Fitness
The CDC lists heart disease as the leading cause of death in the US, accounting for approximately 27 percent of all deaths that occurred in 2004. February is healthy heart month, making this a good time to check in and assess your risk for developing the disease, and considering a lifestyle makeover if necessary. Major risk factors for developing cardiovascular disease include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, a sedentary lifestyle and diabetes. Many people underestimate the importance of knowing and understanding their own numbers.
Blood pressure measures pressure against the artery walls as the heart is beating (systolic/first number), then the pressure as the heart is between beats (diastolic/second number). When pressure gets too high, artery walls get hard and develop cracks, creating hot spots where plaque develops. Stiff, plaque-filled arteries (atherosclerosis), cause the heart to work harder, which can lead to congestive heart failure. Additional risks of high BP include stroke, heart attack, blindness and kidney disease. High blood pressure measures 140/90 and higher for either number while normal is below 120/80. Numbers between normal and high are categorized as pre-hypertensive, with studies indicating that without a change in lifestyle, you will likely develop hypertension. Lifestyle causes of high BP include being overweight, being sedentary, poor diet/high sodium, excessive alcohol consumption and smoking.
Cholesterol is a fat substance needed for hormone and cell membrane production. We make 75 percent of the cholesterol that is in our bodies, and the rest comes from our diet. Cholesterol travels in the blood via protein packets called LDL and HDL. LDL cholesterol is the bad cholesterol (L=Lousy), and directly contributes to the plaque build up in our arteries, which can lead to a heart attack or stroke. HDL is the good cholesterol (H=Happy), and its job is to sweep the LDL cholesterol out of the arteries back to the liver where it is excreted. Cholesterol above 200 is high, while LDL is a risk above 100 and HDL is a risk below 40. HDL above 60 provides cardiovascular disease protection. Lifestyle causes of high cholesterol include being overweight and sedentary, as well as eating foods high in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol.
Glucose is blood sugar. Food we eat gets broken down and used for various purposes. The rest is stored as glycogen, fat or glucose. When blood glucose gets too high, it means we are either not producing or properly able to use insulin, and this is an indication of potentially looming diabetes. Left untreated, diabetes can lead to blindness, kidney disease, and stroke. Lifestyle causes of high glucose and ultimately diabetes are suspected to include being overweight and sedentary.
Knowing your numbers and knowing what they mean can help you feel more in control of your health and well being. It is worth noting that the lifestyle that leads to one risk factor is very much the same lifestyle that leads to the others. Visit www.americanheart.org/riskassessment to determine your risk for having a heart attack or developing coronary heart disease in the next 10 years.