By Kristi Ramsey, RN, BSN, RCIS, CVRN – Sheridan Memorial Hospital Cath Lab Manager
October 2019
Today in the United States, approximately 5.7 million adults have a condition known as Heart Failure, with an additional 500,000 adults being newly diagnosed each year. Heart Failure is when the heart is unable to pump enough blood and oxygen to meet our body’s needs.
Being overweight is one of the main risk factors linked to heart failure. Measuring a person’s Body Mass Index (BMI) can help determine the risk of weight-related diseases. BMI is a tool which measures body fat using height, weight and age to determine where a person falls on a standard weight chart. The chart scores into four different categories: underweight, healthy weight, overweight and obese. The most recent statistics show that at least 20% of Americans fall into the obese category.
Determining BMI is a quick and fast assessment to determine our general overall health. Knowing your BMI can help you and your physician assess what goals or lifestyle changes you may want to consider.
Along with BMI, another important tool is measuring waist circumference. This tells us where our body stores fat. Persons whose bodies store fat around the waist are more likely to have weight-related diseases including Heart Failure, Type 2 Diabetes and High Blood Pressure.