Knowing your “numbers” is not only critical to your health maintenance, but it is also easy information to obtain. Pay attention to your doctor’s reports. Or ask for more information. The more you know about the status of your body’s health, the more are you in position to improve it — for the long term. How many numbers do you know?

10 Things You Probably Don’t Know about Your Body and Your Health:
Health knowledge is essential as the basis for personal health maintenance — with an eye toward longevity. You may not get all these numbers right in a pop quiz; but it is important to know of them and that they are key indicators of the state of your health.

1. Your Total Cholesterol. The National Cholesterol Education Program NCEP, a section of the National Health Institutes, publishes recommended cholesterol levels for maintaining low risk for health problems, specifically cardiovascular health. A measurement below 200 is the “desirable level that puts you at lower risk for coronary heart disease.” If your total cholesterol number is not below 200, then get it down there!

2. HDL or high density cholesterol. Cholesterol is an unwelcome fatty substance that tends to collect in coronary arteries (of some persons) and interfere with blood flow. It is chemically distinguished as high density cholesterol (HDL) and low density cholesterol (LDL). HDL is found to be on its way out of your system. A good level, number for HDL is 40. Lower than that calls for correction. Exercise will help.

3. Your LDL — low density cholesterol. This is the most important cholesterol measurement, because it indicates cholesterol that is building up. Heart experts want it to be at a level below 100 mg/dl (milligrams per deciliter of blood). If you are already at risk for or diagnosed with cardiovascular disease, it should be down around 70. And researchers have found that at even lower levels, heart disease (atherosclerosis) begins to recede. A very good thing.

4. Triglycerides. Like cholesterol, these are fats (lipids) in the blood. They are associated with overweight and are stored in fat tissue. Exercise reduces them. In excess, they are a risk for heart disease. A good level for triglycerides is 150 mg/dl. A routine “lipid profile” blood test will include the triglyceride level and the cholesterol levels.

5. FPG. Fasting plasma glucose. This is the measure of glucose (sugar) in the blood — a test for diabetes. It is measured in blood drawn after an 8 hour (usually overnight) fast. Diabetes is indicated when the glucose level in the blood is over 125 mg/dl. That is, the body’s metabolism is not able to process glucose in the blood sufficiently. Levels 125 and below, down to 95, are regarded as risky, because they may be on their way to diabetes and they tend, like diabetes, to do damage to bodily organs. This stage is called is “pre-diabetes” and requires treatment.

6. A1C is the chemical name of a component of hemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen in the blood (and also gives blood its red color). It tends naturally to bond with glucose in the blood stream. But if there is too much glucose available (diabetes), the A1C level increases. A normal measure is 5%. Higher indicates that diabetes is uncontrolled. The hemoglobin A1C test shows the average level over a 3-4 month period.

7. OGTT is another way of testing your glucose level. The letters stand for Oral Glucose Tolerance Test. In this test the patient drinks a sugary glucose drink — like an ultra-sweet cola… If the body is unable to metabolize the glucose efficiently it will remain and show up at high levels. Diabetes is diagnosed if after two hours a blood test shows the level at 200 mg/dl. Below 140 is normal.

8. BMI — your body mass index. On this measure using the formula weight/lb divided by height/in(2) (squared), a calculation of 30 is considered obese; 40 is morbid obese. You’re overweight at 25. The more you are below 30, the better. Other factors, such as body shape, may influence this measurement and there are variations in the application of the formula. It is, however, a good starting point for watching your weight. In a related measure, a 40+ inch waist for a man and 35+ for a woman are characteristics of the metabolic syndrome.

9. BP. Blood pressure. The first thing your health care provider does when you visit is take your blood pressure. Because blood pressure levels tell much about your health condition at any moment in time. A healthy blood pressure is in the range of 120-140 in the systolic (top number) and below 90 in the diastolic (bottom number). The numbers reflect the level and movement of mercury in an instrument called a sphygmomanometer (sphygmos being Greek for pulse) as it senses pressure through an inflated sleeve wrapped on your arm. Abnormally high blood pressure is a clue to something unhealthy going on in the body. When it is chronically high, it is a condition called hypertension, which requires aggressive treatment, because it can lead to very serious health problems . . . like stroke or heart attack. Ask how you can monitor your blood pressure at home.

10. Homocysteine. In its ongoing effort to discover what causes people to have heart attacks, medical science has identified a number biochemical factors; one of them is homocysteine. It is a kind of amino acid produced naturally; but it has been found in high levels in persons who have heart disease. Current standards regard a homocysteine level below 16 mg/dl in the blood as desirable. Higher than 16, efforts should be made to reduce it . . . mainly though dietary supplements, such as folic acid and vitamins B-6 and B-12.

And also . . .

High Sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP). This is a measure that has lately been considered critical. Because current research evidence shows that heart disease, atherosclerosis, displays a certain inflammation of the coronary arteries. CRP is the body’s response to inflammation; hence, the presence of CRP in the blood is a marker of an atherosclerotic condition.

The bottom line of this month’s Longevity Report is that knowing your “numbers” is not only critical to your health maintenance, but it is also easy information to obtain. Pay attention to your doctor’s reports. Or ask for more information. The more you know about the status of your body’s health, the more are you in position to improve it — for the long term.

Source: The Heart, Diabetes, and Weight Loss Centers of New York

Recall Insider

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!