Dr Shriram Nene explains why 'normal' health results can be misleading

A normal BMI or blood test may look reassuring, but it does not always reveal your true heart health. Dr Shriram Nene explains why cardiovascular risk needs to be assessed through multiple markers, from waist size and glucose to cholesterol and family history.A normal BMI or blood test may look reassuring, but it does not always reveal your true heart health. (Image source: Instagram)A normal-looking body or a normal test result can be reassuring, but Dr. Shriram Nene says it does not necessarily tell the complete story about a person’s cardiovascular risk.In his recent health explainer, Dr. Nene focuses on why several health markers need to be looked at together rather than relying on one number or one test.NORMAL WEIGHT DOESN’T NECESSARILY MEAN NORMAL RISK @drneneofficial (Instagram) Dr. Nene highlights the limitation of looking at BMI alone. According to him, a person can have a normal BMI and still have a cardiovascular risk that may not be immediately apparent.He points towards central adiposity as an important factor that BMI may fail to capture. THE MIRROR CAN’T SHOW WHAT’S HAPPENING INSIDE @drneneofficial (Instagram) Dr. Nene explains that appearance is not enough to assess metabolic and cardiovascular health.His focus is on visceral fat, which can contribute to cardiovascular risk even when someone’s overall weight or BMI appears normal.ONE GLUCOSE READING ISN’T THE WHOLE PICTURE Dr. Nene compares a single fasting glucose reading to “one frame” rather than “the whole film.” @drneneofficial (Instagram) He points out that fasting glucose provides a snapshot at one point in time, while HbA1c reflects a longer period of blood sugar levels.The emphasis is therefore on understanding the broader picture rather than relying entirely on one glucose reading.TOTAL CHOLESTEROL ISN’T THE WHOLE LIPID STORYDr. Nene also draws attention to the fact that total cholesterol alone does not capture every aspect of cardiovascular risk. @drneneofficial (Instagram) He highlights markers including LDL-C, non-HDL-C, triglycerides, Lp(a) and ApoB, while stressing that advanced markers should be considered selectively rather than automatically for everyone.RISK IS A STACK, NOT A SINGLE NUMBERAccording to Dr. Nene, cardiovascular risk has to be understood as a combination of different factors. @drneneofficial (Instagram) He points to family history, blood pressure, glucose, sleep, stress, and tobacco exposure as factors that can influence how health results should be interpreted.The same test result, therefore, may not mean exactly the same thing for every person because the wider risk profile matters.THE GOAL ISN’T MORE TESTSDr. Nene’s message is not to keep adding tests simply because they are available.Instead, he says the goal is to “calculate, personalise, reclassify” risk and have the appropriate risk conversation. @drneneofficial (Instagram) Advanced tests such as CAC, ApoB, Lp(a), ECG, and stress testing, as shown in his explainer, are presented as tests that should be used selectively depending on an individual’s risk profile.LOOK NORMAL. CHECK DEEPER.Dr. Nene’s central message is that a “normal” result is useful, but it is not the whole risk story. @drneneofficial (Instagram) He brings together BMI, glucose, cholesterol, waist measurement, blood pressure, family history, and habits to explain why cardiovascular risk cannot always be judged from appearance or a single report.As his post puts it: “Don’t chase every test. Have the right risk conversation.”- EndsPublished By: Chaitanya DhawanPublished On: Aug 10, 2026 15:17 IST