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Go Red For Women Membership
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Every Woman Counts.
Join (loading latest count...) other women and take the Heart CheckUp. You'll learn about your risks and help us reach our goal of 1,000,000 Heart CheckUps!

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Reach for your heart health goals with this free 12-week physical activity program for women. Get up, get active and get inspired by other women's stories. Then track your progress with the Choose To Move "Countdown."

Healthy recipes

Featured Recipe

Berry-Topped Pudding Pie in Meringue-Nut Crust

You and your loved ones will really enjoy this fruity, nutrageously delicious dessert that's guaranteed to make your taste buds blossom! Did we mention it's totally yolkless?

During a heart check up, your doctor takes a careful look at your "numbers," including your cholesterol and triglyceride levels, your blood pressure and more. Knowing your numbers is an important part of keeping your heart-healthy. It can help you and your doctor know your risks and mark the progress you're making toward a healthier you.

To get a quick overview of numbers you need to know and the goals you need to reach, start by printing the following chart. If you choose, you can even post it on your refrigerator as a reminder to love your heart.

Then read on to learn the steps you can take to reduce your risk for heart disease. Once you know a few key facts about your numbers, you'll be on your way to mapping out a heart-healthy lifestyle for you and your loved ones.

Factor	Goal
Total Cholesterol	Less than 200 mg/dL
LDL ("Bad") Cholesterol	LDL cholesterol goals vary.
LDL ("Bad") Cholesterol	Less than 100 mg/dL 100 to 129 mg/dL 130 to 159 mg/dL 160 to 189 mg/dL 190 mg/dL and above	Optimal Near Optimal/Above Optimal Borderline High High Very High
HDL (“Good”) Cholesterol	50 mg/dL or higher
Triglycerides	<150 mg/dL
Blood Pressure	<120/80 mmHg
Fasting Glucose	<100 mg/dL
Body Mass Index (BMI)	<25 Kg/m²
Waist Circumference	<35 inches
Exercise	Minimum of 30 minutes most days, if not all days of the week

* "<" means "less than"

Keep Your Numbers in Check
The first step to a healthy heart is learning the simple things you can do every day. By getting involved in fun physical activities and enjoying nutritious meals, you can help reduce your risk of heart disease. But don't do it for the "numbers," do it for you!

Get Physical
One of the best ways to reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease is to start getting regular, moderate exercise, at least 30 minutes a day, most days of the week. Of course, if it's been a while since you've been physically active, the hardest part is just getting started. Lucky for you, there's Choose To Move™, a free 12-week physical activity for women that you can follow in your own home, with no expensive gym memberships or special equipment.

Sign up today and you'll receive:

Weekly emails with exercise tips to help you protect your heart
Heart-healthy recipes to help you balance your nutrition
Valuable nutrition advice you can share with family and friends
Plus, to help you stay motivated, you can view video and blog entries from seven real women and get inspired by their triumphs, as you reach for your heart-healthy goals one move at a time.

Join now, it's FREE!

Diet & Nutrition
Make Good Food Choices
Healthy food habits can help you reduce three risk factors for heart attack and stroke, high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, and excess body weight.

Set the stage for success by:

Eating a balanced diet by following Diet and Lifestyle Recommendations from the American Heart Association
Eating foods low in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol.
Drink delicious, unsweetened 100% fruit juice instead of soda.
Enjoying a large glass of ice water, hot tea or another calorie-free beverage. Garnish with a twist of lemon or lime
Dividing the extra portions of recipes into containers to eat throughout the rest of the week.
Eating with other people. You'll eat less than if you eat alone.
Knowing your snack "triggers" and planning ahead. Fight the urge for high calorie/high-saturated-fat and trans fat foods, by grabbing pre-cut carrots, celery and other raw vegetables when you're on the run.
Shop for heart-healthy foods, certified by the American Heart Association

Quit Smoking
Smoking is the single most preventable cause of death in the United States. If you smoke cigarettes (or cigars), you have a higher risk of illness and death from heart attack, stroke and other diseases. These include lung, mouth and throat cancers; chronic lung diseases and infections; congestive heart failure; and peripheral vascular disease (in the legs and arms). What's more, constant exposure to other people's tobacco smoke increases your risk, even if you don't smoke. The good news is that when you stop smoking, no matter how long or how much you've smoked, your risk of heart disease and stroke starts to drop. It's cut in half after one year without smoking, then continues to decline until it's as low as a nonsmoker's risk. So if you don't smoke, don’t start. If you do smoke, love your heart and quit today. Need more motivation? Visit these American Heart Association resources for help quitting smoking.