10 “Healthy” Numbers You Need To KnowAccount numbers! Budget numbers! Phone numbers!…we’re bombarded with important numbers each and every day. Here are some of the most important health-related numbers you should know…they may save your life. 10. Your Triglycerides Value Should be less than 150. Triglycerides are the chemical form in which most fat exists in food as well as in the body. They're also present in blood plasma and, in association with cholesterol, form the plasma lipids. Excess triglycerides are linked to the occurrence of coronary artery disease in some people. Elevated triglycerides may be a consequence of other disease, such as untreated diabetes mellitus. Like cholesterol, increases in triglyceride levels can be detected by plasma measurements. These measurements should be made after an overnight food and alcohol fast. 9. Number of Calories You Need To Cut A Day In Order To Lose About 10 Pounds In A Year: About 95. Unfortunately, the reverse is also true. Consume an extra 95 calories a day, and you’ll be insulated with an extra ten pounds of weight at the end of the year. 8. Waist Circumference Men less than 40 inches; women less than 35. Excess weight, as measured by BMI, is not the only risk to your health. Your waist shows how much abdominal fat you have, and increased girth can signify an increased risk of cardiovascular disease or diabetes. Weight gain can also be a sign of ‘insulin resistance.’ You should measure around your relaxed stomach at belly button level. Women with a waist measurement of more than 35 inches or men with a waist measurement of more than 40 inches may have a higher disease risk than people with smaller waist measurements because of where their fat lies. 7. Daily Recommended Number of Cups of Fruits and Vegetables The amount of fruits and vegetables you need to eat depends on your age, sex, and level of physical activity but an average daily consumption of 2 ½ -3 cups of vegetables and 1 ½-2 cups of fruit is the goal for adults. 6. Amount of Physical Activity Needed Per Week Most adults need at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity at least five days per week. Examples include walking briskly, mowing the lawn, dancing, swimming for recreation or bicycling. Stretching and weight training can also strengthen your body and improve your fitness level. 5. C-Reactive Protein Lower than 1.0mg/L. C-reactive protein is produced by the liver. The level of CRP rises when there is body-wide (systemic) inflammation. The CRP test is considered a general test, not a specific one. In other words, it can reveal that there is inflammation present in the body, but it cannot tell you where it is. 4. Daily Fat Intake Percentage From Saturated Fats Your daily fat intake should be less than 30 percent of your total caloric intake, with less than 10 percent coming from saturated fats. The best way to monitor this is to check the labels of the food you are eating. To lower the number, when eating fats, choose monosaturated and polyunsaturated fats. 3. Number of Health Risk Factors and What They Are Should be 0-2, ideally 0. By age 20, you should know your risk factors. The important risk factors you can control or treat include:
It’s essential that you measure your risk of heart disease and make a plan for how to prevent it. A comprehensive health appraisal will help you determine how many risk factors you have, what they are and how to address them. 2. Blood Pressure Lower than 120/80 mmHg. According to recent estimates, nearly one in three U.S. adults has high blood pressure, but because there are no symptoms, nearly one-third of these people don't know they have it. In fact, many people have high blood pressure for years without knowing it. Uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to stroke, heart attack, heart failure or kidney failure. This is why high blood pressure is often called the "silent killer." The only way to tell if you have high blood pressure is to have your blood pressure checked. Blood pressure stays pretty much the same when sitting or standing still. When the level stays high, 140/90 mmHg or higher, you may have high blood pressure. 1. Number You Need For More Information About The TriHealth Executive Health Program 513-891-1622
Contact TriHealth Executive Health Learn more about the TriHealth Executive Health Program. Call (513) 872-2300 or ExecutiveHealth@trihealth.com for more information.
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