Heart attack and stroke are the two most common killers and the two most preventable. Living a healthy lifestyle is a challenge. Knowing where you stand and getting suggestions for improvement is a big help.
The American Heart Association has defined the “Ideal Cardiovascular Health” that identifies seven health factors and lifestyle behaviors that lead to a healthy heart.
Life’s Simple 7
- Never smoked or quit more than one year ago
- Body mass index less than 25 kg/m2
- Physical activity of at least 150 minutes (moderate intensity) or 75 minutes (vigorous intensity) each week
- Four to five of the key components of a healthy diet consistent with current American Heart Association guideline recommendations
- Total cholesterol of less than 200 mg/dL
- Blood pressure below 120/80 mm Hg
- Fasting blood glucose less than 100 mg/dL
My Life Check
The American Heart Association has developed an online tool called My Life Check. It is a short 8 part assessment to help you:
- Understand your current level of cardiovascular health
- Assess your personal health needs
- Commit to steps to improve your health and quality of life
- Move you closer to your personal health goals
After taking the assessment you are given a score of where you are now pointing out areas that are excellent, that need improvement or warnings. It provides you with suggestions you can commit to improve your heart health.
After the assessment it shows you where you are now, suggests what steps you can take to improve and where you want to be for all seven health factors.
The First Four Health Factors
- No smoking
- Your ideal weight and body mass index (BMI)
- Your ideal moderate and vigorous physical activity levels
- Your ideal dietary components
The Five Components of a Healthy Diet
- 5 cups of fruits/vegetables per day
- 4 oz. or more of whole grain per day
- 2-3 servings of fish per week
- Under 450 calories of added sugar per week
- Under 1,500 mg of sodium per day
The Last Three Health Factors
- Blood pressure less than 120/80 (mine is 110/70)
- Less than 200 mg/dL of cholesterol (mine is 170)
- Less than 100 mg/dL blood sugar (mine is 86)
Your Heart Score
At the end of the assessment you are given a “Heart Score” based on a scale of 1-10. Mine was 7.4 which is not bad, but it did point out some areas for improvement and some suggestions for me to consider.
You can print or save the assessment as a PDF file. It is a full report that includes your Simple 7, your action plan and your heat score. You can take it with you on your next doctor visit and get more suggestions for improving your health based on the assessment.
Overall it is a good assessment with some good suggestions on how to improve your heart health. You can come back and take the assessment as often as you like to see how you are doing and try to improve your heart score.
If you would like to take the assessment follow this link. My Life Check
