Is Your Heart at Risk?

A quiz for women

Source Good Housekeeping

Score your risk below by selecting the letter that corresponds with the appropriate answer.

1. Your age is:

a. 44 or younger

b. 45 to 59

c. 60 or older

2. Your blood pressure is:

a. 120/80 or lower

b. Between 121/81 and 139/89

c. 140/90 or higher

3. Your body mass index:

a. 24.9 or less

b. Between 25 and 29.9

c. 30 or higher

4. Your LDL cholesterol is:

a. 130 or lower

b. 131 to 159

c. 160 or higher

5. Smoking:

a. no one in your household smokes

b. your partner smokes

c. you smoke (even if it’s only an occasional cigarette)

6. Your waistline (at the navel) measures:

a. less than 30 inches

b. between 30 and 35 inches

c. more than 35 inches

7. You exercise:

a. daily for 30 minutes or more at moderate intensity

b. two to four days a week for 30 minutes or less

c. rarely (if ever)

8. Family history:

a. neither of your parents and none of your sibling have had premature heart disease (before age 55 for a man, 65 for a woman)

b. one parent has had premature heart disease

c. both parents or a sibling has had premature heart disease

9. Diabetes:

a. you don’t have diabetes or insulin resistance (prediabetes)

b. you’ve been told that you have prediabetes

What your answers mean:

YOU’RE AT HIGH RISK Two or more c’s

Ask your doctor about screening tests. Don’t be discouraged. By improving diet and exercise habits, you can improve your odds significantly.

YOU’RE AT INTERMEIDATE RISK Two or more b’s

Ask your doctor about cholesterol-loering drugs for an elevated LDL or medication to raise a low HDL. Lifestyle improvements can keep risk factors from worsening and may move you into the low-risk category.

YOU’RE AT LOW RISK Eight or more a’s

You still need regular tests to make sure your odds stay favorable. See if you can improve any factor in which you answered b or c so you don’t move into a higher-risk category.