Tag Archives: cholesterol

General Safety Issues, Health Issues

HEART FACTS WE ALL SHOULD KNOW

Because February is American Heart Month, we want to share more information regarding heart health.  There are some important numbers you should know.  You could keep this list, and the next time you have a physical, including blood work, ask your doctor to explain just exactly where your numbers are. 

  • 120/80 or under is normal blood pressure for adults.
  • Less than 200 mg/dl is a desirable cholesterol level.
  • Less than 100 mg/dl is an optimal level of LDL, or “bad” cholesterol.
  • More than 40 mg/dl is a desirable level of HDL, or “good” cholesterol.
  • Less than 150 mg/dl is a desirable level of triglycerides.  This blood fat, like LDL, can make your arteries harden or narrow.
  • Less than 35 inches for women, and less than 40 inches for men, is the best waist size.  Too much fat around the waist ups heart disease risk.  To measure your waist, put a tape measure around your midsection, just above your hips, and breathe out.
  • Between 18.5 and 24.9 is a normal body mass index (BMI).  A higher BMI can increase your risk for heart disease.
  • ZERO is your ideal exposure to tobacco, including secondhand smoke.
  • At least 30 minutes most days is how much to exercise.  Regular exercise can lower your resting heart rate.  According to a recent study in American Heart Journal, a resting heart rate higher than 90 doubled the risk for heart disease. 

FACTS WOMEN SHOULD BE AWARE OF

Many women think of heart disease as a man’s problem; however, each year, almost as many women as men die of heart disease.  Women may be less likely to survive heart attacks as men.  Why? One possible reason is women’s smaller hearts and blood vessels are more likely to be damaged.  Another reason is women may not recognize or respond to heart attack symptoms. 

Both genders usually experience the most common sign of a heart attack – pain and discomfort in the chest.  Women are more likely than men to have other signs of a heart attack.  Here are some of the symptoms they may have:

  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Shortness of breath
  • Extreme fatigue, sometimes for days or weeks beforehand
  • Pain in the back, neck, and jaw
  • Light-headedness or a cold sweat
  • Heartburn, coughing, heart flutters, or loss of appetite 

These symptoms can come on suddenly or develop over days or weeks.  The more signs you have, the likelier it is to be a heart attack.  Every minute counts: treatment within an hour offers the best chance for survival.  If you suspect a heart attack, call 911 immediately.  On a personal note: my sister-in-law is an E.R. nurse, and she told me that too many times men come to the E.R. complaining of indigestion, when in fact, they are having a heart attack.

Don’t ignore the symptoms.  Get to an emergency room in order to be sure of what is causing the pain.  My husband thought his problem was indigestion; however, when he finally decided to go to the E.R., he was immediately taken by ambulance to a larger hospital, where they discovered he needed four bypasses.  Thankfully, he is doing well now.  

Please take care of your ticker – it’s the only one you have! 

Sources: CDC; American Academy of Family Physicians, National Women’s Health Center, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, and American Heart Association.

General Safety Issues, Health Issues

HEALTHY HEARTS ARE IMPORTANT!

We began the month of February asking everyone to wear red on Friday, February 4, to help everyone be aware of taking care of our hearts, and stating that heart disease is the #1 killer of both men and women in the United States.  Midway through February, we again talked about keeping our hearts healthy.  What better way to end the month than to again express the importance of this subject – keeping the very most vital organ in our body in good shape. 

Everyone should discuss their heart health with a physician.  He/she should know important things about their patients – family history, blood pressure, and other risk factors that need to be watched.  Also, too much sodium intake should be avoided.  Healthy people should consume a maximum of 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day, which equals 1 Tablespoon.  Those with high blood pressure or other risk factors should not consume more than 1,500 milligrams per day.  Over 75% of sodium consumption comes from pre-processed foods. 

Your primary care manager can determine what risk factors you might have.  Age (men over 45, and women over 55), tobacco use, inactive, diabetes, and overweight/obese, are all risk factors; family history cannot be changed, but tobacco use, weight, and high cholesterol can.  Your physician will order a lipoprotein test, an analysis that breaks down cholesterol into four groups:

  1. Total cholesterol;
  2. Low density lipoproteins (LDL), “bad” cholesterol;
  3. High density lipoproteins (HDL), “good” cholesterol;
  4. Triglycerides.

Fasting prior to this test is required in order to ensure an accurate reading.

Total cholesterol values over 200 may indicate an increased risk for heart disease.  However, LDL levels better predict risk factor for heart disease.  Those with known heart disease (previous heart attack or peripheral vascular disease) or diabetes should have levels under 100.  LDL over 130, with two or more of the above risk factors, is abnormal.  An LDL over 160, with one or fewer of the risk factors, is also abnormal.  HDL cholesterol more than or equal to 60 takes away one risk factor and decreases your risk for heart disease.  Levels under 40 add a risk factor.  Normal triglyceride levels are under 150.  However, as with other components of the lipid test, fasting less than 9-12 hours may alter triglyceride results.  The best policy is to sit down with your doctor and let him explain these results in detail so you understand exactly where you stand. 

Also, here’s news about the  importance of training kids in CPR.  It is important for both adults and kids to know how to administer this life-saving procedure.  Here are the facts:

  • Effective bystander CPR, provided immediately after sudden cardiac arrest, can double or triple a victim’s chance of survival.
  • 85% of cardiac events happen in the company of family and friends.
  • The incidence of out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest in high school athletes ranges from .23 to 1 death per 100,000 high school athletes in the U.S. annually.
  • Studies have shown that children as young as 9 years old can learn and retain CPR skills.
  • About 5,900 children 18 years old and under suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrest each year from all causes, including trauma, cardiovascular causes and sudden infant death syndrome. 

Last, but not least, I want to leave February heart health tips for you with a recipe that I found on the North Carolina State Health Plan website:

“RECIPE FOR A HEALTHY HEART” 

Preparation Time: Depends on you

Level of difficulty: Easy to moderate

Ingredients:

1 ounce of prevention

1 or more motivated individuals

Lbs of healthy weight (remove large amounts of fat)

Well-balanced nutrition

4-6 servings of exercise/week

Blood pressure management

Less than 200mg cholesterol/day

Controlled blood sugar (glucose), if diabetic

A pinch of stress management

Moderate alcohol consumption (O optional)

O tobacco (for best results) 

Instructions: Combine the above ingredients on a regular basis, you will feel better, and your heart will thank you!

General Safety Issues

PASS ON THE SALT!

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Our goal is to encourage our readers to be safe in their every day lives; whether they are working or doing other activities.  Every once in a while, we enjoy presenting articles about health issues as well, because staying in good health allows us to enjoy life.  If we don’t feel well, we aren’t going to do a very good job for our employer.  And not doing a good job can compromise our safety as well as the safety of others.

“In the U.S., we eat more than twice as much salt per day as we really need,” said Dr. Lee Goldman of Columbia University.  “We found that increased salt intake in the U.S. is now as big a problem as cholesterol, almost as big a problem as smoking,” Dr. Goldman added.

A study in the New England Journal of Medicine estimates that cutting out just three grams of salt per day could prevent anywhere from 54,000 to 99,000 heart attacks and 32,000 to 66,000 strokes.  Three grams of salt equals ½ teaspoon.  The recommended daily salt intake is 3.7 to 5.8 grams. In the United States,  the average male consumes over 10 grams – or almost two teaspoons each day,  and the average female over seven grams.

The vast majority of salt in the American diet comes from processed foods, not from people adding it themselves.  Our bodies need a certain amount of salt, as its ingredients, sodium and chloride regulate the body’s fluid balance.  The body can require only 200 milligrams per day to stay healthy, depending on exercise and work conditions. The National Academy of Science recommends at least 500 mg but less than 2300 mg per day.  We all know that too much salt is harmful to your health. Researchers say that cutting one gram per day could be more cost effective than using medications to lower blood pressure in all those persons with hypertension.

How can we cut the salt? Start with salty snacks. The three most popular ones in America are loaded with it; potato and tortilla chips have almost half a gram in one serving and popcorn has nearly three quarters of a gram.  According to the New England Journal of Medicine’s report, probably 75% to 80% of dietary salt in the U.S. is “hidden” in processed foods.  Some fast food meals have almost three times the amount of salt needed in a day.  In addition to flavoring, salt adds to food preservation, so things such as soups, packaged meals, cottage cheese and packaged snacks contain high sodium levels.

To stay healthy, check the sodium content on food labels.  Use pepper, spices, herbs or lemon juice as seasonings instead of too much salt.  When eating a meal in a restaurant, I am guilty of sprinkling salt on my food before I even taste it!  But I am going to use this information to cut down on my salt intake, in order to keep my heart a little healthier.  I hope you will, too!