5 Signs You Have a Healthy Heart

When it comes to assessing how healthy your heart is, your doctor is the best guide. But there are some signs that can help you gauge how your cardiovascular system is doing.

We asked Karthik Gonuguntla, MD, a cardiovascular medicine specialist at the Hartford HealthCare Heart & Vascular Institute, how to spot the signs of good heart health.

1. You have the right numbers.

A healthy Body Mass Index (BMI) between 18.5 and 24.9 is a great starting point for heart health, but it’s only one part of the bigger picture. Here are a few other medical guidelines for maintaining a healthy heart, according to Dr. Gonuguntla:

Waist circumference

• Men: Less than 40 inches (102 cm)
• Women: Less than 35 inches (88 cm)

Cholesterol levels

• Total cholesterol: Less than 200 mg/dL
• LDL (bad cholesterol): Less than 100 mg/dL
• HDL (good cholesterol): 40-60 mg/dL
• Triglycerides: Less than 150 mg/dL

Blood glucose

• Fasting glucose: Less than 100 mg/dL
• Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c): Less than 5.7%

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