Did You Know? To calculate your BMI, take your weight in kilograms and divide by your height in meters twice. If you are using pounds and inches, multiply your weight by 703 first and then divide by your height twice.

Example 1: To calculate the BMI of a woman who is 1.5 m tall and 60 kg you would: 60 ÷ 1.5 ÷ 1.5 = 26.7

Example 2: To calculate the BMI of a man who is 5’10” (70 inches) and 185 lbs you would: 185 x 703 ÷ 70 ÷ 70 = 26.5

Know your Numbers

With all of the different risk factors and screening tests for heart disease, interpreting what the numbers (your results) mean is important. These numbers can help determine whether or not you are at an increased risk for heart disease. The more risk factors you have, the greater your overall risk. At your next visit, discuss these risk factors with your health care provider. Moving your numbers toward the normal range reduces your risk for future health conditions.*

BMI (body mass index):

• Less than 18.5 - Underweight

 increased risk of developing health problems.

• Between 18.5 – 24.9 - Healthy weight

 least risk of developing health problems.

• Between 25 – 29.9 - Overweight

 increased risk of developing health problems.

• Greater than 30 - Obese high risk of developing health problems.

BLOOD GLUCOSE:

• Fasting blood glucose greater than 5.7 mmol/L can be a sign of impaired glucose tolerance.

• Fasting blood glucose greater than 7.0 mmol/L, or casual glucose greater than 11.1 mmol/L, along with symptoms of diabetes are an indication that you have the disease.

BLOOD PRESSURE:

 • Five consistent readings of 140/90 mmHg or higher is considered to be high blood pressure.

• A blood pressure reading of 120/80 mmHg or lower is considered to be healthy.

• A blood pressure reading lower than 90/60 mmHg may mean low blood pressure (hypotension) if signs and symptoms such as dizziness or fainting are experienced.


WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE:

A large waist circumference is directly linked to the amount of abdominal fat that you have. The more your waist circumference exceeds these values, the higher the risk for heart disease:

• Women – 88 cm (35 inches)

• Men – 102 cm (40 inches)

CHOLESTEROL:

Healthy cholesterol levels reduce the risk of heart disease. Target levels are:

• Total cholesterol (TC) less than 5.2 mmol/L

• High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) greater than 1.0 mmol/L for men and 1.3 mmol/L for women

• Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) less than 3.5 mmol/L for both men and women

• Total cholesterol: HDL ratio less than 5.0 mmol/L


* Your health care provider may determine that another target level (number) is more appropriate for you, based on your personal health situation.