diet and exercise are key. I would suggest you see a Nutritionist who will help you with what a balanced diet should consist. Whether you are non-vegetarian or vegetarian is not important; it is how much you eat. You should also start an exercise regimen - 20 minutes of exercise at least three times a week. As an aside elevated urate in some studies has been suggested as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease - heart attacks and strokes being the major diseases. This level should normalise with appropriate lifestyle modification.