Numbers to Live By - Real Simple

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Numbers to Live By
Understanding key numbersBMI, blood-sugar levelcan lead to better health.
Blood Pressure
Healthy number: Less than 120/80 mmHg.

Blood pressure refers to the force of blood

against the walls of your arteries when your
heart beats (systolic pressure, the top
number) and during rests between beats
(diastolic pressure, the bottom) and is
measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg).
The lower yours is, the better, says Holly
Thacker, M.D., director of the Center for
Specialized Womens Health at the Cleveland
Clinic. High blood pressure, or hypertension,
is 140/90 mmHg or higher. Hypertension is
called the silent killer because it often has
no symptoms and, left untreated, can lead to
stroke, heart disease, kidney damage, and

Julie Teninbaum

vision and memory problems. (If your top

number is between 120 and 139 and the
lower is between 80 and 89, you have prehypertension, which also carries risks.)

Have yours checked: Every time you see a doctor, including an ob-gyn. To lower your numbers,
consume a low-fat, low-sodium diet; exercise often; maintain a healthy weight; limit alcohol intake;
dont smoke; and manage stress. Your doctor may prescribe a diuretic to flush out excess sodium. If
that and lifestyle changes dont work, other medicines, like an angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE)
inhibitor, may be prescribed.

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Blood Sugar
Healthy number: A fasting blood-sugar level
of 99 mg/dL or less.

A fasting blood-sugar test measures glucose

(sugar) in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) of
blood after you havent eaten for at least
eight hours. A level of 126 mg/dL or higher
indicates diabetes, a condition in which your
body doesnt produce enough insulin (which
converts blood sugar into energy) or use
insulin properly. Diabetes more than doubles
your risk of heart disease and increases your
chances of kidney disease, vision loss, and
other health issues.

Have yours checked: At age 45, then every

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three years after that. (Your doctor may test

you earlier if you are overweight or have a
family history of diabetes.) Some doctors also do a hemoglobin A1C test, which measures glycated
hemoglobin (HbA1C), a substance in red blood cells that forms when glucose attaches to hemoglobin.
This gives a better picture of average blood sugar over the previous three months, says Wendy S.
Klein, an internist in Richmond, Virginia. An optimal A1C reading is less than 5.7 percent. To improve
your blood-sugar numbers, shed any excess pounds.

Cholesterol
Healthy number: Total cholesterol under 200 mg/dL; LDL cholesterol under 100 mg/dL.

The higher your cholesterol levels, the greater your risk of heart disease, says Nieca Goldberg, M.D.,
director of the Langone Womens Heart Center at New York University, in New York City. To minimize
health risks, your total cholesterol should stay under 200 mg/dL (cholesterol is measured by
milligrams of cholesterol per deciliter of blood). But its actually low-density lipoprotein (LDL)
cholesterolthe bad, artery-clogging kindthat causes the damage. Elevated LDL levels cause the

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formation of plaque in the artery walls,

explains Goldberg, which leads to
atherosclerosis and an increased risk of heart
attack and stroke. For most people, the
optimal level of LDL is under 100 mg/dL (and
under 70 mg/dL if you have diabetes or heart
disease).

Have yours checked: Starting at age 20 and

older. You should have a fasting blood test to
measure total cholesterol and LDL, plus the
other lipids, triglycerides, and HDL [highdensity lipoprotein], says Goldberg. If the
numbers are normal, you dont have to
recheck them for five years. If the numbers
are not where they should be, the best way to
improve your cholesterol levels is to lose

Julie Teninbaum

excess weight; exercise more often; stick with

a diet that is low in cholesterol, saturated fat,
and trans fats; and get your levels rechecked yearly. Even if you do all this, you may still need to take
a cholesterol-lowering medication.

HDL Cholesterol
Healthy number: 50 mg/dL or higher.

High-density lipoprotein, or HDL, is the good cholesterol, so the higher your number, the better your
health. HDL cholesterol helps remove harmful LDL cholesterol from arteries, says Goldberg. An HDL
level lower than 50 mg/dL is a heart-disease risk factor for women, while a level of 60 mg/dL or
higher helps protect you from heart disease. The best ways to raise your HDL are to quit smoking;
exercise; eat monounsaturated fats (olive oil is one source) instead of saturated and trans fats; and
avoid having more than one alcoholic drink a day. When HDL is low and LDL is seriously high,
cholesterol-lowering drugs, like statins, as well as niacin supplements can help.

Have yours checked: See Cholesterol.

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Julie Teninbaum

Triglycerides
Healthy number: Less than 150 mg/dL.

Triglycerides are a type of fat in the blood, and elevated levels increase your risk of type 2 diabetes
and heart disease. Your triglyceride level (measured by milligrams of triglycerides per deciliter of
blood, or mg /dL) is borderline high if it is between 150 and 199 mg /dL and high if its 200 mg /dL or
higher.

Have yours checked: Annually. Its usually part of the same test used to gauge your cholesterol.
People with a high level are often low in HDL cholesterol and vice versa. Research suggests elevated
triglycerides may be a greater risk factor for heart disease in women than in men, though no one
knows exactly why this is. Just consider it another good reason to get your level into the target zone.
To do that, lose weight, quit smoking, consume no more than one alcoholic drink a day, and exercise
regularly.

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Julie Teninbaum

Thyroid
Healthy number: A thyroid-stimulating
hormone level under 4.0 mIU/L.

Produced by the pituitary gland, the thyroidstimulating hormone (TSH) directs the thyroid
gland in your neck to secrete the hormones
thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3).
Besides helping regulate your metabolism,
body temperature, and heart rate, these
hormones affect skin, hair, muscle strength,
mood, and mental functioning. If your TSH
level is high, above 4.5 mIU/L (or milli
international units of TSH per liter of blood),
your thyroid isnt producing enough hormones
to help your body function efficiently.
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Have yours checked: Starting at age 35. Hypothyroidism is a condition that is fairly common among
women and can raise cholesterol and triglyceride levels and lead to heart problems and depression. If
your TSH level is high, your doctor may prescribe a thyroid replacement medication. If it is normal,
recheck it every five years.

Body Mass Index

Healthy number: Between 18.5 and 24.9.

Your body mass index (BMI) is a measure of

your weight in relation to your height
(calculate yours at nhlbisupport.com/bmi). A
BMI of less than 18.5 means youre
underweight and at risk for irregular periods,
fertility problems, anemia, and the bone loss
that can lead to osteoporosis. Many
Americans, however, have the opposite
problem: a BMI that is too high. If a persons
BMI is between 25 and 29.9, she is considered
overweight. A BMI of 30 or higher is defined
as obeseand thats a problem that lasts long
after bathing-suit season is over. Obesity
increases your risk for just about every

Julie Teninbaum

disease, says Klein. But BMI alone doesnt

tell the whole story; bear in mind that if you
carry extra weight around your middle (say, your waist circumference is 35 inches or greater), youre
at risk for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and all their attendant health issues, even if your BMI is in
the normal range, notes Stephanie Faubion, an internist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

Calculate yours: Annually, or after a weight gain or loss. If its too high, make an effort to eat less
and exercise more. Keep a tape measure handy to track any waist changes as well.

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C-Reactive Protein
Healthy number: Lower than 1.0 mg/L.

The amount of C-reactive protein (CRP) found

in the blood, measured in milligrams per liter
(mg/L), is a marker of chronic, low-grade
inflammation that has been linked to heart
disease, stroke, diabetes, and some forms of
cancer.

Have yours checked: When you dont know

your risk for heart disease. CRP levels arent
routinely measured, but its useful
information, especially if you dont know your
risk or family history for heart disease, says
David Katz, M.D., director of the Yale
University School of Medicine Prevention

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Research Center. Doctors typically test CRP

levels if theyre undecided about how
aggressively to treat someone with borderline-high cholesterol or symptoms of angina but no other
risk factors. They may also order the test if a patient lacks these risk factors but has a strong family
history of heart disease. In such cases, a high CRP level may lead a doctor to prescribe drug therapy,
such as statins, earlier, or to suggest that the patient make more aggressive lifestyle changes (a
healthy diet, more exercise) sooner rather than later. If you have high CRP levels, your doctor should
recommend lifestyle changes and eating foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids (such as salmon, walnuts,
canola oil, and ground flaxseed) to help reduce inflammation in the body.

Height
Healthy number: How tall you were at age 21.

This target is yours alone, to see if youre keeping up your vertical peak.

Have yours checked: Annually. If you shrink by more than an inch and a half after age 21, which
suggests bone loss (osteoporosis), you should get a bone-density test or a spine X-ray. About one in
every two women has an osteoporotic break or fracture in her lifetime, warns Thacker. So if you

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have lost some of your full height at any age

and find out that your bone density is low,
youre on notice: Your bones are fragile and at
risk for breaking with a minor fall. To protect
them, consume a calcium-rich diet and
vitamin D, and do regular weight-bearing
exercises (like brisk walking or tennis) and
strength training. Smoking and alcohol intake
can also adversely affect bone health. Take a
bone-protective medication if your doctor
advises it.

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Hitting Your Numbers

To get or stay in healthy ranges, aim for the
following:

Get 150 to 240 minutes of aerobic exercise

a week. Include some weight-bearing
exercise (walking, jogging) on most days.
Do strength training (weights, resistance
bands) two to three times a week.
Consume five to nine servings of fruits and
vegetables a day.
Eat a serving of fatty fish twice a week, or
take a fish-oil supplement (three grams or
less) daily.
Get at least 75 milligrams of vitamin C
(about six ounces of orange juice) daily.
Julie Teninbaum

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Consume 1,000 to 1,200 milligrams of calcium and at least 1,000 IU (international

units) of vitamin D a day.
Limit your alcohol intake to one drink per day maximum.
Dont smoke.
Get seven to eight hours of sleep a night.

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