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Healthy Heart Tip: Do You Know Your Numbers?

Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by the Health Promotion and Education Team at Heart Research UK

This week is Know Your Numbers Week which encourages everyone to take ownership of their heart health numbers.

Cholesterol levels and blood pressure are two key markers to understanding your risk of heart disease.

In this week’s healthy tip, we explain what these two markers are, give you the healthy ranges you should be aiming for and explain how you can get yours tested.

Cholesterol

There are two main types of cholesterol, LDL, sometimes called ‘bad’ cholesterol, and HDL, sometimes called ‘good cholesterol’. We need some of both types of cholesterol, but the incorrect balance can be harmful. When LDL cholesterol builds up in the arteries, it can contribute to plaque formation, whilst HDL cholesterol removes harmful cholesterol from the bloodstream. Simply consuming more fibre can have a positive impact on your cholesterol reading. See the previous healthy tip for more ways to reduce bad cholesterol. Heart Research UK Healthy Tip - Improve Your Cholesterol

Blood Pressure

Blood pressure is the measure of the force that your heart uses to pump blood around your body. It is measured in millimetres of mercury (mmHg) and is given as two figures:
1) Systolic pressure – the pressure when your heart pumps blood out,
2) Diastolic pressure – the pressure when your heart is at rest, between pumps. Systolic pressure is always shown on top, and diastolic pressure is always shown on the bottom.
A simple lifestyle step like reducing your salt intake can help reduce your blood pressure. Healthy-Heart-Tip-Reducing-Salt-Intake

Get a test

The only way to know if your blood pressure or cholesterol is high is to have it checked. Checks are quick and easy, and it could be lifesaving. Adults aged 40 years or over should aim to have their blood pressure checked at least every five years. You can ask your GP to check your blood pressure, or you may be able to have your blood pressure checked with your local pharmacy or gym. You could also consider investing in a home blood pressure monitor to keep track of your numbers – check out ‘How to take your Bp video’ for a guide on measuring your blood pressure at home.

To help keep your heart healthy, why not try out some of the Healthy Heart recipes from the website: https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-recipes-2/.

Or have a look through the Healthy Heart cookbook filled with recipes from top chefs, celebrities and food bloggers:
https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-cookbook/.

Heart Research UK
Proud to stand out from the crowd, Heart Research UK is the charity dedicated to your heart. They inspire and invest in pioneering medical research, ground-breaking training and education, and in communities to improve their heart health for themselves. For over 50 years they have driven advancements in the prevention, treatment and cure of heart disease to benefit patients as soon as possible.