8 Numbers That Are Critical To Your Health
We’ve talked about metabolic syndrome, a notorious driver of health issues, in a previous blog. This collection of disorders makes you more vulnerable to serious health problems like type 2 diabetes, ischemic heart disease, and stroke.
We also discussed the three out of five characteristics you need to have for a diagnosis of metabolic syndrome: abdominal obesity, raised blood pressure, high triglyceride levels, low ‘good’ cholesterol levels, and high fasting glucose levels.
But how do you know if you have excess fat around your waist? And what’s the ‘high’ in high blood pressure and high triglyceride levels? Here are the numbers associated with each of these characteristics that you should know:
- Waist circumference of more than 94 cm for European men
- Waist circumference of more than 90 cm for South Asian men.
- Waist circumference of more than 80 cm for European and South Asian women.
- Blood pressure readings that are consistently higher than 130/85 mm Hg.
- Fasting blood triglyceride level of 150 mg/dL or higher.
- ‘Good’ or HDL cholesterol level of 40 mg/dL or lower in men.
- ‘Good’ or HDL cholesterol level of 50 mg/dL or lower in women.
- Fasting blood glucose level of 100 mg/dL or higher.
It’s easy to measure your waist circumference on your own. Stand up straight, relax your abdomen, and wrap the measuring tape at the level of your navel.
To get all your other numbers, you will need to consult your doctor to get tests done. A doctor or nurse can easily determine your blood pressure using a blood pressure cuff, no syringes needed! But for your blood triglyceride, HDL cholesterol, and glucose levels, you will need to get a blood test done.
If you’re worried about your risk of metabolic syndrome, it’s best to consult your doctor to decide your next course of action. They may recommend medical tests or lifestyle measures to manage your risk. It’s better to act fast, before you find yourself on the highway to life-threatening hell-th problems!
Remember, the only person who can keep YOU the healthiest is YOU.
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