What are the risk factors for developing cardiovascular disease?
• Age: Over 45 years old (male) and over 55 years old (female) • Family history of heart disease • Smoking • High blood pressure • High total cholesterol • Low HDL (good) cholesterol • High LDL (bad) cholesterol • High triglycerides (a blood fat commonly elevated in people with diabetes and linked to heart disease) • Little to no daily exercise • Diabetes Of course, the more risk factors that are present, the greater the likelihood is of developing cardiovascular disease. You can decrease your risk by managing your risk factors. WHAT ARE MY BLOOD PRESSURE AND CHOLESTEROL GOALS? Health goal Desired level* Blood pressure Less than 130/80 mmHg Total cholesterol Less than 200 mg/dL LDL cholesterol Less than 100 mg/dL HDL cholesterol Men: greater than 45 mg/dL Women: greater than 55 mg/dL Triglycerides Less than 150 mg/dL A1C Less than 7% *ADA recommendations What items does Walgreens carry to help patients manage the “ABC’s of Diabetes”? A. A1CNow® home kit will measure A1C levels. This it
