The Heart Health Numbers Everyone Should Know

When was the last time you asked your doctor for the actual numbers? Not just 'you're fine' or 'lose a bit of weight'—but the specific figures that reveal how your heart is really doing.

Dr Sarah Chen, a Hobart-based GP who works across both Tasmanian Health Service clinics and private practice, sees this pattern regularly. 'Most of my patients can tell me their shoe size but not their resting heart rate or blood pressure,' she says. 'These numbers are your early warning system.'

Here are the heart health figures worth knowing:

Blood pressure: Aim for 120/80 mmHg or lower. Anything above 140/90 is considered high. This one's foundational—it affects everything else. A check at your local pharmacy in Salamanca or West Hobart takes five minutes and costs nothing.

Resting heart rate: Between 60–100 beats per minute is normal, but lower is generally better. Regular walkers on the Hobart Waterfront parkrun route often clock 55–60 bpm. Track this for a week; it's free and tells you how hard your heart works at rest.

Cholesterol: Total cholesterol under 5.2 mmol/L is ideal. But ask specifically for your HDL ('good') and LDL ('bad') cholesterol breakdown. A lipid panel costs around $40–60 through Medicare bulk billing at most Hobart practices.

Fasting blood glucose: Below 5.6 mmol/L keeps you out of prediabetic territory. If you're over 40 or have family history, this matters more.

Waist circumference: Under 94cm for men, under 80cm for women (Australian standards). This often matters more than BMI for heart disease risk.

The University of Tasmania's menzies.utas.edu.au has published research showing Tasmanians have better cardiovascular markers when they combine regular movement—think kunanyi/Mt Wellington hikes or South Hobart cycle routes—with annual GP reviews.

Book a preventive health check (often bulk-billed) at your nearest practice in Sandy Bay, Launceston, or wherever you are. Bring these numbers with you next time. Ask your GP to write them down and explain what they mean for you.

Your heart doesn't send invoices. It just works—until the day it needs your attention. These numbers tell you whether it's getting what it needs.

This article was compiled by AI from the sources linked above and screened before publishing. See our editorial standards.