Know Your Health Data

There are some numbers you need to know to stay healthy — but which ones — and how high or low should they be before you need to take action?

The following figures are intended as a guide to help you make sense of medical test results. Of course, these are not alternatives to medical advice, and we accept no responsibility for any inaccuracies.

Blood Pressure (systolic/diastolic mm Hg)

Blood pressure (BP) is the pressure exerted by circulating blood upon the walls of blood vessels. During each heartbeat, BP varies between a maximum (systolic) and a minimum (diastolic) pressure.

Heart Rate (beats per minute, at rest)

Resting Heart Rate
Heart rates vary depending on whether you are resting, sleeping, walking or undertaking strenuous activity.

Although the official normal resting heart rate ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute (bpm), the range for most healthy adults is between 55 and 85 bpm.

There is no specific good resting heart rate. Fit people, like well-trained athletes, can have heart rates in the 40s. But a slow heart rate for the average person would be concerning, and you should seek medical advice, especially if you feel weak, lightheaded, or short of breath.

On the other hand, a resting heart rate that is consistently above 90 bpm is also something your GP should be aware of. Although considered within the normal range, it could be a clue to something wrong, but not necessarily a serious problem.

Sleeping Heart Rate
Although a normal resting heart rate is typically between 60 and 100 bpm, a normal heart rate during sleep drops to between 40 and 50 bpm.

Walking Heart Rate
The average walking heart rate for a healthy adult ideally ranges from 100 to 120 bpm. The rate will increase with increasing intensity. For example, while brisk walking, the average heart rate would be 120-140 bpm.

Strenuous Activity Heart Rate
During strenuous physical activity, a target heart rate typically ranges between 70% and 85% of your maximum heart rate. You can estimate your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220.

For example, if you’re 50 years old, your maximum heart rate is 170 bpm (220 - 50 bpm).

The strenuous target range would be 70% to 85% of 170 bpm, which is around 119 to 145 bpm. This range ensures you’re working hard but staying within safe limits for cardiovascular benefits.

My Heart Rate Calculator will do this calculation for you.

Always consult a healthcare provider for personalised recommendations, especially if you’re new to intense exercise.

If you have a heart condition, consult your GP or specialist about a safe heart rate while exercising.

Cholesterol (mmol per litre)

Cholesterol results are often given as a total:

But this is complicated by the fact that there are two kinds of cholesterol: Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) and High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL). LDL is a bad type of cholesterol, and HDL is good. LDL should be lower than 3, and HDL should be higher than 1:

You can increase your HDL with exercise and reduce your LDL by cutting out saturated fats and eating monounsaturated fats. The impact of diet isn't as great as many people think — even if you ate no saturated fat at all, you might only reduce your figure by 5-10 per cent.

A better approach is to eat regular amounts of plant sterols — the ingredients in products such as Flora ProActiv and Benecol.

Instead of total cholesterol, a better measure is the ratio of the total cholesterol to HDL:

Triglycerides (mmol per litre)

Triglycerides are the fats your body uses for energy and come from fatty foods. The the triglycerides that are not used are stored in the body's fatty tissues. Excess triglycerides in the blood can increase heart problems.

Body Mass Index — kg/m²

Waist-to-Height Ratio — waist/height