Ask the Experts Blog

Your heart is a vital organ that keeps your body functioning. Unfortunately, many people don't treat it that way. They may not realize that their daily habits and lifestyle can overwork and damage their heart. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in this country. The good news is we have some control over it but you need to know what to be aware of.

Common Symptoms of Heart Disease Include:

• Chest discomfort – crushing, stabbing, burning
• Discomfort in upper part of the body such as your arms, jaw, or neck
• Shortness of breath
• Other vague symptoms like cold sweat, nausea, light headedness, fatigue and indigestion

Symptoms vary among individuals and 50 percent of men and 64 percent of women who die from heart attacks have no signs or symptoms ahead of time. Don’t wait until you are facing severe symptoms. Be aware of your numbers ahead of time.

Vicki Buck, Patient Educator at Lakeland Health, shares three key numbers that can change your life:

• Blood pressure
• Cholesterol levels
• Waist size

Blood Pressure:

When it comes to your blood pressure, 120 over 80 is what you want to strive for – 140 over 90 is considered too high or hypertensive and in between that is considered pre-hypertensive. You have a lot of control over that number. Set a goal for yourself to knock your top number down by five points and you can decrease your risk for heart disease by 10 percent. Making smart lifestyle choices, such as eating a diet low in sodium, exercising regularly, avoiding tobacco, reducing stress, and limiting alcohol, will decrease your risk of developing high blood pressure.

Cholesterol Levels:

When it comes to your cholesterol, many people don’t understand what all those letters and numbers mean. LDL is lousy – it’s the kind of cholesterol that causes plaque to build up in your vessels causing atherosclerosis. You want that number to be as low as possible. It should be 100 or less – the lower the better.

HDL is helpful and protects your body – it escorts fat and cholesterol away from the artery walls. Women should have an HDL value above 50 and men should strive for 40 or higher. You can improve your HDL by 10 percent simply by quitting smoking and performing regular exercise. If you improve your HDL by one percent, you decrease your risk for heart disease by two percent. It’s a great payoff in the long run.

Waist Size:

The fat in your abdomen is different than fat in other places. It’s surrounding your organs so it’s almost like an organ itself and impacts other numbers in your body. If your waist circumference as a woman is greater than 35 inches or greater than 40 inches as a man, your risk for heart disease increases significantly. Reduce your risk by committing to spending time exercising to burn fat. Also, be sure your plate includes multiple colors for a healthy diet.

Keeping track of these three simple numbers and taking the steps to get them in the right range can significantly lower your risk for developing heart disease or other health complications. Now that’s math that anyone can do!