The heart is one of the vital organs of the body, responsible for pumping blood and oxygen to all other parts of the body. Therefore, it’s essential to maintain a healthy heart to prevent heart diseases and other associated illnesses.

Unfortunately, most people don’t pay close attention to the health of their heart, resulting in poor cardiovascular health and ultimately, heart diseases.

However, with the 90” test, you can evaluate your heart’s health based on your lifestyle, exercise routines, and general health status.

What is the 90” test?

The 90” test is a simple test that aims to evaluate your heart health based on nine essential points integral to maintaining a healthy heart.

These checks can help you determine your heart’s health status, and take conscious steps to improve it if necessary.

The nine checkpoints evaluated in this test include;.

Stress: Stress is known to have adverse effects on the heart’s health. This check examines how well you can manage stress and ways to reduce stress if it exceeds a certain level.
Cholesterol: High cholesterol levels can result in heart diseases and other heart-related illnesses. The check evaluates your cholesterol level and ways to reduce it if necessary.
Blood pressure: High blood pressure puts a lot of pressure on the heart, making it work harder than it should. The check examines your blood pressure and ways to reduce it if it is above a certain level.
Healthy weight: Being overweight or obese can put a strain on your heart, resulting in heart diseases. This check evaluates your healthy weight and ways to maintain a healthy weight range.
Smoking habits: Smoking is a significant contributor to heart diseases. This check evaluates your smoking habits.
Exercise: Exercise plays a crucial role in maintaining a healthy heart. This check evaluates your exercise routine and ways to improve it if necessary.
Diet: A healthy diet is integral to maintaining a healthy heart. This check evaluates your eating habits and ways to improve it if necessary.
Sleep: Sleep is essential for the body to function correctly. This check evaluates your sleep routine and ways to improve it if necessary.
Alcohol consumption: Drinking excessive alcohol can lead to heart diseases and other related illnesses. This check evaluates your alcohol consumption level.

How to score your heart health with the 90” test

To score your heart health with the 90” test, you need to evaluate each of the nine checkpoints and assess how well you’re doing.

Depending on each checkpoint’s score, you’ll be able to determine your heart’s health status and the necessary steps to take towards maintaining a healthy heart.

Stress

To evaluate your stress level;.

Rate your stress level on a scale of 1-10, with ten being extremely stressful.
List down some of the stressors in your life and how you manage them.

Scoring:.

If your stress level is 1-3 and you have effective stress management techniques, award yourself 3 points.
If your stress level is 4-7, and you have adequate stress management techniques, award yourself 2 points.
If your stress level is 8-10 and your stress management is not effective, award yourself 1 point.

Cholesterol

To evaluate your cholesterol level;.

Get a cholesterol level test from a certified medical practitioner.

Scoring:.

If your cholesterol level is below 200 mg/dL, award yourself 3 points.
If your cholesterol level is between 200 mg/dL and 240 mg/dL, award yourself 2 points.
If your cholesterol level is above 240 mg/dL, award yourself 1 point.

Blood pressure

To evaluate your blood pressure;.

Measure your blood pressure with a certified blood pressure monitor at a certified medical practitioner’s office.

Scoring:.

If your blood pressure is below 120/80 mmHg, award yourself 3 points.
If your blood pressure is between 120/80 mmHg and 139/89 mmHg, award yourself 2 points.
If your blood pressure is above 140/90 mmHg, award yourself 1 point.

Healthy weight

To evaluate your healthy weight;.

Determine your Body Mass Index (BMI) using a BMI calculator.

Scoring:.

If your BMI is below 18.5, award yourself 1 point.
If your BMI is between 18.5-24.9, award yourself 2 points.
If your BMI is above 25.0, award yourself 1 point.

Smoking habits

To evaluate your smoking habits;.

List down how often you smoke, when you started smoking, and how many packs per day.

Scoring:.

If you don’t smoke, award yourself 3 points.
If you smoke occasionally, award yourself 2 points.
If you smoke daily, award yourself 1 point.

Exercise

To evaluate your exercise routines;.

Write down your weekly exercise routines.

Scoring:.

If you exercise at least 30 minutes per day, five days a week, award yourself 3 points.
If you exercise at least 30 minutes per day, 3-4 days a week, award yourself 2 points.
If you exercise less than 30 minutes per day, one day a week, award yourself 1 point.

Diet

To evaluate your diet;.

Write down your typical meals, snacks, and drinks.

Scoring:.

If you eat mostly fresh fruits, veggies, whole grains, and lean protein, award yourself 3 points.
If you eat a mix of healthy and unhealthy foods, award yourself 2 point.
If you eat mostly unhealthy, high-calorie foods, award yourself 1 point.

Sleep

To evaluate your sleep routines;.

Write down your typical sleeping time and the number of hours you sleep.

Scoring:.

If you sleep 7-9 hours a day, award yourself 3 points.
If you sleep 5-6 hours a day, award yourself 2 points.
If you sleep less than 5 hours or more than 9 hours a day, award yourself 1 point.

Alcohol consumption

To evaluate your alcohol consumption;.

List down your alcohol consumption habits.

Scoring:.

If you consume alcohol in moderation, one drink daily for women, two drinks daily for men, award yourself 3 points.
If you consume alcohol excessively, award yourself 1 point.
If you don’t consume alcohol, award yourself 3 points.

Results and interpretation

Add up all the points you’ve awarded yourself based on each checkpoint and compare it to the table below.

Points	Heart Health Status	Action Required
25-27	Excellent Heart Health	Maintain healthy habits
20-24	Good Heart Health	Improve in some areas
11-19	Fair Heart Health	Take necessary actions to improve
10 and below	Poor Heart Health	Take immediate actions to improve

Conclusion

The 90” test is a simple, efficient way to evaluate your heart health and take conscious steps to improve it. Maintain a healthy weight, exercise, eat healthily, get enough sleep, and manage stress levels to improve your heart’s health.

Additionally, don’t forget to visit your physician regularly for checkups and screenings.