Sunday, January 31, 2010

National Heart Month

My heart in your hands
February is National health month.  While every time of year is a great time to improve your heart health; February is a great time to seek out heart health screenings.  Depending on your area they may have health fairs or just discount lab tests for cholesterol.  While cholesterol is just one factor in heart health it is a inexpensive way to get some idea of what is going on inside the heart.  If your cholesterol is high chances are you have plaque that is building up along side.   National recommendations are to have total cholesterol below 200, triglycerides below 150, LDL (that's the bad cholesterol) below 130, and HDL (Good Cholesterol) above 40 for a man and 50 for a woman.  However studies are showing that our standards are too lose for preventing heart disease.  When working with clients more and more I hear oh my doctor isnt worried about my cholesterol and it will be scores above 200... however they are most likely not worried because they are so accustomed to seeing high cholesterol.  If your doctor brings that up; you may want to remind them that the number one cause of Death in the US is heart disease (specifically coronary artery disease) its not good to be "normal".   Studies also show that individuals with a total cholesterol (lifestyle induced) below 150 do not suffer from heart attacks.  Just something to keep in mind as you receive your test results.  I will designate a post specifically to lowering cholesterol this month.  But for now take advantage of this month to be responsible for your heart health and get your cholesterol tested.   Creative Commons License photo credit: aussiegall