Heart Health Check-Up: Know Your Numbers


The heart is truly an amazing organ. It pumps blood throughout the body every second to give each of us life—and beats roughly 2.5 billion times over the average lifetime.

Because our hearts do so much to take care of us, it’s only fitting that we care for them in return.

When it comes to heart health, there are a number of things you can do to improve yours, as well as to prevent heart disease—from eating a healthy diet to reducing stress to not smoking. However, there is more to good heart health than leading a healthy lifestyle.

Taking good care of your heart also includes regularly checking your heart health numbers—your blood pressure, cholesterol levels and waist size.

In honor of American Heart Month, our team at The Prescription Shop has put together a quick reference for you to use as you work toward heart-healthy numbers.

Read on for a closer look.

Heart Health Check-up: Know Your Blood Pressure

There’s a reason you hear a lot about blood pressure—it’s super important when it comes to your heart health!

When the pressure, or force, of the blood running through your arteries remains high, it can damage them and cause them to not work right. This makes it easy for LDL (“bad” cholesterol) to build up in your arteries, further weakening them.

High blood pressure is no joke—it can cause a wide variety of health issues, from arrhythmia to heart attack to stroke.

That’s why it’s vital to make monitoring and managing your blood pressure a top priority.

Here’s an overview of what’s considered normal blood pressure and what’s not:

  • normal blood pressure: below 120⁄80
  • pre-hypertension: 120⁄80 to 139⁄89
  • high blood pressure (hypertension): 140+/90+

If your numbers are 120⁄80 or higher—or if you’re experiencing symptoms of high blood pressure—we recommend making an appointment with your healthcare provider, who can help you get on the path to a healthier heart.

Heart Health Checkup: Know Your Cholesterol Levels

Cholesterol plays an important role in your heart and overall health. This waxy substance that circulates in your blood is required for creating new cells.

However, when cholesterol builds up in your arteries, it can lead to heart disease, stroke or a heart attack. This makes it crucial to know your cholesterol levels and keep them in check.

The golden numbers to shoot for are:

  • total cholesterol: 200 mg/dL or lower
  • HDL (“good” cholesterol): women—50+ mg/dL; men—40+ mg/dL
  • LDL: 100 or lower—however, depending on your risk factors and current health conditions, this number could be lower.)
  • triglycerides: less than 150 mg/dL

Heart Health Check-up: Know Your Waist Size

While many people choose to focus on their weight or their body mass index (BMI), your waist size is actually one of the best indicators of your risk for heart disease.

For women, in particular, having a waist size equal to or greater than 35 inches increases the risk of developing heart disease and other related conditions, including diabetes, metabolic issues and high blood pressure and/or cholesterol.

For men, on the other hand, a waist size of 40 inches or greater raises the likelihood.

Reducing your waist size can be challenging, but your heart will thank you. Here are some healthy ways to get a handle on your waist size.

Have you checked out IDLife, a personalized health program offered through The Prescription Shop? Visit our website today to learn more about how you can get on the path to wellness!