When it comes to your heart health, you may know how lifestyle factors like exercise and nutrition can impact your risk of disease. But how can you tell if you’re on the right track?
While a number of risk factors like personal and family health history can’t be measured, there are a few metrics that can provide a good picture of your heart health and fitness. Familiarizing yourself with these numbers can help you better understand your disease risk. By tracking and monitoring these numbers, you can work with your primary care provider to set goals and make lifestyle changes to reduce your risk of disease over time. Here are three heart health metrics you should know:
1. Blood pressure
Blood pressure refers to the force of your blood against the walls of your blood vessels. Each time your heart beats, it pumps blood through the arteries to the rest of your body. Your blood pressure is highest when your heart contracts, and lowest when it’s at rest. As a result, your blood pressure fluctuates slightly throughout the day as you exercise, eat, sleep, drink and experience varying levels of stress. It can also change with age, medications, temperature and a number of other factors.
2. Blood glucose
Blood glucose refers to the amount of glucose (a type of sugar) that is found in your blood. Your body creates blood sugar by digesting the food you eat into glucose, which is then transported through the bloodstream to be used for energy and stored in your cells for later use. Your pancreas produces an important hormone called insulin that helps your cells absorb and store glucose.
3. Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a type of fat that plays an important role in many bodily functions. It helps your body build cells, create vitamins and produce hormones, as well as digest food. While cholesterol is necessary for a number of reasons, too much can raise your risk of heart disease and stroke.
What else you should know
Paying close attention to your blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol levels can help you better understand your risk of heart disease and take control of your cardiac health. If your numbers are higher than they should be, your primary care provider can partner with you to create a personal care plan to help you lower your numbers and get back on track.
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