6 heart health numbers everyone should know

Many of us take our heart for granted.  Given the fact that it’s been beating since about 6 weeks after conception, that’s a lot of work this organ of the cardiovascular system has had to do for some time.  But over the years, if we have been lucky enough to avoid any serious heart health issues, we may falsely believe that heart problems only happen to others.  If you’re a woman you may believe that being female protects you from heart disease.  If you’re a man, you may think you’re not old enough to have a serious heart condition.

Don’t be fooled.  The number one killer of both men and women in the United States is heart disease affecting people of all ages, but especially so after age 50.  Even if you feel “fine,” heart disease can happen. Consider these facts:

·      Each year, approximately 800,000 Americans die of heart disease, about half men and half women.

·      As early as age 45, a man’s risk for heart disease begins to rise significantly.  For a woman, risk start to increase at age 55.

·      Fifty percent of men and 64 percent of women who die suddenly of heart disease have no previous symptoms of the disease.

Your heart is a pump circulating oxygen-rich blood throughout your body.  It is the center of your vascular system and is essential for just about everything that keeps your body moving and feeling good.  This is why knowing six heart numbers can help keep your heart health in check.  Knowing these numbers helps you connect with your physician regarding the specifics of your heart health giving you more power and encouragement in improving your heart health numbers.

1.  Resting heart rate

A normal resting rate can range from between 60 and 100 beats a minute with the ideal being between 50 to 70 beats per minute.  Anyone can take their own resting pulse rate by feeling your radial artery pulse at the wrist or the carotid artery pulse in your neck. 

To check your pulse at the wrist, place the tips of your index and middle finger on the palm side of your other wrist, below the base of the thumb. To check the pulse in your neck, place the tips of your index and middle finger on your lower neck, on either side of your windpipe.  Press lightly with your fingers until you feel the blood pulsing beneath your fingers.  You may need to move your fingers around until you feel the pulsing. Count the beats you feel for 10 seconds.  Multiply this number by six to get your heart rate. 

Anyone who is having persistent heart rates greater than 100 or less than 50 may require further discussion with their health care provider.

2.  LDL or “bad” cholesterol

Normal is considered to be less than 130, with less than 100 to be optimal and less than 70 considered ideal.  Heredity plays a role in baseline cholesterol and there are some genetic traits that increase a person’s risk of developing abnormal cholesterol numbers and heart disease.  Knowing your family history of cholesterol problems, can help your health care provider assess your risk of developing future conditions. 

3.  Body Mass Index (BMI)

Even though the BMI has come under scrutiny lately as maybe not being the most accurate means of assessing body fatness, nonetheless, the BMI is a simple mathematical formula based on a person’s height and weight that is used to screen for weight categories.  Generally, the higher the BMI number is the greater risk to your health and especially heart health.  The numbers to know regarding BMI are the following:

·      A BMI of 18.4 or below is considered underweight

·      A BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is considered normal or a healthy weight

·      A BMI of 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight

·      A BMI of 30 or higher is considered obese

While the BMI is a simple and inexpensive method of screening for weight categories, it is not a diagnostic tool.  Further, BMI does not take into account age, gender, or muscle mass.  Nor does it distinguish between lean body mass and fat mass. As a result, some people, such as heavily muscled athletes, may have a high BMI even though they don’t have a high percentage of body fat.  In others, such as elderly people, BMI may appear normal even though muscle has been lost with aging. 

Health professionals need to do further assessments to fully evaluate health risks.  This should include measurements of body fat percentage, diet history, exercise patterns, and family history.

4.  Systolic blood pressure

Your systolic blood pressure is the top number when your blood pressure is taken.  For example, if your blood pressure is 118/90, 118 is your systolic number – 90 is your diastolic number.  The systolic number is the force or pressure of the blood in the arteries when the heart pumps or takes a beat.  The diastolic number is the force or pressure of the blood in the arteries when the heart is between beats. 

 A normal systolic pressure is considered to be less than 130.  A high systolic pressure can be caused by arterial stiffness or caused by heart valve problems.  It is also known that having a high systolic pressure for a long period of time can increase your risk of having a significant cardiovascular problem such as a heart attack or stroke. 

5.  Hemoglobin A1C

The hemoglobin A1C test is a blood test that provides information about a person’s average levels of blood glucose also called blood sugar, over the past 3 months.  This test is also referred to as simply the A1C test and is the primary test used for diabetes management.  Most doctors want their diabetic patients to have an A1C no higher than 6.5 percent - the lower the number, the better. 

The connection between a high A1C number and heart disease is that over time, continuous high blood glucose from diabetes can damage your blood vessels and the nerves that control your heart and blood vessels.  The longer you have diabetes, the higher the chances you will develop heart disease.  Adults with diabetes are nearly twice as likely to die from heart disease or stroke as compared to people without diabetes. 

If you have diabetes, the good news is that you can take steps to manage your diabetes helping to lower your risk of having heart disease or stroke.

6.  Waist circumference

Waist circumference is a strong predictor of abdominal obesity. Anyone who carries their weight primarily from the waist up has a higher risk of carrying unhealthy body fat that is distributed among the abdominal organs, raising your risk of heart disease.  Waist circumference measurement is easily taken with a cloth tape measure around the belly button area.  Ideally, women should have a waist circumference no more than 35 inches and men should have no more than 40 inches.