Hey, wanna #KnowYourNumbers? ❤️

You scanned the hoodie. Now let's talk about YOU.

You know your age. Your shoe size. Maybe even your screen time (although you'd rather not).

But do you know your heart numbers?

No? You're not alone.

Some of the biggest risks to your heart are completely invisible. You can feel great, look healthy, run marathons — and still have inherited high cholesterol or other lipid disorders.

The good news? A simple blood test can reveal a lot.

A recreational runner smiling after exercise.

❤️ Three numbers worth knowing

1. Cholesterol — the one you've heard of.

Especially your LDL cholesterol (the so-called "bad" cholesterol). Too much can build up in your arteries. And sometimes, high cholesterol runs in families. It's called familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH). You can be born with it and not know it.

2. Lp(a) — the one you've probably NEVER heard of.

Pronounced "L-P-little-a". It's a largely inherited, independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, affecting around 1 in 5 people at elevated levels. Healthy lifestyle? Great! But it won't usually change your Lp(a) much. Ask to have it measured at least once in adulthood.

3. Triglycerides — the ones you shouldn't ignore.

They're another type of fat in your blood. Very high levels can cause dangerous inflammation of the pancreas. In rare inherited conditions such as familial chylomicronaemia syndrome (FCS), triglycerides can become extremely high, even from childhood.