Wellness@Work: How to monitor and improve your heart health numbers
To keep your heart healthy and reduce the risk of developing disease, it is essential to understand and monitor certain numbers associated with heart health.
By Nupur Shah, M.D.
Cardiology Fellow, University Hospital
Your heart is your body's powerhouse, tirelessly pumping blood to keep you alive. To keep your heart healthy and reduce the risk of developing heart disease, it is essential to understand and monitor certain numbers associated with heart health.
Blood pressure: Your blood pressure reflects how hard your heart is working to push blood against your blood vessels. Healthy blood pressure should be below 120/80 mmHg. High blood pressure accelerates damage to blood vessels and can cause the heart to enlarge or weaken leading to heart failure, heart attack, or stroke. Unfortunately, high blood pressure is silent, with no symptoms, and the only way to diagnose and monitor is to check your blood pressure.
Cholesterol levels: Cholesterol is a fat-like substance in your blood which in excess can build up plaque in your blood vessels. Healthy total blood cholesterol should stay below 200 mg/dL — with good cholesterol (HDL) above 60 mg/d and bad cholesterol (LDL) below 100 mg/dL. Triglycerides should remain under 150 mg/dL. Like high LDL cholesterol, elevated triglyceride values have also been linked to a higher risk of heart attack and stroke.
Blood sugar: High blood sugar levels damage blood vessel walls and promote blood clot formation. Healthy blood sugar should be below 100 mg/dL. Anything higher can indicate prediabetes, with 126 mg/dL or higher, suggestive of diabetes. HbA1C measures your blood sugar levels over three months and should be below 5.7%. If your HbA1C reading is 5.7-6.4, you are at risk of getting diabetes.
Body mass index (BMI): BMI is a height-to-weight ratio that calculates excess body fat. A healthy BMI should be below 24.9. A BMI over 30 or a waist circumference of more than 35 inches in women and 40 inches in men can increase your risk for high blood pressure, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and sleep apnea.
Physical activity: Aim for at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise like brisk walking, jogging, swimming, playing tennis, etc.
Healthy diet: It is recommended to have three servings of fruit, vegetables, and whole grains every day, and three servings of legumes and nuts every week. Use plant-based oil like extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil. Minimize your intake of processed food, sweetened beverages, and saturated or trans-fat. Restrict sodium intake to less than 2400 mg a day.
Smoking cessation: Complete avoidance of smoking and recreational substance use is one of the best things you can do for your heart.
Stress management: Practice stress-reduction techniques like deep breathing exercises, meditation, or yoga.
Adequate sleep: Aim for six to eight hours of sleep every night to prevent heart problems.
Regular check-ups: Visit your healthcare provider regularly to monitor your heart health numbers and keep them under control.
Your heart health numbers are crucial indicators of your overall well-being. Regularly monitoring and making lifestyle changes to improve these metrics can significantly reduce the risk of heart disease.
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