When It Comes to Cardiovascular Health There Are Many Factors to Consider
Some of these factors you cannot control such as your family history and genetic risk factors. However, there are some numbers that we need to keep in mind when it’s related to your cardiovascular health. Track these five important numbers to stay aware of, and gain insights into, your heart health.
Steps
How many steps do you take per day? Moving throughout the day improves your heart health and reduces your disease risk. Walking up to 10,000 steps per day is ideal, however, benefits are seen even with 7500 steps daily. In other words, sitting for most of the day is really bad. Any movement is good. Steps from the mailbox, parking lot, taking a flight of stairs, etc all count towards this number. In short, it’s much better to be active than inactive.
LDL or non-HDL cholesterol.
Your LDL or non-HDL cholesterol is a measure of fats in the blood that can narrow arteries and contribute to plaques, leading to heart attacks. Aim for a score of 130 or less. If you have known coronary artery disease or prior stents, then this number should be less than 100. Mg/dl. Learn more about heart-healthy plant-based diets.
Blood Pressure
High blood pressure usually has no symptoms. A score of 120/80 is optimal. Higher readings mean that your blood vessels are stiff and are directly raising your risk of a heart attack or stroke. As this does not typically lead to symptoms, it’s a good idea to keep track of your BP readings at your doctor’s office and be aware of any higher than optimal numbers. Learn about congestive heart failure.
Blood Sugar
Diabetes increases your risk of heart disease and strokes. The same factors that reduce your blood pressure and bad cholesterol, also reduce your blood sugar. These are more good reasons to get in those daily steps! In general, blood sugars in the fasting state should be less than 100. This number has become more stringent over than last several years, as the evidence is clear that the lower numbers are much better in terms of reducing your risks of heart disease. Also, Learn about the top five inflammatory foods to avoid.
Sleep
How much sleep do you get? Although there is no right answer, it’s clear that consistently getting 6-8 hours of sleep each night, helps cut your risk of heart disease and also helps with maintaining a healthy weight. Read our post, Sleep: How Important Is It Really?.
Pay attention to the numbers
The data is pretty consistent. Using a fitness tracker, Apple Watch, smart phone etc. is very helpful. Most of us think that we are hitting our targets, but we tend to overestimate our efforts. Watch your numbers and take action. It’s motivating!
As always, this post is not intended to provide medical advice. Please check with your physician for your individual medical needs.
Watch for a series of four more topics in the next four weeks related to your heart health.
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