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How Healthy Is Your Heart? To find out your risk of heart disease, read the following and check beside the answer that best applies to you. GENDER Women before the age of menopause have fewer heart attacks, than men, because their female hormones give some protection from hardening of the arteries. Also, persons with certain body builds tend to have more heart attacks than others. Female Thinly built male Average-built male Stocky male Bald-stocky male DIABETES People with diabetes or a family history of diabetes have a higher than normal risk of heart attacks. Since diabetes tends to run in families, count grandparents, parents, and siblings in figuring your family history. No known family history of diabetes 1 relative with diabetes 2 relatives with diabetes Diabetes - beginning after age 60 Diabetes - beginning between ages 20 and 40 Diabetes - beginning before age 20 FAMILY HISTORY A family history of heart attacks or strokes increases person's chances of suffering from hardening of the arteries. Count grandparents, parents, and siblings when figuring your family history. No known family history of heart attack or stroke 1 relative with heart attack or stroke after age 60 2 relatives with heart attack or stroke after age 60 1 relative with heart attack or stroke before age 60 2 relatives with heart attack or stroke before age 60 3 relatives with heart attack or stroke before age 60 SMOKING Cigarette smoking is the most preventable cause of disability and death from heart attacks. Smokers have four times more risk of heart attacks and strokes than non smokers. Even more smokers die from heart disease than from lung cancer. No matter how long you've smoked, your coronary risk factor goes down as soon as you quit smoking Not at all Cigar or pipe Under 10 cigarettes per day 11-20 cigarettes per day 21-30 cigarettes per day 31-40 cigarettes per day over 40 cigarettes per day EXERCISE Exercise that stimulates the heart and lungs for long periods of time is essential to preventing hardening of the arteries. It keeps down cholesterol, burns calories and increases the efficiency of the heart. Running, swimming, cycling, jogging, walking and playing tennis or handball are examples of exercise that benefit the heart. Regular exercise is the best investment in good health. Hard occupational and recreational exercise Moderate occupational and recreational exercise Sedentary work and intense recreational exercise Sedentary work and modest recreational exercise Sedentary work and light recreational exercise Little or no regular exercise. PERSONALITY TYPE Research has shown that certain types of personalties are more frequently associated with heart attacks than others. For example, a hard driving, aggressive person is more prone to suffer heart attacks than an easygoing type. Always relaxed and low pressure Relaxed low pressure most of the time Often impatient and watching the clock Highly competitive at work Blindly ambitious always in a hurry Hard driving and unable to relax BLOOD PRESSURE If you don't know your blood pressure, ask your doctor what it is the next time it is taken. If you have recently passed an employment or insurance physical, your blood pressure probably is below 140/90. Blood pressure can be lowered by medical treatment. Blood pressure of 110/70 or less Blood Pressure of approximately 120/80 Blood Pressure of approximately 130/85 Blood pressure of approximately 140/90 Blood pressure of approximately 160/100 Blood pressure of approximately 180/120 CHOLESTEROL Cholesterol below 180 or very little fat in diet. Cholesterol 180-200 or 20% fat in the diet. Cholesterol 200-235 or 30% fat in the diet. Cholesterol 235-260 or 40% fat in the diet. Cholesterol 261-300 or 50 % fat in the diet. Cholesterol over 300 or 50% fat in the diet. Your cholesterol levels can be checked by a medical professional. If you have not had your cholesterol levels measured, examine your diet and estimate the amount of fat you eat. High-fat foods can raise blood cholesterol and cause fat to be deposited in the arteries. Over time, these deposits restrict blood vessels and can raise blood pressure and cause heart attacks. BODY WEIGHT 5 lbs. or more below ideal weight 0-5lbs above ideal weight. 6-20 lbs above ideal weight. 21-40 lbs above ideal weight. 41-60 lbs above ideal weight. Over 60lbs above ideal weight. The more above your ideal weight you are, the greater your risk of heart disease. When you are 30% or more above your ideal weight, your coronary risk factor rises sharply. Use standard weight tables for computing your ideal weight. STRESS Relaxed and confident almost everyday Occasionally nervous and restless Nervous and uneasy daily Often unable to sleep Suffering attacks of anxiety/depression Unable to sleep almost every night Suffering stomach ulcers or headaches Everyone has a certain amount of emotional stress every day, but the ability to handle stress varies a great deal. The physical symptoms below are common indicators that a person is habitually placing himself under too much stress and increasing his risk of a heart attack. AGE Under 30 years old 30-44 years old 45-54 years old 55-64 years old Over 64 years old For both men and women, the risk of heart attack increases with age. More than half of all heart attack victims are over the age of 65. We want everyone to be HEART HEALTHY...
