According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, heart disease is the number one killer of both men and women. Heart disease can strike at any time in someone’s life whether it be at midlife or old age.
Consider the following facts:
- Each year, a half million Americans die of heart disease, and approximately half of them are women.
- At age 45 for men and age 55 for women the risk of heart disease tends to rise significantly.
- 50 percent of men and 64 percent of women die suddenly of the disease without any previous symptoms.
What is Heart Disease?
Coronary heart disease, commonly known as heart disease, occurs when arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle become hardened and narrower due to a buildup of plaque on the arteries’ inner walls. Heart disease is one of many cardiovascular diseases that are disorders of the heart and blood vessel system.
Risk Factors for Heart Disease:
- Cigarette smoking
- High blood pressure
- High blood cholesterol
- Overweight
- Physical inactivity
- Diabetes
- Family and/or personal history of heart disease
- Age
Recent studies show that 95 percent of individuals who die from heart disease have at least one of these major risk factors. Therefore, it is important to take these risk factors seriously and it’s vital to make the necessary lifestyle changes to reduce your risk.
Screening for Heart Disease:
To find out your risk level, it is important to make an appointment with your health care provider for a thorough checkup. Your clinician can help you set and reach your goals for heart health. The following are tests that can help protect your overall health. Discuss with your clinician whether these tests would be right for you:
- Lipoprotein profile. This is a blood test that measures the total amount of cholesterol. This test measures both LDL (“bad” cholesterol), HDL (“good” cholesterol), and triglycerides (another form of fat in the blood). The test is given after a 9 to 12 hour fast and shows whether you have any of the following:
- High blood cholesterol (high total and LDL cholesterol);
- Low HDL cholesterol; or
- High triglyceride levels.
All of these factors affect your risk for heart disease. This test should be given to healthy adults at least once every five years and depending upon the results or your family history, you should have the test done more frequently. If you have a high cholesterol level, you might not know about it. This is why not checking your cholesterol level regularly can be dangerous to your health. By the age of 20, everybody should start having their cholesterol levels checked.
- Blood pressure. This is a painless test using an inflatable arm cuff. This test is important because it discovers if you have high blood pressure or pre-hypertension. Healthy adults should have their blood pressure tested every two years. Those with a family and personal history of high blood pressure or pre-hypertension should be tested more frequently. New research shows that at least 65 million adults in the United States have high blood pressure – a 30 percent increase over the last several years.
- Fasting plasma glucose. This is the preferred test for diagnosing diabetes. After you have fasted overnight, you will be given a blood test the following morning. Fasting plasma glucose levels of 126mg/dL or higher in two tests on different days mean that you have diabetes. Levels between 100 and 125 mg/Dl mean your risk for pre-diabetes or developing the disease is increased.
- Body mass index (BMI). BMI is a measure of your weight in relation to your height. A BMI of 18.5-24.9 represents a normal weight, 25 and over means you are overweight and 30 and over means you are obese.
- Waist Circumference. Waist circumference can be described as a measurement of the fat around your mid-section. A waist circumference of 35 inches in women and 40 inches in men, along with an increased BMI, increases the risk of heart disease or other serious health information. This test is recommended every two years or as often as your doctor recommends it.
- Tests for determining whether you already have heart disease. Several tests are available to determine whether you already have heart disease including a stress test, an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG), or other diagnostic test. Ask your clinician if any of these tests might be beneficial.
Discuss the results of the tests with your health care provider to find out what the next step would be. Some treatments include lifestyle modifications such as improving diet, increasing exercise, and/or certain cholesterol or blood pressure lowering medications. Weight control and physical activity are key factors in preventing heart disease.
By the Numbers…Are You Heart Healthy?
CHOLESTEROL:
Total Cholesterol
- Desirable - less than 200 mg/dL
- Borderline High - 200-239 mg/dL
- High - 240 mg/dL or above
LDL Cholesterol
- Optimal - less than 100 mg/dL
- Near Optimal - 100-129 mg/dL
- Borderline high - 130-159 mg/dL
- High - 160-189 mg/dL
- Very High - 190 mg/dL and above
HDL Cholesterol
- An HDL level of less than 40 mg/dL is a major risk factor for heart disease.
BLOOD PRESSURE:
- Normal - less than 120/80 mmHg
- Prehypertension - 120/80 to 139/89 mmHg
- Hypertension - 140/90 or higher mmHg
BLOOD GLUCOSE:
- Normal - under 99 mg/dL
- Prediabetes - 100-125 mg/dL
- Diabetes - 126 mg/dL and above
BMI:
- Normal Weight - BMI= 18.5-24.9
- Overweight - BMI = 25-29.9
- Obese - BMI = 30 or greater
Source: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
