by Ann Marie Dwyer

Created on: March 09, 2010

You went to the doctor and got all the tests you needed to find out if you are heart healthy or on the road to heart disease. You got a flurry of numbers from the doctor.

Want to take the confusion out of all of the numbers from your doctor? Good cholesterol, bad cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, blood sugar...what do you really need to know?

Cholesterol & Triglycerides

Cholesterol and triglycerides are measured in milligrams per deciliter of blood. Cholesterol is broken into two different kinds: high density lipoprotiens (HDL) or good cholesterol and low density lipoprotiens (LDL) or bad cholesterol. Controlling cholesterol and triglycerides are key to maintaining heart health and risk of heart disease.

Desirable levels are considered low risk.

~ Total cholesterol: Less than 200
~ HDL: 60 and above
~ LDL: Less than 100
~ Triglycerides: Less than 150

Borderline high levels are higher than normal risk.

~ Total cholesterol: 200-239
~ HDL: 40-59
~ LDL: 130-159
~ Triglycerides: 150-199

High levels represent more than double the risk of heart disease.

~ Total cholesterol: 240 or higher
~ HDL: Less than 50
~ LDL: 160 or higher
~ Triglycerides: 200-499

Triglycerides have an even higher level considered "very high", which is 500 milligrams per deciliter or higher.

Blood Pressure

High blood pressure or hypertension causes heart attack, stroke and leads to heart disease. It also causes other serious health problems related to circulation and heart muscle health. Blood pressure is measure in millimeters of mercury. Your doctor will represent your blood pressure as systolic pressure over diastolic pressure.

Systolic blood pressure is the pressure in the heart when it is contracting, or the higher top number. Diastolic blood pressure is the pressure in the heart when the ventricles are filled with blood and at rest, or the lower bottom number.

Four levels of blood pressure (BP) classify the risk of heart disease: normal, pre-hypertension, stage one high and stage two high. Pre-hypertension can normally be controlled by diet and exercise. Stages one and two are treated by a physician with medication and more aggressive therapies, including surgery.

Normal:

~ Systolic BP: Less than 120 and
~ Diastolic BP: Less than 80

Pre-hypertension:

~ Systolic BP: 120-139 or
~ Diastolic BP: 80-89

High, Stage One:

~ Systolic BP: 140-159 or
~ Diastolic BP: 90-99

High, Stage Two:

~ Systolic BP: 160 or higher or
~ Diastolic BP: 100 or higher

You will notice the "or" in the last three levels.

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