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Putting My Heart Into It

After I interviewed Mary Gruber about the HealthEast Women’s HeartAdvantage screenings, I decided I should go myself. If I was going to encourage other women to learn about their risk factors, I needed to be willing to put my numbers on the line.

On my way to the screening, I started to feel a little nervous. What if I discovered something I didn’t want to learn? Would I still be willing to share?

I met with Mary Gruber at HealthEast and she told me what we’d be checking and why. High blood sugar levels could mean diabetes, which can lead to heart attacks. High cholesterol numbers could mean coronary artery blockage.

The first step was a finger prick to test my blood sugar and cholesterol. Because we were going for the general picture, I didn’t need to fast first.

While we waited for the bloodwork results, Mary looked at my height and weight to determine my Body Mass Index.

Finally, she took my blood pressure and heart rate. Twice.

I was honestly surprised by the results. In spite of the fact that numbers for me usually go in one ear and out the other, I always ask when my blood pressure is checked if my numbers are good. A month ago my blood pressure was 106/80. (recommended is under 120/80). Today, my blood pressure was 132/83 and my heart rate 96 (between 60 and 100 is recommended).

My BMI was 27 (between 18.5 and 25 is optimal), affirming that I need to get back to the gym.

The positive news was that my blood sugar was good at 78 (anything under 140 not fasting, and 100 fasting is good). And my cholesterol was 182 (under 200 is good), with high marks for the HDL (good) cholesterol.

It only took about 15 minutes for me to get a clear picture of my key risk factors. All the results were written on a card so I can keep track of my numbers and talk to my doctor. And I learned that I should relax more when I’m racing to meet deadlines — otherwise, my job can raise my blood pressure.

—by Rose D’Acquisto

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