Know Your Numbers
Keeping track of a number of your body's measurements is a fairly easy way to tell if your risk for cardiovascular disease is increasing. Following are a few tests you shold know about in keeping your heart healthy. Measurements for each person may vary, depending on variables such as body type and gender. The following numbers are general guidelines. Consult your physician about which numbers are safe for you.

Cholesterol
A cholesterol screening is an overall look at, or profile of, the fats in your blood. Screenings help identify people at risk of heart disease. It is important to have what is called a full lipid profile to show the actual levels of each type of fat in your blood: LDL, HDL, triglycerides, and others. This measurement can be taken using specialized equipment with as little as a single drop of your blood.

Healthy Cholesterol Levels:

LDL (the "bad" cholesterol) - less than 130 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter)

HDL (the "good" cholesterol) - greater than 40 mg/dL

A total cholesterol level below 200 mg/dL is considered desirable

Blood Pressure
Blood pressure is the force of the blood pushing against the artery walls. Each time the heart beats, it pumps blood into the arteries, resulting in the highest blood pressure as the heart contracts. High blood pressure, or hypertension, directly increases the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke. With high blood pressure, the arteries may have an increased resistance against the flow of blood, causing the heart to pump harder to circulate the blood.

Healthy Blood Pressure Levels:

Less than 120 mm Hg systolic pressure (top number)

Less than 80 mm Hg diastolic pressure (bottom number)

Body Mass Index
Being overweight or obese is one oa major risk factor in cardiovascular disease. Body Mass Index, or BMI, is a good indicator of how much fat you carry by taking into account an individual’s height and weight. You can calculate your BMI with the following formula:

BMI is equal to
Your weight (in pounds)
multiply by 700
divide by your height (in inches)
divide again by your height (in inches)

Healthy BMI Levels:

BMI=18 to 24

Blood Glucose
Another major risk factor for cardiovascular disease is diabetes. Diabetes is a condition in which the body cannot produce enough of a hormone called insulin, or to use it efficiently. Insulin allows our bodies to process the sugars (glucose) from the food we eat. Without enough insulin, the level of sugar in the blood gets dangeroulsy high. A simple fingerstick blood test can determine your blood sugar level.

Healthy Blood Glucose Level:

A fasting blood glucose level below 100 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter)

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