A new study finds that most Americans don’t know important health indicators that help predict the risk of heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States.

The survey, commissioned by The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and conducted last year, asked 1,000 adults nationwide whether they knew their blood pressure, ideal weight, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels.

Most participants (44%) knew their ideal weight. 35% were aware of their blood pressure levels and 16% were aware of their cholesterol levels. Only 15% of respondents said they knew their blood sugar levels.

In contrast, when it came to knowing childhood addresses and best friend’s birthdays, the rates were 68% and 58%, respectively.

“So many people remember social numbers, such as the address of their childhood home, rather than their health number,” said Dr. Lakshmi Mehta, director of preventive cardiology and women’s cardiovascular health at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. That’s interesting,” he said. health.

Knowing your numbers can help you understand your chances of developing cardiovascular disease, Mehta says. “Then, if the numbers are in an abnormal range, we will take the necessary additional precautions,” she explained. “If your numbers are within the normal range, we want to keep them there.”

Heart disease refers to several conditions related to the heart and has been the leading cause of death in the United States since 1921. And each indicator mentioned in the survey question is associated with it.

Measure your cholesterol level. The body produces this fatty substance to keep cells and organs healthy, but if there is too much fatty substance in the blood due to diet or genetics, thick deposits called plaque can form inside the arteries. there is. Over time, these plaques can restrict blood flow to the heart and other parts of the body.

Similar effects can occur if your blood pressure is higher than normal. If blood pushes too hard against the artery walls, they can lose their elasticity and become even narrower over time.

Excessive levels of blood sugar, the sugar that provides energy to the body, can damage blood vessels and nerves in the heart.

and maintaining an ideal body weight (what research defines as optimal body mass index), a measurement that many medical experts agree is an outdated way of measuring health. Other risk factors mentioned (high cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels).

The scope of these metrics is:

• Cholesterol: less than 200mg/dL
• Blood pressure: If the upper value is less than 120mmHg and the lower value is less than 80mmHg
• Blood sugar level: 70-100 mg/dL on fasting blood sugar test
• Ideal weight or BMI: 18.5 to 24.9

The numbers provide insight into your risk of cardiovascular disease, so it’s important to get tested regularly. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends having your blood pressure and weight checked at every doctor’s visit, and your cholesterol and blood sugar levels checked every few years. your results.

“Knowing your blood pressure and tracking it allows you to take advantage of the appropriate treatment,” said Dr. Eric Elgin, chief of cardiology at Lehigh Valley Heart and Vascular Institute. health. “The same is true for high cholesterol and diabetes. Weight management is also an important intervention that can lower blood pressure, improve cholesterol levels, and help manage diabetes.”

Dr. Nikki Burt, a heart failure and heart transplant cardiologist, said people who have already had a cardiac event, such as a heart attack, should especially pay attention to their health indicators. health.

This is also true for people who have a family history of heart disease, especially in a first-degree relative, or who already have risk factors such as high cholesterol. The more risk factors you have, the more likely you are to have a heart event or stroke.

“Keeping all risk factors under control is essential for continued heart health,” says Burt.

Simply record the number so you can remember it and access it easily.

You can write it down on paper or use an app, whether it’s a general note-taking app or an app specifically for tracking and recording measurements like blood pressure.

Several online calculators, including one on the AHA’s website, can also predict a person’s risk of heart disease, Elgin said. health.

“This information helps determine the aggressiveness of treatment and medication,” he said.

In addition to knowing your level, it’s important to keep your heart health in mind when making daily choices. Quitting smoking, regular exercise, and a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can all reduce your risk of heart disease.

“There are some factors we can’t control, such as biological sex and family history,” said Donald M. Lloyd-Jones, M.D., a volunteer expert with the American Heart Association Go Red for Women. health. “That makes it even more important to manage the factors we can control, such as the daily choices we make that have a huge impact on our overall health.”

Lloyd-Jones recommends that you regularly talk to your doctor about how your special circumstances affect your risk of heart disease. Don’t be afraid to ask questions like how often you should train, how you can improve your sleep, or what strategies can help you quit smoking, he adds.