| Heart Health Factor |
What It Is |
What to Aim For |
Record Your Risk Factors to Discuss With Your Physician |
| Cholesterol |
A kind of fat that is essential for the body. It's important to know your total cholesterol level, as well as your LDL and HDL levels. |
Total cholesterol level of 200 mg/dL or less |
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| LDL ("bad") cholesterol can cause a buildup of hard deposits, or plaques, in the arteries. Your ideal LDL level will depend on your level of risk for heart disease. |
- People who are at low risk for heart disease: Less than 160 mg/dL
- People at intermediate risk for heart disease: Less than 130 mg/dL
- People at high risk for heart disease: Less than 100 mg/dL
- People at very high risk for heart disease: Less than 70 mg/dL
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| HDL ("good") cholesterol helps the body get rid of bad cholesterol in the blood. The higher your HDL level, the better. |
- Women: 50 mg/dL or higher
- Men: 40 mg/dL or higher
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| Triglycerides |
Triglycerides are a type of fat. Excess calories, alcohol or sugar are converted into triglycerides and stored in fat cells. |
150 mg/dL or lower |
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| Blood pressure |
The force of the blood pressing against the blood vessel walls. |
120/80 mm Hg or less |
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| Ejection fraction |
The percentage of blood pumped out of the heart during each beat. It is a measure of the heart's pumping ability. |
55 to 60 percent of the heart's total blood volume |
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| Fasting glucose level |
A fasting blood glucose level over 126 mg/dL indicates diabetes, which puts you at higher risk for heart disease. |
100 mg/dL or less |
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| Sleep apnea |
This condition causes your breathing to stop temporarily or become shallow when you sleep. It's associated with an increased risk of high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke. |
If you've been told that you snore or stop breathing when you sleep, or you often wake up tired, see your doctor for sleep evaluation and possible treatments. |
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| Waist circumference |
People who carry weight around their waists (giving them an "apple" shape) may have a greater heart disease risk than people of the same weight who carry weight around their hips and buttocks (giving them a "pear" shape). |
Women: 35 inches or less Men: 40 inches or less |
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