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What you can do to stay healthier | The Honolulu Advertiser | Hawaii's Newspaper

Posted on: Wednesday, January 5, 2005

What you can do to stay healthier

 •  'Health' foods not all healthy

Advertiser News Services

The guidelines for conditions like diabetes, high cholesterol and blood pressure have changed. Fitness magazine compiled this guide to current standards.

Borderline high cholesterol

If your total cholesterol is between 200 and 239 milligrams per deciliter, you're in the danger zone for developing full-blown high cholesterol (defined as 240 milligrams per deciliter or above).

Similarly, if your LDL, or "bad" cholesterol, is 130 to 159 milligrams per deciliter, it's borderline high. Optimal LDL is less than 100 milligrams per deciliter and HDL, or "good" cholesterol should be above 40 milligrams per deciliter. The higher it is, the lower your risk for heart disease.

Protect yourself now:

  • Get your cholesterol check-ed every five years. Ask your doctor for the simple fasting blood test.
  • Exercise regularly. Studies have found that step aerobics 45 minutes daily can help lower total and LDL cholesterol and raise protective HDL.

Pre-diabetes

If a fasting plasma glucose test determines your blood glucose level is between 100 and 125 milligrams per deciliter, you fall under the category of pre-diabetes, a condition that affects an estimated 41 million adults in the United States. (A level of 126 milligrams per deciliter or higher qualifies you as having Type-2 diabetes, which occurs when the body doesn't produce enough insulin or fails to use it properly.) This pre-disease increases your risk of developing Type-2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke. Protect yourself now:

  • Ask your doctor for a blood test. A fasting plasma glucose test or an oral glucose tolerance test will indicate whether blood sugar levels are normal.
  • Do a combination of aerobic workouts and resistance training. Cardiovascular exercise helps reduce abdominal fat; this can improve your body's ability to use insulin correctly. Resistance training also helps you build more muscle, which boosts metabolic rate. Aim for 150 to 175 minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise.

Pre-hypertension

If your blood pressure reading is between 120 and 139 millimeters of mercury (the top number, or systolic) or between 80 and 89 millimeters of mercury (diastolic), you have pre-hypertension, which increases your chances of developing hypertension (140/90 or higher), heart disease, stroke and possibly kidney disease over time.

Protect yourself now:

  • Keep your weight in a healthy range. This means having a body mass index less than 25. If you're overweight, shedding just 10 pounds can lower blood pressure.
  • Consume a heart-healthy diet. The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) study found that a diet lower in fat and higher in vegetables, fruits and low-fat dairy foods significantly reduced blood pressure, especially in those with elevated pressure. Also limit salt and alcohol intake.
  • Don't smoke. High blood pressure raises your chances of developing heart disease, and smoking increases that risk. Women who light up are six times more likely to have a heart attack than nonsmoking women.
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