Know your numbers
What’s your risk of a heart attack or stroke?
An excellent way to find out is to know your numbers -- specifically those associated with fat (both abdominal and as a proportion of height and weight), cholesterol and blood pressure.
Too much fat, especially around your abdomen or waist area, increases your risk for heart disease and stroke. So do high blood cholesterol and high blood pressure.
Fortunately, you can do something about them. All three risk factors can respond to changes in diet and physical activity. Medication also can help.
It’s important to know your numbers. To know yours, try out the interactive calculators on the right column.
