Of all the organs in your body, your heart is one of the most essential. Your heart begins beating before you’re born and continues until the end of your life, creating the pumping action that moves oxygenated blood throughout your body.
Heart health is central to your overall health, and heart disease remains the leading cause of death among both women and men. At Centerville Medical Center, Chuck Osuagwu, MD, partners with Garland, Texas, and beyond to preserve and enhance heart health.
Here are five key metrics you should pay attention to regarding your heart health.
With every heartbeat, blood pumps into your arteries. This pumping creates force on your arterial walls. Your blood pressure is a measurement of the force created both during (systolic) and between (diastolic) heartbeats, recorded as systolic/diastolic.
Blood pressure levels above 120/80 are considered elevated, and once you reach 130/80, you are considered to have hypertension, or high blood pressure. Hypertension is often caused by an accumulation of arterial plaque, leaving less room in your arteries for blood to flow.
You can measure your blood pressure at home using an inexpensive blood pressure monitor. If your readings at home or during health care visits are high, work with Dr. Osuagwu to lower your blood pressure.
Your body needs cholesterol for several important functions, such as building healthy cells, creating the bile acids necessary for digestion, and assisting in hormone production. But your liver makes all the cholesterol you need.
When you take in excess cholesterol from foods, your cholesterol can rise to dangerous levels. Too much cholesterol can adhere to the walls of your arteries, creating blockages and increasing your risk for blood clots and stroke.
Your heart rate is defined as the number of times your heart beats each minute. Heart rates rise and fall throughout the day, depending on your level of physical exertion. When heart rates stay elevated, even when your body is at rest, it’s a cause for concern.
An elevated heart rate can be a sign that your heart is working harder than normal, which can happen due to several heart health issues. Ask Dr. Osuagwu what your heart rate should be both while at rest and during exercise.
You can monitor your heart rate using affordable at-home devices. Some measure your heart rate only while you use the device. There are also wearable devices that gather heart rate information throughout the day.
Among the leading risk factors for heart disease is being overweight or obese. Knowing your weight empowers you to take action to reach a healthy weight over time.
You don’t need to weigh yourself every day, but weighing in at the same time of day gives you the best understanding of your weight. You can track your weight with a simple pencil and notebook, or use one of many outstanding apps and online tools to track weight and other health metrics.
Ask Dr. Osuagwu to advise you on what a healthy weight range would be for your age, sex, and body type. Centerville Medical Center offers weight loss services that can help you shed excess pounds healthily and sustainably.
Getting enough high-quality sleep is a critical component of heart health. Though this one is harder to quantify and track, keep a log of your sleep and how you feel as a result.
Some people simply log their sleep and wake times, as well as notes about how well they were able to fall and stay asleep. There are also apps and wearable devices that can track your sleep. There are even tools that offer tips on how to improve your sleep quality, allowing you to see improvements over time.
As we move through American Heart Month, focus on your heart and look for ways to preserve or improve your heart health. Coming in for a heart health assessment at Centerville Medical Center is a great place to begin, and it gives you a starting point from which you can track your progress.
We’re committed to making outstanding healthcare accessible to everyone, which is why we offer phone-based and online scheduling options.
