Know Your Numbers
The phrase Know your Numbers is not new. It is a health term that refers to knowing and understanding important health numbers, key markers of health. Depending on your current state of health, your health history, and your family medical history the numbers you need to know will vary.
Basic numbers we should all know include blood pressure, weight, height, Body Mass Index (BMI), and waist size. These are all fairly easy to calculate, are taken at a doctor’s office, by you, or at events such as health fairs by qualified people.
Blood Pressure
Optimal blood pressure is less than 120/80. Blood pressure is the amount of force exerted by the blood against the walls of the arteries. A person’s blood pressure is considered high when the readings are greater than 140 mm Hg systolic (the top number in the blood pressure reading) or 90 mm Hg diastolic (the bottom number). In general, high blood pressure, or hypertension, contributes to coronary heart disease, stroke, heart failure, and kidney disease.
Before blood pressure rises to 140/90 or greater you might have warning signs of pre-hypertension. The American Heart Association provides a chart to help guide you in knowing your blood pressure readings. You can reach it by clicking American Heart Association.
During pregnancy high blood pressure can lead to a mother developing pre-eclampsia — or “toxemia of pregnancy”—which can threaten the lives of both the mother and the fetus. (Source: National Institutes of Health)
Weight
Having a healthy weight is not about looking thin, skinny, or wearing a certain. The website for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has this to say about a healthy weight, [tweetthis]”Healthy Weight – it’s not a diet, it’s a lifestyle!”[/tweetthis] Visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to learn more and explore the interactive website.
Body Mass Index (BMI)
Body Mass Index (BMI) is a number calculated from a person’s weight and height. BMI is a fairly reliable sign of body fatness for most people. BMI is a screening tool to find possible weight problems for adults. Some people may have a high BMI; however, to decide if excess weight is a health risk a healthcare provider would need to do further assessments.
These assessments might include evaluations of diet, physical activity, family history, skin-fold thickness measurements, and
other proper health screenings. Highly trained athletes might need other types of measurements for body fatness. Calculating BMI is one of the best methods for population assessment of overweight and obesity. Because calculation requires only height and weight, it is inexpensive and easy to use for clinicians and for the public.
Waist Size
Our waist size tells a great deal about us. There are two methods of using waist size to determine health. They are waist measurement and waist-to-hip ratio. The research isn’t certain on which method is better, however, we do know that excessive weight in the abdominal area increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. This abdominal fat is abdominal obesity. People who are not overweight can still have abdominal obesity. For more information go to Harvard School of Public Health.
Take Charge
The best way to take charge of our health is by staying informed and being proactive. Make it a priority to know your numbers. Once again here is a basic checklist to get you started. What other numbers should you add? Talk to your healthcare provider.
√ Blood pressure
√ Weight and height
√ BMI
√ Waist size
Yours in health,
Tamara