Bless Your Heart

Controlling Cholesterol | Diet
Physical Activity | Monitor Your Health
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Cholesterol
Since high blood cholesterol signals a higher risk of heart attack, it’s important to have your cholesterol levels checked regularly and discuss them with your doctor. Your doctor will test your total cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol and will tell you about these readings. You may also ask your doctor to tell you about your LDL and triglyceride readings, if these were taken.

What should my total cholesterol level be?

Desirable—Less than 200 mg/dl
Borderline—High 200 to 239 mg/dl
High Risk—240 mg/dl and over

What should my HDL-cholesterol level be?
HDL stands for high density lipoprotein. HDL is considered "good" cholesterol because it seems to protect you from heart attack. That means that — unlike other cholesterol levels — the higher your HDL, the better.

You can raise your HDL by quitting smoking, losing excess weight and being more active. Make healthy lifestyle changes to raise your HDL and reduce your risk of heart attack.

HDL-Cholesterol Levels

High risk—Less than 35 mg/dl
Desirable—More than 60 mg/dl

What should my LDL-cholesterol level be?
LDL stands for low density lipoprotein. This is the main carrier of harmful cholesterol in your blood. A high level of LDL means there’s a higher risk of heart disease.

LDL-Cholesterol Levels

Desirable—Less than 130 mg/dl
Borderline—High 130 to 159 mg/dl
High—160 mg/dl or higher

What should my triglyceride level be?
Most of your body fat comes in the form of triglycerides. Butter, margarine and vegetable oil are triglycerides, too. High triglyceride levels can result from being overweight, drinking a lot of alcohol, or having diabetes or other disorders. It’s not clear yet whether triglycerides are a risk factor for heart disease or not.

Triglyceride Levels

Normal—Less than 200 mg/dl
Borderline—High 200 to 400 mg/dl
High—400 to 1000 mg/dl
Very High—Greater than 1000 mg/dl

What is normal blood pressure?
Blood pressure is the force or pressure exerted in the arteries by the blood as it is pumped around the body by the heart. It is recorded as two measurements:

Systolic: pressure in the arteries during the period of the heart's contraction (the higher number)

Diastolic: pressure in the arteries when the heart is relaxed, between heartbeats (the lower number). Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg), which refers to how high the pressure in the arteries can raise a column of mercury in a sphygmomanometer, a device for measuring blood pressure.

Normal blood pressure for an adult, relaxed at rest, is about 100-130 over 80. Blood pressure may increase or decrease, depending on your age, heart condition, emotions, activity, and the medications you take. One high reading does not mean you have high blood pressure. It is necessary to measure your blood pressure at different times while resting to find out if that is your typical value.

What should my blood sugar level be?
If you suddenly experience symptoms of increased thirst, frequent urination or unexplained weight loss, diabetes may be suspected. To confirm the diagnosis, a fasting plasma glucose test or a casual plasma glucose test will be performed.

The preferred method of diagnosing diabetes is the fasting plasma glucose test (FPG) because it is easy to administer, convenient for patients and less expensive than other tests, according to the American Diabetes Association. The FPG measures your blood glucose level after you have not eaten anything for 10 to 12 hours.

Normal fasting blood glucose is between 70 and 115 mg/dl for people who do not have diabetes. The standard diagnosis of diabetes is made when two blood tests show that your fasting blood glucose level is greater than or equal to 126 mg/dl.What should my ideal weight be?

Your true ideal weight—your healthy weight—may not necessarily fit the skinny body image popular today. Ideal weight really refers to the weight at which you have the lowest risk of death.

One tool to help you figure your ideal weight is the federal government's Body Mass Index (BMI), which determines obesity based on body-fat content rather than weight. To calculate your BMI, multiply your weight in pounds by 705. Divide the result by your height in inches, then divide by your height again.

For instance, for a woman who is 5’ 2" tall and weighing 140 lbs., the BMI calculation would be as follows:

140 (weight) x 705 = 9870 ÷ 62 (height in inches) = 1592 ÷ 62 (height in inches) = 25.7

BMI
Experts agree that "ideal" BMI scores should range from 19 to 25. If you're overweight, you are at increased risk for diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, cancer, heart disease and stroke; underweight, and you may suffer from malnutrition. If you are overweight, you need to realize that you have a lifelong condition that requires not only a special diet and exercise, but possibly some counseling and medications to bring it under control. Keeping obesity in check requires constant vigilance—no easy task in the high-fat, high-sugar, high-volume nutritional landscape of the United States.

You may be considered overweight if you:
Have a body-fat percentage greater than 30 percent for women and 25 percent for men. Use the BMI calculation above to determine your percentage of body-fat.

Weigh 20 percent more than your ideal body weight. Your ideal weight is based on your gender, age and typical activity level (whether you tend to be sedentary or active). Consult your doctor or a nutritionist for an accurate determination of your ideal weight. Want to improve your heart health? Here are some common sense guidelines that can be a blessing to your heart.

Diet

Enjoy foods from all food groups, emphasizing a variety of fruits and vegetables.
Eat at least five daily servings of fruits and vegetables.
Eat at least six daily servings of grain products (include whole grains).
Include fat-free and low-fat dairy products, legumes, poultry and lean meats.
Eat at least two servings of fish every week.
Achieve a healthy body weight.
Limit high sugar foods.
Limit foods high in saturated fat and cholesterol. Eating an average of one egg per day is okay as long as other high-cholesterol foods are limited.
Limit fat by cutting back on foods with hydrogenated vegetable oils.
Keep salt intake to a teaspoon or less per day (about 6 grams salt, 2,400 milligrams of sodium).
Limit alcohol to no more than one drink per day for women, two per day for men.

Physical Activity

Maintain a level of physical activity that builds fitness—aim for 30 minutes of moderate exercise daily.
To maintain weight, balance calorie intake with energy expenditure.
For weight loss, you should burn-off more calories than you take in.

Monitor Your Health
See a doctor regularly for a checkup.

Achieve a healthy blood pressure, blood cholesterol reading, blood sugar level, and BMI.

Stay in Touch for Your Good Health.
If you have heart disease, members of your family also may be at higher risk. It’s very important for them to make changes now to lower their risk.

For more in-depth information about the effects of high cholesterol and lowering your risk of heart disease through diet and exercise, CLICK HERE. We also have a special section of heart healthy recipes that are sure to please.