Know Your Numbers
There was a time when the only numbers you needed to commit to memory were limited to your street address, phone and social security numbers. On the heels of the holiday season, you may have added your ATM PIN and credit card numbers to the list!
With February being Heart month , now is an ideal time to add 4 additional numbers to your expanding list. These numbers are easy and inexpensive to obtain. You can use them to help you determine your 10 year risk for developing heart disease.
BLOOD PRESSURE - Remember when 140/90 was the target for good blood pressure control? Based upon further studies, the OPTIMAL blood pressure value is now set at 120/80 or below. Lower blood pressures are associated with less risk of heart disease and strokes. So if you have a blood pressure over 120/80, shoot for this lower level of control, especially if you have diabetes.
BODY MASS INDEX (BMI) - Your BMI is a calculation utilizing your height and weight measurements. The BMI is now the preferred reference value used to determine levels of obesity. The target BMI is 25 but 60% of Americans exceed this value. To calculate your own BMI, go to mymethodist.com and click on calculators and counters.
BLOOD SUGAR - The alarming rise in diabetes has paralleled the rise in our nation's obesity levels- in adults and children. Knowing your blood glucose level will help you determine if you have pre-diabetes well before you develop the classic symptoms of increasing thirst and increasing urination. Diabetes is preventable for most adults so it is important to know how aggressive you need to be to reduce your risk. Since the risk for developing heart disease is so high in patients who have diabetes, many experts propose that prevention or tight control of diabetes is truly a treatment for heart disease.
CHOLESTEROL - The data that has accumulated over the past 25 years of research is irrefutable - high cholesterol levels, especially the LDL component, increases the risk of heart disease. However, the benefits of lowering your cholesterol level, either with lifestyle changes, diet improvements and /or medications, is also well established. For every 1% rise or fall in your cholesterol level, there is an equal 1% increase or decrease in your lifetime risk of developing heart disease.
By knowing these four basic numbers about your health status, (in addition to some additional information about your age, sex, smoking history and family heart history), you can determine your 10 year risk for developing heart disease. There are many on-line tools that you can use but I recommend the site americanheart.org/riskassessment which can also calculate your change in risk depending upon achieving certain goals.
Although a heart attack may seem to be a sudden, unpredictable event, heart disease is a chronic disease that may progress for years before any symptoms develop. Being aware of your risk is a good first step toward prevention. I suggest that you check your numbers, determine your risk profile, and then share this information with your physician so you may jointly develop a plan to reduce your risk factor profile.
There are many important numbers out there, don't overlook #1!
Michael Jongerius, M.D.
