Spring into Health: Know Your Numbers to Reduce Risk of Serious Illness

Spring into Health: Know Your Numbers to Reduce Risk of Serious Illness

For those whose New Year’s resolutions for healthier living have waned, spring offers a perfect opportunity to renew focus and prioritize health. A crucial first step is to understand key health indicators – blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol, weight, and waist measurement – to identify areas for improvement and become aware of the potential risk of metabolic syndrome.

Metabolic syndrome, a cluster of five conditions, significantly increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and other health problems. According to the American Heart Association, a diagnosis of metabolic syndrome is made when an individual presents with three or more of the following:

Central or abdominal obesity (waist circumference): Greater than 40 inches for men, greater than 35 inches for women.
High triglycerides: 150 mg/dL or higher, or taking medication for high triglycerides.
Low HDL cholesterol: Less than 40 mg/dL for men, less than 50 mg/dL for women, or taking medication for low HDL cholesterol.
High blood pressure: 130/85 mm Hg or higher, or taking medication for high blood pressure.
High fasting glucose (blood sugar): 100 mg/dL or higher, or taking medication for high blood glucose.

Dr. Gorby Leon of Atrium Health Navicent emphasizes the importance of this knowledge: “If it’s important to you to live a long, healthy life, then knowing your numbers is the first step. Having high numbers for just one of these conditions is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, but when you have three or more, the chance of developing a serious cardiovascular condition increases. Now is the time to take preventative action and get your numbers checked.”

For individuals looking to get their numbers checked, Atrium Health Navicent Healthy Communities is offering the following free health screening events:

Saturday, April 12: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., at Festival Park, 310 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Fort Valley
Saturday, May 17: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., at Walter B. Williams, Park, 59 Ga. 22, Milledgeville

No appointments are necessary for these free screenings.