Knowing Cholesterol, Blood Pressure Numbers Can Save Lives

If one of your New Year's resolutions was to get healthier, then 'knowing your numbers' is a good way to start.

Andre Stanley decided to visit his doctor to get his health back on track for the new year. One of the first things she told him was to get to know his numbers.

"When she told me about the numbers, that they were very important based on my size," says Stanley. When I came here to her, I didn't know anything about numbers at all, O was just lost."

Stanley's physician, cardiologist Dr. Patricia Davidson says it's no longer acceptable to just know your total cholesterol level. Now you also need to know your HDL, LDL and triglycerides numbers.

"I know practically no one that will walk in my office and tell me they know what their numbers are," says Dr. Davidson, "It's a difference between life and death."

Doctors have long believed that people with a low total cholesterol level, under 150, are less likely to have heart attacks. But recent studies show that the HDL, or the good cholesterol, levels might be the key to good heart health.

A low HDL level can predict heart problems, especially if there's a family history of heart disease.

"It's very sensitive in the female population," says Dr. Davidson. "If women tend to have low good cholesterol levels they have a much higher risk of heart disease than that of the male population."

Health experts say knowing your blood pressure number can be important, too. Untreated high blood pressure can lead to health problems such as stroke, heart attack, damage to the eyes, kidney failure, and hardening of the arteries.

"So optimal blood pressure is under 120 and under 80 and if you can achieve that, there is a very small likelihood that you will have a heart attack or a stroke as a result of high blood pressure," says Dr. Davidson.

Dr. Davidson says it's important to know your numbers, and have them checked regularly, because they're measurements that can help you live a longer, healthier life.

"You need to participate in your care," says Dr. Davidson. "You know 911, that's the one number that will save your life, and so will your cholesterol numbers, your HDL or triglycerides, your LDL, your blood pressure, those are numbers that will save your life."

For more information on 'knowing your numbers,' visit the websites below:
American Heart Association
National Cholesterol Education Program
National Institute of Health