By Rick Banas, Vice President of Strategic Marketing at BMA Management
As Bill Rodgers RN talked, a common thread become apparent.
Being physically active, eating properly and losing weight are three great ways to reduce your risk of diabetes, heart disease, heart attack, stroke and other health problems.
Bill is a Cardiovascular Clinician at Anderson Hospital in Maryville, Illinois. He was doing a presentation at the Cambridge House of Maryville affordable assisted living community on, “Knowing Your Numbers for Healthy Living.”
He talked about cholesterol. Your HDL is your ‘good’ or your ‘Happy Cholesterol.’ Men should have an HDL level of at least 40 and women should have an HDL level of at least 50. Levels above 60 are best.
Your LDL is your ‘bad’ or your ‘Lousy Cholesterol.’ LDL levels below 100 are optimal. Levels between 130 and 159 are considered borderline high, between 160 and 189 are considered high, and 190 and above are very high.
Bill recommended five things you can do to improve your cholesterol as well as your triglyceride numbers:
- Lose Weight
- Be Physically Active
- Decrease Your Intake of Fat
- Decrease Your Intake of Cholesterol
- Increase Your Intake of Fiber
He pointed out that your waist size might predict your risk for developing heart disease and diabetes. Men with a waist size above 40 inches and women above 35 inches have an increased risk.
High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) nicknamed ‘The Silent Killer,’ can increase your risk for disease of the arteries, heart, brain, kidneys and eyes.
According to Bill:
- Blood pressure of 120 over 80 is considered Normal
- 120 to 139 over 80 to 89 is considered Pre-Hypertension
- 140 to 159 over 90 to 99 is Stage One: Hypertension
- 160+ over 100+ is Stage Two: Hypertension
To reduce your blood pressure numbers, you can…
- Lose Weight
- Be Physically Active
- Reduce Your Intake of Sodium
Another thing you can do is to increase your intake of Omega 3 Fatty Acids. Flax seed oil and cold water fish are two good sources.
By quitting smoking and reducing your intake of alcohol and caffeine can help you keep your blood pressure down and health up.
Bill stressed the importance of routine check-ups and follow-up visits with your physicians. If medications are prescribed, take them as recommended and do not stop unless your doctor tells you to do so.
You might also want to visit the American College of Cardiology’s CardioSmart website at www.cardiosmart.org
All affordable assisted living communities managed by BMA Management, Ltd. are certified and surveyed by the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services. All assisted living communities are licensed and surveyed by the Illinois Department of Public Health.
“BMA Management, Ltd. is the leading provider of assisted living in Illinois
and one of the 20 largest providers of assisted living in the United States.”
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