LIFESTYLE
The Health Risk Assessment
The best part of doing a risk assessment is learning where you are and where you should be. This may support your efforts or encourage you to make changes. When you have your biometrics (or measurements) the assessment is more valuable.
A validated wellness profile with personalized feedback is usually offered through one’s employer,
college or insurance company. If you have the opportunity to complete one I strongly recommend it.
This information is considered protected health information and cannot be used to discriminate against
you in any way.
There are websites that allow some assessments as well. They are not always comprehensive however. This site offers several different assessment tools: Southeast Missouri Hospital - Online Health Assessments.
To learn more about assessments, check out this information on the Mayo Clinic website.
Biometrics
Blood pressure readings offer two numbers. The top number is referred to as the systolic pressure and the bottom is diastolic. I always remember by thinking DOWN for the diastolic. The proper technique for blood pressure readings involves the person being still for five minutes prior to the test. The arm should be supported and at the level of the persons heart. Machines AND clinicians can make procedural mistakes. Cuff too big, too small, too loose, too tight etc. It may be helpful to have three readings and then take the average. Normal blood pressure is said to be at or below 120 over 80. Blood pressure can be affected by genetics, weight, diet and physical activity as well as STRESS. Continuous hypertension can damage the artery walls.
Cholesterol testing will give you an idea of how much cholesterol, a waxy substance, is in your blood. Cholesterol is in all the cells of the body and has a purpose. However, cholesterol can build up in your arteries. It is called plaque buildup or atherosclerosis and hardening of the arteries or atherosclerosis. This leads to heart attack and stroke. High cholesterol can be caused by many things, including genetics, lack of exercise and a diet high in saturated fats, like red meat and fried foods. A normal cholesterol involves several numbers. (please do not think a home test for total cholesterol level will help you, it is worthless).
-Total cholesterol should be below 200 (milligrams by decilitiers)
-LDL cholesterol should be below 100 and lower is better
-HDL should be above 50 and higher is better
Triglycerides are another type of blood fat. Having high triglycerides, over 150 mg/dl can increase heart disease risk and also worsen other health conditions. Being overweight and inactive, drinking too much and smoking are all risk factors you CAN control.
Blood sugar levels are important. Glucose is energy that is released into our blood stream when we need it. Insulin is a hormone that regulates the glucose as we do not want too much in our blood stream for any length of time. The best blood sugar test to have completed is the A1C but that is usually given if problems are suspected. A routine physical and lab work will give you a blood sugar value to use on your risk assessment. Normal blood sugar levels are between 50 and 100mmol/L when fasting. (that stands for millimolar per liter).
CR-P is a test for inflammation. There are several markers of inflammation. This one is used to determine risk of heart attack or heart disease in a person who may have risks but not findings in other tests. It is also a blood test. A person is considered to be at low risk for heart disease if the level is 1mg/L or less. Learn more about C reactive protein at the American Heart Association.
BMI is a formula that offers a number used to determine if a person is overweight or obese : The formula is weight in pounds x 703 divided by your height in inches x your height in inches . You would like a BMI under 25. A calculator you can use online is at the CDC's site.
Waist circumference - This is a good measure of disease risk for people who have BMIs that are normal or overweight, but it is not helpful for the near morbidly obese. I like this website from the National Heart Lung Blood Institute because it explains a lot. To be considered at lower risk of disease women should have a waist measurement 35 inches or below where as men would need to be 40 inches or below. A good site for learning more about this is the National Institute of Health.
WHR - The waist to hip ratio is determined by first measuring the smallest part of your waist and then the largest part of your hips, you divide the smaller number (waist) by the larger (hips over buttocks). This measure is said to be a better indicator of body fat and heart disease mortality risk. Women should be near .7 and men .9. This is the number for optimal health. After you take your measurements, you can use this calculator. I chose this website as it is hosted by a university and doesn't advertise diet products, etc.
For the latest up to the minute research and news, Deirdre opines daily on her health educator blog.
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