Staying Healthy

6 numbers you absolutely need to know

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To keep your heart disease risks in check, stay on top of these key health indicators.

You have so many important numbers to remember—your bank account PIN, your kids' phone numbers, and your alarm system code, just to name a few. Numbers that may be less familiar are the ones you learn when you see your doctor for a routine physical and blood tests—your waist circumference, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood sugar. You need to know these six numbers because they provide important clues to your heart health.

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