BY BEVERLY BURMEIER
THE PATH TO good health sometimes
seems like an obstacle course of numbers.
Do you know your blood sugar, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density
lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, waist-to-hip ratio and body mass index (BMI)?
Knowing your numbers lets you take preventive steps if anything is out of the normal range.
Use the following guide to ;nd your
starting point to good health.
Body mass index
• What it indicates: Your body weight
relative to your height. High numbers
have been associated with increased risk
for certain breast and blood cancers as
well as other health problems.
• How to ;nd your number: For adult
men and women, multiply your weight by
;;;.; and divide that by your height in
inches. Divide again by your height.
• Target number: A BMI between ;;.;
and ;; is considered normal. Higher than
;; indicates obesity. Keep in mind that, at
the same BMI, women tend to have more
body fat and men typically have greater
muscle mass.
Waist-to-hip ratio
• What it indicates: Signi;cant risk of
possible cardiovascular disease or gallstones, because the type of fat around the
waist is more metabolically active than fat
elsewhere on the body.
• How to ;nd your number: Measure
your waist in inches (just under the rib-cage) and divide that number by hip measurement (at widest point). Another
number to consider is waist circumference. For women the measurement at the
belly button—not where a clothing waistband sits—should be less than ;; inches,
and for men it should be less than ;;
inches. (For people of Asian ethnicity
those figures should be ;;.; inches for
women and ;; inches for men.)
• Target number: The risk for
heart disease and diabetes is greatest if
the waist-hip ratio is more than ;.; for
women or ;.; for men.
Blood sugar
• What it indicates: How much glucose is in the blood. High levels of blood
sugar indicate the presence of diabetes,
which increases the risk for cardiovascular disease.
• How to find your number: Have a
fasting blood test.
• Target number: A healthy number is
under ;;; after not eating for eight hours.
If your fasting number is over ;;;, you
may be at risk for diabetes.
LDL (bad) cholesterol
• What it indicates: More cholesterol
particles in your arteries, increasing the
threat of heart attack.
• How to ;nd your number: Your doctor orders a cholesterol blood test.
• Target number: While total cholesterol should be under ;;;, the numbers for LDL are no longer absolute.
However, if your LDL is higher than
;;;, your doctor will consider whether
treatment is appropriate. If you
already have heart disease, your LDL
should be less than ;;.
HDL (good) cholesterol
• What it indicates: How well excess
blood cholesterol is moved to the liver,
where it’s processed out of the body.
• How to find your number: Take a
cholesterol blood test.
• Target number: ;; or greater for
women; above ;; for men. Lower than ;;
indicates potential problems.
T-score
• What it indicates: Bone mass (
density) in your hip or spine. Low bone mass
increases your chance of breaking a bone
and other complications.
• How to find your number: Have a
noninvasive, painless scan of your hip or
spine with a special X-ray machine.
• Target number: A T-score of minus
;.; or above is normal. A T-score between
minus ;.; and minus ;.; indicates low
bone density (osteopenia). If your
T-score is below minus ;.;, the diagnosis
is osteoporosis.
Yes, good health can be a numbers
game. Make sure yours add up. C
Beverly Burmeier is a freelance health writer.
Good numbers
add up to
good health Know your numbers
26
45
ome
starting point to good health.
• What it indicates: Your body weight
for certain breast and blood cancers as
;;;.; and divide that by your height in
and ;; is considered normal. Higher than
body fat and men typically have greater
• What it indicates: Signi;cant risk of
stones, because the type of fat around the
waist is more metabolically active than fat
t
your waist in inches (just under the rib-
number to consider is waist circumfer-
ence. For women the measurement at the
band sits—should be less than ;; inches,
and for men it should be less than ;;
those figures should be ;;.; inches for
women and ;; inches for men.)
T
particles in your arteries, increasing the
d
• Target number: While total cho-
However, if your LDL is higher than
se
f
already have heart disease, your LDL
HDL (good) cholesterol
• What it indicates: How well excess
de
where it’s processed out of the body.
• How to find your number: Take a
women; above ;; for men. Lower than ;;
a
T-score
• What it indicates: Bone mass (
den-increases your chance of breaking a bone
and other complications.
noninvasive, painless scan of your hip or
spine with a special X-ray machine.
o
;.; or above is normal. A T-score between
minus ;.; and minus ;.; indicates low
bone density (osteopenia). If your
T-score is below minus ;.;, the diagnosis
is osteoporosis.
t
game. Make sure yours add up.
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45
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SPECIAL SECTION
FOR YOUR HEALTH
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