If you’ve been working hard on your New Year’s resolutions but those extra pounds refuse to budge, it’s time to look beyond the scale. Your weight is only one piece of the puzzle, and it doesn’t always reflect the important changes happening beneath the surface.
At Shah Medical Center, our internal medicine team can help you understand what’s actually going on with your health. We provide a complete range of preventive care services to keep you on track and moving toward your wellness goals.
Stop judging your progress based on a single piece of data. Read on for five key health metrics you should track this year to stay informed and motivated.
Blood pressure readings measure the force of blood pushing against the blood vessel walls as it travels through your body. High blood pressure (hypertension) often develops without any noticeable symptoms, damaging your arteries and forcing your heart to work even harder.
By keeping your blood pressure under control, you reduce the workload on your heart and lower your risk of heart attack and stroke — even if your weight stays the same. Our team checks this metric at every visit, but home monitoring with a digital cuff can give you a more consistent look at your cardiovascular health.
A lipid panel monitors the levels of different fats in your blood, including low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or “bad” cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or “good” cholesterol, and triglycerides, a type of fat the body creates from unused calories.
High levels of LDL cholesterol and triglycerides can lead to plaque buildup in your arteries, restricting blood flow and increasing your cardiovascular risk. The danger is even greater when HDL cholesterol levels are too low.
The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that most adults have a full lipid screening every 4-6 years. If your numbers are outside the healthy range, we may test more frequently to see how your body responds to changes in diet or activity levels.
Tracking your blood sugar levels reveals how effectively your body processes fuel and manages energy. When your numbers stabilize or trend downward, it shows that your wellness efforts are paying off, whether or not you’ve noticed a change in your weight.
While a fasting glucose test gives us a snapshot of your blood sugar level at a single point in time, an A1c test measures your average blood sugar over the last three months. These metrics allow us to identify insulin resistance and prediabetes before they develop into Type 2 diabetes.
Your resting heart rate (RHR) is the number of times your heart beats every 60 seconds when you are at rest. A lower RHR typically indicates a stronger, more efficient heart muscle — between 60 and 100 beats per minute is normal for most people, while athletes and highly active individuals may be closer to 40 or 50 beats per minute.
If you don’t use a wearable fitness tracker, you can check your RHR manually by finding your pulse at your wrist and counting the beats for a full minute. Beyond physical fitness, factors like hormones, stress, and medications can influence your results. Talk to our team if your RHR seems consistently high or low.
While you sleep, your body performs essential functions such as tissue repair, immune cell production, and hormone regulation. Consistent, quality rest helps lower inflammation and manage the hormones that control hunger and stress.
A wearable device can help you identify specific patterns and sleep stages more easily, but it’s not necessary. You can also track your sleep by keeping a log of when you go to bed, how many times you wake up during the night, and how you feel when you wake up. If you share a bed, your partner may also provide valuable input on whether you snore or seem restless.
Our team can help you analyze these health markers to see how your body is truly responding to your wellness routine. Contact Shah Medical Center in Elgin, Illinois, today to schedule a consultation and receive expert guidance.
