Learn about Your Heart Health

Know your blood pressure and cholesterol numbers, and work with your health-care team to achieve your goals:

• Normal blood pressure is 120/80 to 130/85.

• Your total cholesterol count should be 5.2 or less.

• Women should have a fasting blood test, to measure their LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, HDL (“good”) cholesterol, the ratio of these to their total blood cholesterol, and their triglyceride levels.

• LDL should be 45 mmol/L (or 2.0 mmol/L if you are at high risk of a heart attack or have heart disease)

• HDL should be 1.29 or higher

• total blood cholesterol should be less than 5.2 mmol/L

• blood triglycerides should be less than 1.7 mmol/L

• Newer blood tests that cue markers for heart disease include homocysteine and C-reactive protein tests. High levels of homocysteine and C-reactive protein may increase your risk of stroke and certain types of heart disease.

• Have blood tests done, to rule out diabetes or, if you have diabetes, to check to see how well your diabetes is under control.