10 Key Health Indicators and What They Mean
You track your schedule, bills, maybe even your favorite teams. What about tracking your health?
With the information technology revolution, increasing numbers of people now track various aspects of their health. Nearly seven out of 10 American adults track one or more personal health indicators, says a 2013 Pew Research Center report. Personal health indicators are characteristics, measurements, practices or symptoms that reflect your health status. There are many personal health indicators, but some are considered key to optimizing and maintaining your good health.
Healthy Diet
A nutritious diet is the foundation of your good health. A healthy diet can reduce your risk for heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, osteoporosis and certain types of cancer. Important indicators of a healthy, daily adult generally include:
- 2 to 3 cups of vegetables.
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups of fruit.
- 5 to 6 1/2-ounce equivalents of low-fat protein.
- 5 to 8-ounce equivalents of grains, with at least half being whole-grain.
- less than 2,300 mg of sodium.
- less than 300 mg of cholesterol.
Regular Exercise
Regular physical activity affords you numerous health benefits. In addition to helping you maintain a healthy body weight, regular exercise keeps your heart, lungs, muscles, bones and brain strong. Two and a half hours of moderately intense physical activity weekly is recommended for most adults. Children and teens need at least an hour per day of moderate to vigorous activity. To gain the most benefit, mix muscle-strengthening and aerobic activities.
Blood Pressure
Normal blood pressure is essential for maintaining the health of your heart, circulatory system, kidneys, brain, eyes and muscles. Key indicators for adult blood pressure are:
Normal: less than 120/80 mmHg.
Borderline: 120 to 139/80 to 89 mmHg.
High: 140/90 mmHg or higher.
High blood pressure typically causes no symptoms, so regular blood pressure checks are important. The U.S. Preventive Service Services Task Force recommends blood pressure screening beginning at age 18. Yearly screening is recommend if you are overweight, African-American, 40 or older, or have diabetes or borderline high blood pressure. Talk with your doctor about your blood pressure target and home monitoring if you have hypertension. Children should have blood pressure screening, too, beginning at age 3. Normal values depend on the child's age.
Cholesterol
Too much blood cholesterol is a leading risk factor for heart attack and stroke. The American Heart Association recommends cholesterol screening every four to six years for all adults, beginning at age 20. The American Academy of Pediatrics also recommends a routine cholesterol screening for children ages 9 to 11.
Screening involves checking the levels of various forms of blood fat, including total cholesterol; LDL, or "bad" cholesterol; and HDL or "good" cholesterol. Your doctor will advise you about possible treatment based on your results and other risk factors for heart disease and stroke. In general, the optimal cholesterol levels for adults are:
Total cholesterol: less than 180 mg/dL.
LDL cholesterol: less than 100 mg/dL.
HDL cholesterol: 40 to 60 mg/dL.
Blood Sugar
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 29 million Americans have diabetes and 86 million have pre-diabetes—high blood sugar not yet elevated enough to be considered diabetes. Diabetes can cause serious complications, including heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, blindness, infections and nerve damage.
The American Diabetes Association recommends doctors consider diabetes screening every three years in adults 45 and older. Your doctor may recommend screening at a younger age if you have diabetes risk factors, such as obesity or a close family member with the disease. Screening is also recommended for children at increased risk for type 2 diabetes. Diabetes screening typically involves testing your blood sugar after an eight-hour fast, using these criteria:
Normal: less than 100 mg/dL.
Pre-diabetes: 100 to 125 mg/dL.
Diabetes: more than 125 mg/dL.
Tracking your blood sugar levels as instructed by your doctor is important if you already have diabetes. Your doctor will advise you about target blood sugar levels.
If you have diabetes, it is generally recommended that you should see your eye care professional at least once a year for a dilated eye exam regardless of your age.
Immunizations
Immunizations, or vaccinations, protect you and your children from a broad array of infectious diseases. Most immunizations are given during childhood, but there are essential vaccines for teens and adults, too. Some key vaccinations for children, teens and adults include:
- Birth to 15 months: Hepatitis A and B, rotavirus, polio, varicella (chickenpox), MMR (measles, mumps and rubella), DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis—whooping cough) and a yearly flu shot after age 6 months.
- 18 months to 18 years: Booster shots to maintain protection from earlier vaccinations, HPV (human papillomavirus) and meningococcus (meningitis) for preteens and teens and a yearly flu shot.
- Adults: Whooping cough and tetanus booster shots, pneumococcus (pneumonia) and zoster (shingles) for adults 65 and older and a yearly flu shot.
Bone Density
Your bones are in a continuous remodeling cycle throughout your life. Old bone is broken down and replaced with new bone. As you age, bones break down faster than new bones are formed and your bones become weak and less dense. Severe loss of bone density is called osteoporosis. Postmenopausal women are at greatest risk for osteoporosis, though the condition sometimes occurs in older men. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends bone density screening for women beginning at age 65. The test is repeated about every two years for most women. Your doctor may recommend earlier or more frequent testing if you have risk factors for osteoporosis, such as:
- Smoking or heavy drinking.
- Rheumatoid arthritis.
- Taking corticosteroids for longer than three months.
Preventive Dental Care
Unlike your bones, your teeth don't undergo remodeling. So you have to take good care of your teeth to ensure they last a lifetime. The American Dental Association recommends brushing your teeth twice daily with fluoride toothpaste and flossing at least once a day.
Preventive dental care includes regular checkups and teeth cleaning. Most people require dental checkups once or twice each year. Regular dental care is important for children, too. Daily tooth brushing should start as soon as a child's first tooth comes in, and regular dentist visits should begin at age 1.
Vision Screening and Eye Care
Vision screening and regular eye care protect your precious sight. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends regular eye examinations beginning at birth and at all routine doctor visits. Screening to determine how clearly your child sees begins at about age 3. The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends a comprehensive eye exam for adults at age 40, including screening for glaucoma, cataracts and other eye problems. Your doctor will advise you about how frequently you should have follow-up eye exams. If you have diabetes, it is generally recommended that you should see your eye care professional at least once a year for a dilated eye exam regardless of your age.
Hearing Screening
Since hearing problems occur most commonly in babies, young children and older adults, screening for hearing loss is most important in these age groups. Newborns are typically screened before leaving the hospital after birth, and many states require hearing screening in school-aged children. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association recommends hearing loss screening once every 10 years for adults up to age 50, and every three years thereafter.
How do your key health indicators stack up?
Sources
Pew Research Center: Tracking for Health Main Report
ChooseMyPlate.gov: How Many Vegetables Are Needed Daily or Weekly?
ChooseMyPlate.gov: How Much Fruit Is Needed Daily?
ChooseMyPlate.gov: How Much Food From the Protein Foods Group is Needed Daily?
ChooseMyPlate.gov: How Many Grain Foods Are Needed Daily?
HealthyPeople.gov: Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity
Health.gov: 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans Summary
Dr. Tina M. St. John runs a health communications and consulting firm. She is also an author and editor, and was formerly a senior medical officer with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. St. John holds an M.D. from Emory University School of Medicine.
Clinical Review: Reviewed by Amy Magill, MA, RD, LDN on Aug 21, 2015.
Photo Credit: Getty Images