Keeping track of your heart health means developing a working partnership with
your doctor or health care professional. With his or her help, you can take
regular tests to monitor the numbers that carry important information about the
health of your heart and circulatory system.
According to the American Heart Association, these are some of the numbers you
should set as your goals:
| Total Cholesterol |
less than 200 mg/dL |
| Low-Density Lipoproteins ("LDL" or "Bad") Cholesterol |
| for people at low risk for heart disease |
less than 160 mg/dL |
| for people at intermediate risk |
less than 130 mg/dL |
| for people at high risk, including those who have heart disease or diabetes |
less than 100 mg/dL |
| for people at very high risk |
less than 70 mg/dL |
| High-Density Lipoproteins (“HDL” or “Good”) Cholesterol |
| women |
50 mg/dL or higher |
| men |
40 mg/dL or higher |
Learn more about
Cholesterol, what it is and how to lower your levels >>
| Triglycerides |
less than 150 mg/dL |
| Blood Pressure |
less than 120/80 mmHg |
| Fasting Glucose |
less than 100 mg/dL |
| Body Mass Index (BMI) |
less than 25 kg/m |
| Waist Circumference |
| women |
35 inches or less |
| men |
40 inches or less |
Getting your numbers to where you’d like them to be may mean setting new goals
for your diet and your daily level of activity. Read more about both:
Eating Heart
Healthy >>
Getting Exercise >>
African-American Women and High Blood Pressure
According to WomenHeart, if you’re an African-American woman, your risk of high
cholesterol and blood pressure may be greater.
-
Nearly half of African-American women have a total cholesterol level above the
American Heart Association’s recommended number.
-
African-American women have higher average blood pressures and develop high
blood pressure earlier in life than do white women.
But working closely with your doctor, you can keep them in check.
Latinas and Diabetes
According to The Heart Truth, diabetes is on the rise for all Americans.
But the rate is especially high among some Latinas. If you suffer from
diabetes, your risk of heart or blood vessel disease is higher than for people
who don’t. But you may be able to control type 2 diabetes – the type most
adults develop – with changes in your diet or level of activity. Talk to your
doctor and know your glucose levels.
Keep track of your numbers with this
wallet card from The Heart Truth (PDF 77 KB)
>>
|
*To read and print this card, you’ll need the free application Adobe® Reader®. Get it now >>
|
 |
|