|
Health Screenings
BMI (Body Mass Index)
BMI is a tool for indicating weight status in adults. It is a measure of weight for height. For adults over 20 years old, BMI falls into one of these categories:
 Below 18.5
Underweight
18.5-24.9
Normal
25.0-29.9
Overweight
Above 30.0
Obese
Note: BMI for Children and Teens is based on gender and age specific charts.
Calculating the BMI is one of the best methods for population assessment of overweight and obesity. It is low-cost and easy to use for clinicians and the general public. The use of BMI allows people to compare their own weight status to the general population. The only information required to calculate a person's BMI are height, weight, and the BMI formula:
BMI = (Weight in Pounds/(Height in inches) x (Height in inches) x 703
Aim for a Healthy Weight
In 2005, 65% of adult Americans are overweight or obese, and 16% of American children are overweight. If you are overweight or obese, carrying this extra weight puts you at risk for developing many diseases, especially heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer. Losing this weight helps to prevent and control these diseases. The NHLBI guidelines provide you with a new approach for the measurement of overweight and obesity and a set of steps for safe and effective weight loss. To help you Aim for a Healthy Weight the NHLBI has developed the following program at:
Aim for a Healthy Weight
Physical activity and good nutrition are key factors in leading a healthy lifestyle and reducing chronic illnesses. A lifestyle characterized by physical inactivity and poor dietary habits is a leading cause of premature death in the nation, second only to tobacco use. The good news is that people of all ages can obtain health benefits by including regular physical activity and by eating a wide variety of foods based upon the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the Food Guide Pyramid. Information from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention on Nutrition and Physical activity Program can be found at:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(Additional information on BMI (Body Mass Index) can be found on this site under "Other Topics".)
Blood Pressure
What’s your pressure? Do you know where you fit it?
Blood pressure is the force of blood against the walls of arteries. Blood pressure is recorded as two numbers—the systolic pressure (as the heart beats) over the diastolic pressure (as the heart relaxes between beats). The measurement is written one above or before the other, with the systolic number on top and the diastolic number on the bottom. For example, a blood pressure measurement of 120/80 mmHg (millimeters of mercury) is expressed verbally as "120 over 80." A "normal" Blood Pressure is less than120 over less than 80. Blood pressure rises and falls during the day. When blood pressure stays elevated over time, it is called high blood pressure. The medical term for high blood pressure is hypertension.
A blood pressure level of 140/90 mmHg or higher is considered high. If your blood pressure is between 120/80 mmHg and 139/89 mmHg, then you have prehypertension. This means that you don't have high blood pressure now but are likely to develop it in the future.
Brought to you by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute; "Your Guide to Lowering High Blood Pressure" is intended for people who are interested in learning more about preventing and controlling high blood pressure. Based on National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute clinical guidelines and research studies, it provides up-to-date practical information on high blood pressure.
To view the guide click: Your Guide to Lowering High Blood Pressure
Blood Sugar and Diabetes
What does your blood sugar or glucose level mean? Is your blood sugar out of control or do you have questions about how your blood sugar level relates to diabetes?
For more information on signs and symptoms of diabetes, prevention, diagnosing, and controlling diabetes please click on the links below.
Diabetes is a serious chronic disease that can be managed through lifestyle changes and medication. Over 18 million Americans have diabetes, and another 16 million have pre-diabetes. Whether you just found out you have diabetes or have been dealing with it for years, you can control your diabetes and live a long, active life. If you are at risk or have pre-diabetes, you can take small steps to prevent the disease. For more information visit the web site of the National Diabetes Education Program at Your Guide to Lowering High Blood Pressure
NDEP is a partnership of the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and more than 200 public and private organizations.
Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. The cause of diabetes continues to be a mystery, although both genetics and environmental factors such as obesity and lack of exercise appear to play roles. Additional information from the American Diabetes Association can be found at Diabetes.org
Cholesterol
"Know your cholesterol numbers, know your risk."
Your cholesterol numbers are crucial for knowing your chance of having a heart attack. If your total cholesterol was over 200 at a recent health screening you need to follow up with your physician to have a fasting lipid profile. The lipid profile measures total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. Everyone age 20 or older should have this blood test at least once every five years.
How likely are you to develop heart disease or have a heart attack? People with Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) or Diabetes are at the greatest risk for a heart attack. Others can look at their LDL (“bad”) cholesterol level and other risk factors for CHD to evaluate their CHD risk. Cholesterol-lowering treatment aims to lower the level of LDL, the main source of blockage in arteries. Other factors that affect an individual’s target LDL cholesterol goal include: cigarette smoking, high blood pressure, low HDL (“good”) cholesterol, family history of early heart disease, and older age. Many people can reach their LDL goal through therapeutic lifestyle changes, such as improving their diet, physical activity level, and weight management. Some, however, will also need medication. In general, the higher your LDL level and the more risk factors you have, the greater your chances of developing heart disease or having a heart attack. It is important to see your physician to review your cholesterol results so that together, you and your physician can develop a LDL goal that is right for you and any risk factors you may have. Whether you have heart disease or want to prevent it, you can reduce your risk for having a heart attack by lowering your cholesterol level -- explore the Live Healthier, Live Longer site to see how at Live Healthier Live Longer.
Colorectal Cancer Screening
Screening tests are used to spot a disease early, before you have symptoms. Screening for colorectal cancer means it can be found at an early curable stage, and it can also be prevented by finding and removing polyps that might eventually become cancerous. There are several tests used to screen for colorectal cancer:
Fecal occult blood test: The fecal occult blood test (FOBT) is used to find occult (hidden) blood in feces. Blood vessels at the surface of colorectal polyps or adenomas or cancers are often fragile and easily damaged by the passage of feces. The damaged vessels usually release a small amount of blood into the feces. Only rarely is there enough bleeding to color the stool red. The FOBT detects blood through a chemical reaction. The traditional version of this test cannot tell whether blood is from the colon or from other portions of the digestive tract (i.e., the stomach). Therefore, if this test is positive, additional testing is needed to see if there is a cancer, polyp, or other cause of bleeding such as ulcers, hemorrhoids, diverticulosis (tiny pouches that form at weak spots in the colon wall), or inflammatory bowel disease (colitis).
Additional information from the American Cancer Society about Colon and Rectum Cancer can be found at: The American Cancer Society.
|
|
