Optimal vs. Normal Vital Signs Explained

Share

As a patient, you know what your doctor needs from you as soon as you get into the office: Vital Signs. Do you know what your optimal heart rate range is? Is your blood pressure under control? What about your waist-to-hip ratio? Don’t worry, and we are here for you. This quick guide will help you understand why these measurements are important and how to interpret the results and know-how to work with your doctor.

In medicine, a range is considered normal when 95 percent of the population fall between these values, the remaining population that is outside of these values is considered abnormal. Meaning that the values (lower and upper range) are defined by the population that is being studied. Have you ever thought about this? if we are living in a world where 70% of the population is overweight and sick, we are setting the bar very low. This is what is being considered normal, but if you are reading this is because you want to prevent disease, then the right word you are looking for is optimal.

Heart pulse or heart rate is the number that your heart pulses in one minute. It is reflective of your heart condition, cardiovascular heart and stress. Heart rate con correlates to your thyroid function as well; if your heart rate over optimal ranges, you could be dealing with an overactive thyroid gland. A heart rate under optimal ranges could reflect an underactive thyroid gland.

Normal range: 60-100 beats per minute.

Optimal range:60-80 beats per minute.

Heart rate variability, this measurement is not commonly checked by doctors. Heart rate variability shows how complex are the beats of your heart. What you want is a heartbeat that is complex and variable instead of steady. You would prefer a 67, 71, 69 ½, and then 73 over a constant 72. This is correlated to our autonomous nervous system; this one controls our digestive system, heart rate, and breathing.

Ideal: high HRV.

If we talk about heart rate, then we have to continue with blood pressure. This measurement has two numbers; the top number is systolic, this happens when the heart contracts. The lower number is diastolic and reflects when the heart is at rest. Blood pressure counts the resistance that our heart is pushing against.

Normal: 130/80mmHg

Optimal: 110/60-129/79mmHg

Weight and height is crucial information to have in your medical record, these two measurements are used to get your body mass index. Body mass index or BMI takes your weight in kilos and divides it by the squared of the patient’s height in meters, and it indicates nutritional status.

BMI= Weight (kg)/ Height (m)2

Nutritional Status Underweight Normal weight Pre-obesity (overweight) Obesity class I Obesity class II Obesity class III
BMI below 18.5 18.5-24.9 25.0-29.9 30.0-34.9 35.0-39.9 Above 40
BMI’s classification by WHO.

For example, if my patient’s weight is 187Lb (85kg) and 6 ft (1.84m), this patient’s BMI would be 25.1. therefore their nutritional status would be overweight. The problem with BMI is that it only considers weight as a quantity without noting if this amount of weight is muscle or fat. Therefore, taking only this measurement to describe nutritional status would be a mistake. Many people may be inside the normal weight range but have low muscle and high fat composition. A weightlifter might have a BMI of 29, with a muscular composition and low-fat percentage.

A better way to know about our nutritional status and metabolic risk is the waist-to-hip ratio. This measurement can explain how your body fat is distributed; if we keep track of our measures, we could have better control, which could help us prevent diseases such as diabetes type 2, obesity, and heart failure. You can measure your waist and hip at home. Here is how:

Waist: Taking your last rib as a reference and your iliac crest (the upper bone part of your hip), measure the midway between these two points. You can take your belly button as a reference.

Hips: Measure the widest part of your hip area. This could be right below your belt.

Divide the measurements: waist/hip= waist-to-hip ratio. The optimal results are:

For women: less than 0.8.

For men: less than 0.9

Now you know about your vitals; you know how they should be measured and why. Next time you are with your doctor, talk about them, tell him about your goals, and ask him how you can get there. When a patient does their research and stays informed, it promotes a better relationship with the healthcare professional to work together towards the patient´s better health.

Understanding Diabetes

Understanding diabetes: Read Below.

Hyman, Mark. “Vital Signs.” Commune, 2020, www.onecommune.com/products/hacking-your-healthcare-with-dr-mark-hyman/categories/1653473/posts/2929882.

 

 

 

 

 

Post Disclaimer

Professional Scope of Practice *

The information herein on "Optimal vs. Normal Vital Signs Explained" is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional or licensed physician and is not medical advice. We encourage you to make healthcare decisions based on your research and partnership with a qualified healthcare professional.

Blog Information & Scope Discussions

Our information scope is limited to Chiropractic, musculoskeletal, physical medicines, wellness, contributing etiological viscerosomatic disturbances within clinical presentations, associated somatovisceral reflex clinical dynamics, subluxation complexes, sensitive health issues, and/or functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions.

We provide and present clinical collaboration with specialists from various disciplines. Each specialist is governed by their professional scope of practice and their jurisdiction of licensure. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for the injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system.

Our videos, posts, topics, subjects, and insights cover clinical matters, issues, and topics that relate to and directly or indirectly support our clinical scope of practice.*

Our office has reasonably attempted to provide supportive citations and has identified the relevant research study or studies supporting our posts. We provide copies of supporting research studies available to regulatory boards and the public upon request.

We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation of how it may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez, DC, or contact us at 915-850-0900.

We are here to help you and your family.

Blessings

Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, RN*, CCST, IFMCP*, CIFM*, ATN*

email: coach@elpasofunctionalmedicine.com

Licensed as a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) in Texas & New Mexico*
Texas DC License # TX5807, New Mexico DC License # NM-DC2182

Licensed as a Registered Nurse (RN*) in Florida
Florida License RN License # RN9617241 (Control No. 3558029)
Compact Status: Multi-State License: Authorized to Practice in 40 States*

Presently Matriculated: ICHS: MSN* FNP (Family Nurse Practitioner Program)

Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, RN* CIFM*, IFMCP*, ATN*, CCST
My Digital Business Card

Published by

Recent Posts

Sleeping with a Pillow Between the Legs: A Solution for Back Pain

For individuals with back pain, can sleeping with a pillow between or under their knees… Read More

March 27, 2024

The Medicinal Properties of Peppermint: A Closer Look

For individuals dealing with digestive issues or bowel disorders, can adding peppermint to a nutrition… Read More

March 26, 2024

Can Acupuncture Help with Eczema? Exploring the Evidence

For individuals dealing with eczema, can incorporating acupuncture into a treatment plan help manage and… Read More

March 25, 2024

Whiplash Made Clear: Identifying Signs and Symptoms

Those experiencing neck pain, stiffness, headache, shoulder and back pain may suffer from a whiplash… Read More

March 22, 2024

Incorporating Nopal into Your Nutrition Plan

Can incorporating nopal or prickly pear cactus into one's diet help individuals trying to lower… Read More

March 21, 2024

Improve Breathing Techniques for Better Exercise Performance

Can improving breathing patterns help further fitness and optimize overall health for individuals who walk… Read More

March 20, 2024