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How Healthy Is Your Heart?

Sunday, September 05, 2010 How healthy is your heart?
At the Texas Heart Institute, we believe that a healthier heart is within everyone’s reach. But first, you must be willing to take a very close look at how healthy your heart is today. To help you, we have compiled some questions. Your answers to these questions will give you an idea about your heart’s health.

About Risk Factors

These questions are not designed for children under the age of 18, but children may wish to pass along the information to their parents. The questions are based on the results of studies of 10 risk factors that can affect the typical person’s heart. These factors are your personal health history, your family’s health history, how much you exercise, your weight (measured in body mass index), whether you smoke, your blood pressure, your total cholesterol, whether you have diabetes, your gender, and your age.

If you have read the Heart Disease Risk Factors page on our website, you may be wondering why we have not included diet, alcohol, stress, or race on this list. After all, these factors can also affect your heart, and we talk about them in other areas of our website. To make it easier, though, we have narrowed it down to the 10 risk factors that will give you the quickest and best idea about your heart health.

Disclaimer

Please be aware that this information comes from studies of large groups of people. Because you may be affected differently than someone else, the information here is not meant to take the place of a visit to your doctor. You will not be given a score. Instead, we are trying to show you how you can improve your heart’s health and begin leading a healthier lifestyle. For more information please see the Terms of Use for this website.

To discover how healthy your heart is, please answer the following questions.

Personal Health History
1. I have been diagnosed with a heart or blood vessel disease.
Yes
No
Family Health History
2. I have a grandfather, father, or brother who had a heart attack before age 55, or a grandmother, mother, or sister who had a heart attack before age 65.
Yes
No
Exercise
3. I exercise or do some form of moderate physical activity (such as walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, step-training, or dancing) for at least 30 minutes a day, 4 or more times a week.
Yes
No
Body Mass Index
4. Body mass index (BMI) is a formula to assess your body weight in relation to your height. This formula gives a measure of your body composition and has been shown to be an effective predictor of body fat. To calculate your BMI, enter your height and weight below.

Enter your height in inches:     or centimeters:
Enter your weight in pounds: or kilograms:


Your result:
Below 18.5
18.5 - 24.9
25.0 - 29.9
Over 30.0
Smoking and Tobacco
5. Do you smoke cigarettes?
I smoke cigarettes every day.
I used to smoke, but I quit more than 1 year ago.
I used to smoke, but I quit more than 7 years ago.
I do not smoke, but I live or work with people who do.
I do not smoke cigarettes, but I do smoke cigars or a pipe.
I don't smoke.
Blood Pressure (for adults over 18)
6. My blood pressure is
I am taking medicine or being treated for high blood pressure
Above 160/100
Between 140/90 and 159/99
Between 120/80 and 139/89
I do not have high blood pressure. (Below 120/80)
Total Cholesterol
7. My cholesterol is
Above 240 mg/dL
200 to 240 mg/dL
200 mg/dL or below
I don't know my cholesterol level.
Diabetes
8. I have high blood sugar or diabetes.
Yes
Yes and I take medicine for diabetes control
No
Gender
9. What is your gender?
 I am a man.
 I am a woman and have gone through menopause.
 I am a woman and have not gone through menopause.
Age
10. I am
over 60
45 to 60
30 to 44
Under 30
 


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