Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women. One person dies every 36 seconds in the United States from cardiovascular disease – and about 659,000 people in the United States die from heart disease each year—that’s 1 in every 4 deaths.
To help people reduce their risk of heart disease, heart experts from the Intermountain Health providers recommend that people know their heart “numbers”. Did you know your heart beats around 100,000 times a day and pumps 2,000 gallons of blood throughout your body each day?
Your heart truly is the workhorse of your body. The question is: how well do you take care of your heart?
It’s important to know your numbers.
Blood Pressure
While your blood pressure will change throughout the day, it’s important to know that:
– If your blood pressure is 120/80 most of the time, it is considered normal
– If your blood pressure is more than 120/80 but less than 140/90 most of the time, it is considered hypertension.
– If your blood pressure is usually 140/90 or higher, it is considered hypertension, or high blood pressure
BMI
Your BMI will fall into one of these ranges:
• less than 18.5 = underweight
• 18.5 to 24.9 = normal weight
• 25 to 29.9 = overweight
• 30 or greater = obese
Blood Sugar Levels
When you have your blood sugar tested, you’ll be asked to not eat for several hours before the test, and your results will fall into one of these ranges:
– Less than 100 mg/dl = normal
– 100 to 125 mg/dl = prediabetes
– 126 mg/dl or higher = diabetes
Total Cholesterol
A simple blood test can measure your total cholesterol level, and your results will be:
– 200 mg/dL or lower = normal
– 200 – 239 mg/dL = borderline high
– 240 mg/dL or higher = high
HDL Cholesterol
– HDL of 60 or greater = high
– HDL of 40 or lower = low
To learn more or find a provider, visit intermountainnv.org/cardiology.
