Most do not meet heart health targets

Less than 2% of Americans meet seven recommended heart health targets that could dramatically reduce their risk of heart disease. The number of people has actually dropped. The seven behaviors include:

• Not smoking
• Being physically active
• Having normal blood pressure (under 120/80)
• Healthy fasting blood-glucose levels (below 100)
• Total cholesterol levels below 200
• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Eating a healthy diet

People who met six of the seven goals had a 76% lower risk of heart-related death and a 51% lower risk of death from any cause, compared with those who met one or fewer.

The study appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Bonnie: the only one we do not agree with is the total cholesterol below 200. There is so much much more to heart health than just total cholesterol. I would have liked to have seen high triglycerides included.