H01 -- January 2007 -- Heart Health Numbers Game

Intro: In our culture numbers are everywhere. Phone numbers, bank numbers, license numbers--everyday we remember and use many of these numbers over and over again. But doctors at Mayo Clinic say most of us don’t know or even think about the most important numbers: our heart health numbers. Here are the numbers you need to know to prevent a heart attack or stroke.

“14…GO”

LIKE CRIBBAGE, SODUKO OR THE LOTTERY, IMPROVING YOUR HEART HEALTH IS A NUMBERS GAME.

“HAVE FUN WITH KNOWING YOUR NUMBERS AND TRYING TO MAKE THEM BETTER.”

MAYO CLINIC DR. GERALD FLETCHER SAYS TO PLAY THE GAME YOU HAVE TO KNOW THE FOUR MOST IMPORTANT NUMBERS TO GOOD HEART HEALTH. FIRST GET YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE TAKEN.

“IT CAUSES HEART FAILURE, IT CAUSES HEARTS TO GET WEAK, IT CAUSES HEART ATTACK IT CAUSES STROKE.”

YOUR NUMBERS SHOULD BE NO HIGHER THAN 120 OVER 80. 115 OVER 75 IS BETTER YET. NEXT, CHOLESTEROL.

“THE CHOLESTEROL LEVEL IS VASTLY IMPORTANT. THE HIGHER IT IS THE MORE LIKELY YOU ARE TO HAVE A HEART ATTACK, A BLOCKAGE OF ARTERIES OR SOME PROBLEM WITH THE CIRCULATION TO THE HEART.”

KEEP YOUR TOTAL CHOLESTEROL LOWER THAN 200. NOW BLOOD SUGAR. YOUR LEVEL SHOULD BE 100 OR LOWER. IF IT’S HIGHER THAN THAT YOU’RE AT INCREASED RISK OF ADULT-ONSET DIABETES.

AND FINALLY WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE. FOR WOMEN YOUR WAIST SHOULD BE NO LARGER THAN 35 INCHES. FOR MEN, 40 INCHES. REMEMBER IT’S A GAME. CHALLENGE YOURSELF TO LEARN THESE NUMBERS AND DO WHAT YOU CAN TO GET THEM WHERE THEY OUGHT TO BE.

“MANY PEOPLE CAN CONTROL THEIR BLOOD PRESSURE AS WELL AS THEIR BLOOD CHOLESTEROL AS WELL AS THEIR WAIST AS WELL AS THEIR GLUCOSE IF THEY EXERCISE PROPERLY, CONTROL THEIR WEIGHT AND LIVE A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE.”

LIFE STYLE CHOICES THAT CAN HELP YOU WIN THE HEART NUMBERS GAME. FOR MEDICAL EDGE, I’M VIVIEN WILLIAMS

Tag: Sometimes no matter how hard you try to control your numbers with diet and exercise it just doesn’t work. In that case there are medications that can help. You also can’t do anything about family history. If your relatives have heart problems, you might too. So be sure to work with a health care provider to help you get those numbers where they should be. For more information, visit our Website at…

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