NUMBERS GAME
The 7 magic numbers that can reveal just how healthy you really are
Plus, simple tips to age well
WHEN you think about numbers related to your health, your age, height or weight might come to mind.
In isolation, these may not tell you much about how healthy you are.
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But combining some of these might start to paint a picture.
For example, your weight and height can produce your body mass index (BMI) - a tool many clinicians use to assess whether you're a healthy weight.
Measurements that aren't visible to you can also be important indicators of your overall health.
Dr Sarah Jarvis, a GP and clinical director at patient.info, discussed seven important numbers and what they can reveal about your risk of disease.
Read more on health checks
1. Your biological age
Dr Jarvis told Sun Health: "We increasingly look at what we call biological versus chronological age.
"Chronological age is what's on your passport, whereas biological age is how old your body is in terms of health.
"Especially as you get older, it's quite possible to have a real difference between the two - in a good way but also sometimes in a bad way."
Research has shown that to live longer we shouldn’t smoke or drink too much, and we should eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly.
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published in the journal Cell Metabolism also suggests that stress can expedite the rate at which your body ages.
Biological age isn't easily measured by the average person, but scientists use various metrics such as cardiovascular ageing, cognitive function and lung function.
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Studies have also identified that can be used to estimate how well the body is ageing.
2. Your BMI
Body mass index (BMI) is a screening tool that measures whether you're a healthy height for your weight.
It's calculated using your weight and height measurements.
For most adults, if your BMI is:
- Below 18.5 – you're in the underweight range
- 18.5 to 24.9 – you're in the healthy weight range
- 25 to 29.9 – you're in the overweight range
- 30 to 39.9 – you're in the obese range
- 40 or above – you're in the severely obese range
A higher BMI has been linked to poor health, as being overweight can increase someone's risk of health conditions like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, strokes and even some types of cancer.
There are also "significant health risks associated with being underweight", Dr Jarvis notes.
These include osteoporosis, vitamin and mineral deficiencies and infertility, as well as an increased risk of respiratory disease, hypothermia and falls - particularly in older people.
Dr Jarvis said BMI can be a "really important" indicator of someone's health.
But, according to the GP, "it doesn't work for everybody and it's not everything".
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3. Your waist-to-hip ratio
Especially for Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) groups or people who are particularly fit and have a lot of muscle, "BMI might not be the best measurement", Dr Jarvis said.
"In that case, you might want to consider your waist-to-hip ratio."
The test indicates how much fat someone is storing around their stomach.
Research has suggested that waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) is a stronger predictor of overall health than BMI, as it's better at predicting the development of diseases and early death.
That's because people with excess weight around their belly might have visceral fat surrounding their organs, which can be dangerous.
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Dr Sarah Jarvis
You can calculate your WHR by dividing the measurement of your waist - your narrowest point between your rib-cage and hip bones - by your hip measurement, the widest point around your buttocks.
When measuring these points, "you need to not kid yourself", Dr Jarvis said - don't be tempted to suck in your stomach.
"For a woman, if that ratio is more than 0.85 - so in other words, if your waist is more than 85 per cent the size of your hips - then that's a health risk."
It could indicate the same health risks associated with obesity - heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and cancer.
For a man, this applies if the resulting ratio is more than 0.9, the GP added.
4. Your HbA1C
This stands for haemoglobin A1C - a measure of your average blood sugar level over a two- or three-month period.
Doctors will often use it to diagnose type 2 diabetes, except if you're pregnant.
According to , the test looks at how much your blood sugar - also known as glucose - sticks to your red blood cells.
If you have diabetes, your body can’t use the sugar properly, so more of it sticks to your blood cells and builds up in your blood.
Red blood cells are active for around two or three months, which is why the reading is taken quarterly.
A high HbA1c means you have too much sugar in your blood and that you’re more likely to develop diabetes complications, like serious problems with your eyes and feet.
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"A measure of below 43 is absolutely fine," Dr Jarvis said, while 43 to 48mmol/mol is an indicator of pre-diabetes and upwards of 48mmol/mol shows that you have type 2 diabetes.
"Type 2 diabetes symptoms are very vague and they come on slowly and you may not realise [you have it].
"You may think you're a bit knackered because you've been working very hard or whatever else.
"There are millions of people - the best part of two million - with type 2 diabetes who haven't yet been diagnosed.
"It can increase your risk of heart disease, amputations, blindness, kidney disease, you name it."
It's possible for the condition to remain undiagnosed until you start experiencing symptoms such as thirst, needing to pee a lot, getting minor infections like boils, and losing weight without meaning to.
You won't be able to measure your HbA1c yourself, but you can get it checked by your GP or a pharmacist.
5. Your blood pressure
Blood pressure is another number that's "really important" to your health, Dr Jarvis said.
This is the force at which your blood pushes against your artery walls.
Your blood pressure naturally goes up and down throughout the day and night.
But if your overall blood pressure is always high, it puts a strain on your heart and blood vessels and can lead to a number of health issues including heart attacks, stroke, kidney disease and some forms of dementia.
A normal blood pressure is usually considered to be between 90/60 mmHg and 120/80 mmHg.
If your reading is 140/90mmHg or over, you may have high blood pressure.
How to lower blood pressure
Persistent high blood pressure (hypertension) puts extra strain on your blood vessels, heart and other organs and it can raise your risk of serious conditions like heart disease, heart attacks and stroke. Here's how to reduce it.
Reduce salt
Adults are recommended to limit their salt to 6g per day (around one level teaspoon) to avoid health consequences including high blood pressure.
The top tip is to swap out table salt, according to the Salt Substitute and Stroke Study, replacing it with a reduced sodium and added potassium alternative.
Cut down on alcohol
Excessive boozing can narrow the blood vessels, which raises the risk of hypertension.
Official drinking guidelines advise that people should not regularly drink more than 14 units a week to keep health risks from alcohol low.
Get moving
Exercise is good for the heart and the blood vessels.
Although the guidelines recommend 150 minutes of activity per week, if you're currently very inactive, just a walk to the shop every day is better than nothing, and you can work up from there.
Studies suggest that isometric exercises - when you hold the body in one position without moving, such as a wall squat or plank - are best for lowering blood pressure.
Stop smoking
Smoking cigarettes is a killer. It makes the arteries sticky and narrow, which can cause blockages.
While smoking is not a direct cause of high blood pressure, it can cause an instant rise to pressure, heart rate and reduce the amount of oxygen that gets to the body’s cells.
Skip coffee
Sadly, caffeine can cause a short, but dramatic increase in your blood pressure - even if you don't have high blood pressure.
Therefore cutting back on coffee is recommended as a lifestyle tip for those with hypertension.
Lose weight
The above tips can help you to lose weight, which is beneficial because being overweight in itself is a risk factor for hypertension.
Being overweight forces your heart to work harder to pump blood around your body, which can raise your blood pressure.
The only way of knowing whether you have high blood pressure is to have a blood pressure test. All adults over 40 years old are advised to have their blood pressure checked at least every five years.
High blood pressure - or hypertension as it's also known - is very common.
About a third of adults in the UK have it, according to , but many aren’t aware of it as it doesn't tend to cause noticeable symptoms.
The only way to spot the condition is through a blood pressure check, which you can have done by a GP or at some pharmacies.
Many pharmacies offer free blood pressure checks for people aged 40 or over.
Dr Jarvis recommends you get a blood pressure check at least every five years once you're over 40, and more often if you've been told to keep an eye on it.
6. Your cholesterol level
Similarly to blood pressure, you might not know your cholesterol is raised unless you get it measured.
Cholesterol is a natural fatty substance in your blood that's produced in the liver and it's also in some of the foods we eat.
It plays a part in keeping the cells in our bodies healthy, but sometimes you can have too much of a 'bad' type of cholesterol - known as non-high-density lipoproteins - in your blood.
This is called high cholesterol.
If you don’t take steps to lower high cholesterol, the build up of fatty deposits in the walls of your blood vessels can increase your risk of having a heart attack and stroke.
Eating too much saturated fat can cause cholesterol to build up in the blood, as can smoking and being physically inactive.
You can ask your GP to check your cholesterol levels, which are measured using a simple blood test, sometimes referred to as a ‘lipid profile’.
You may be offered a finger-prick cholesterol test.
This can be done in some pharmacies, or as part of the NHS Health Check in England.
7. Your FRAX score
As you get older, your bone density is another important measure of health, which can be assessed through an online tool known as .
This will measure your risk of osteoporosis, a health condition that weakens bones, making them fragile and more likely to break
Dr Jarvis said: "More than one in three women and one in five men will break a bone during the course of their lives as a result of osteoporosis.
"It's a huge cause of loss of quality of life and loss of independence.
"Unfortunately, like raised blood pressure and raised cholesterol, you don't know you've got it unless you have it checked."
If you are at risk, you should speak to your doctor to be assessed for osteoporosis
Dr Sarah Jarvis
The condition tends to develop slowly over several years but will often only be diagnosed when a fall or sudden impact causes a bone to break.
You might be more at risk of osteoporosis if you have certain medical conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, as well as if you smoke, drink excess alcohol or have taken steroid tablets.
"If anyone in your family, particularly your mother, fractured a hip, that is a real risk factor," the GP added.
According to Dr Jarvis, women over the age of 65 and men over 75 should be assessed for osteoporosis.
"Men's bones start off stronger and men don't have the rapid dropoff that we get after menopause," she explained.
Doing weight-bearing exercise regularly can help maintain bone density.
If your doctor suspects you have osteoporosis, they can work out your future risk of breaking a bone using FRAX, and they may refer you for a bone density scan - known as a DEXA scan - to measure your bone strength.
People over the age of 50 who may be at higher risk of osteoporosis - due to family history, a low BMI, early menopause or fractures from standing height falls - should also be assessed.
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Getting treated with certain breast and prostate cancer medicines may increase your risk too, as well as having Crohn's, ulcerative colitis and coeliac disease.
"If you have any of those, you should speak to your doctor to be assessed for osteoporosis," Dr Jarvis urged.
Tips to age well
There are a number of habits you can take up to care for your health and wellbeing as you age.
Age UK shared the following tips:
- Do things that you enjoy everyday - whether that's cooking, seeing friends or enjoying a good book
- Stay hydrated - drink six to eight cups of water a day
- Eat plenty of fruit and veggies to lower your risk of heart disease and certain cancers, have beans, pulses, fish, eggs and meat to repair your body after injury, starchy carbs for energy dairy to help keep bones strong
- Manage long-term health conditions to prevent them progressing or having a greater impact on your health
- Quit smoking and reduce alcohol intake to no more than 14 units a week
- Make mental health a priority and get treatment for it, as it can also impact physical health
- Make sure you're getting quality sleep
- Keep socialising - and call a friend or loved one if you can't make it out the house
- Be physically active to lower the risk of depression and dementia, heart disease, stroke, Parkinson’s and some cancers
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