5 Health Numbers To Know After 40
When you reach 40 you need to keep track of 5 important personal health numbers.
Blood Pressure, Heart Rate, Cholesterol, Blood Sugar and Waist Size.
1. Blood Pressure - This number should top your priority list. It is the best indicator of how well your heart is functioning. If you can maintain a blood pressure of 115/75, this will keep your body feeling and performing eight years younger than the average person. Notify your doctor if your top number ever exceeds 140, or your bottom number reaches 90.
What is blood pressure? Your arteries carry blood throughout your body. The pressure in your arteries as the blood flows through them is your blood pressure. It is measured and shown in two numbers.
The first number is the amount of pressure present when your heart beats, pushing the blood through the arteries. This is your systolic blood pressure.
The second number measures the pressure when your heart relaxes between beats. This is your diastolic blood pressure.
Both are measured in mmHg (millimeters of mercury.) For example, 120/80mmHg. This reading is commonly stated as “120 over 80.”
2. Resting Heart Rate- When you are at rest, your heart should be too. A rapid heartbeat while at rest is an indicator your heart is working harder than it should. This is closely tied with high blood pressure and other possible health problems. A healthy resting heart rate is usually around 60 beats per minute. It should be in this range when you first get out of bed.
3. Cholesterol - Cholesterol levels are measuring different types of fats in the blood. Some you want, some you don’t. Cholesterol itself is a nutrient, but it’s also a type of fat. This makes cholesterol both necessary and deadly. Too much of the wrong kind, and you are at risk of a heart attack.
LDL – This is the bad stuff. It’s basically plaque in your arteries. As it builds up, it blocks blood flow and causes heart attacks and strokes. Ideally, this number will be 100 or lower. However, if you are at high risk for heart disease, 70 is your desired level. If you have no risk factors, 100-129 is considered healthy.
HDL – This is the good stuff. HDL cholesterol helps clean up the LDL. It clears the bad stuff out of your arteries. Unlike LDL, which usually needs to be lowered, the concern for this number is that it doesn’t get too low. Optimal levels are 60 mg/dL and above. Unhealthy HDL levels are below 40 mg/dL for men and below 50mg/dL for women.
Triglycerides – This is the fat in your blood. It’s what is left over and stored after eating to give your body energy. They are the main type of fat in the body. Triglycerides levels of less than 150 mg/dL are considered healthy. Ideal is 100 mg/dL or less. Levels over 200 mg/dL are considered high.
Combined, these three numbers create your lipid profile score. Individual numbers should be examined to determine your current health risks.
4. Blood Sugar- It measures the amount of glucose (a type of sugar) in your blood. This glucose is found in carbohydrates and serves as the main source of energy for your body. Blood sugar levels normally fluctuate. They will increase after you eat. The danger occurs when glucose levels get too high and remain at this elevated level over an extended period. This can cause damage to your blood vessels, kidneys, eyes and nerves.
Blood sugar tests are performed to detect diabetes and pre-diabetes, and to monitor diabetes. Healthy readings from a Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS) test are less than 100 milligrams/deciliter, but not lower than 40 mg/dL. A1C should be less than 7.0%.
5. Waist Size- Your waist size is a major indicator of your current health. This number can even be a more accurate indicator of heart health than your weight or BMI (body mass index, which measures your weight in relation to your height.) It’s also an easy one to monitor, as all you need is a measuring tape. Use your size at your belly button for this measurement.
- For women, a healthy number is less than 89cm.
- For men, it’s less than 102cm.
A good rule of thumb: The number should be less than half your height. Numbers greater than these increase your risk of high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.
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