Doctors say when it comes to your health, there are five distinct numbers to know that could have a major effect on your life.
Mercy Medical Center's Dr. Htay Myint said no matter what a woman's age, there are five health numbers she should know. Topping the list is weight because it's the primary indicator for serious health problems such as heart disease, stroke, mental health and fertility issues.
For a woman of average height (5 feet 4 inches tall), a weight of over 175 is considered obese, doctors said. One-third of Americans are considered obese, while 60 percent are considered to be overweight.
"Losing 5 to 10 percent of your body weight can help your overall health," Myint said.
No. 2: Blood pressure. For younger adults, a healthy number is nothing above 120/80. For older adults, nothing above 140/90 is healthy.
No. 3: Cholesterol. If you have no risk factors, your LDL (bad cholesterol) should be less than 160. If you do have risk factors, the number is lower and could be down to 100 if those factors are significant, such as for people with heart disease.
No. 4: Blood sugar. A fasting blood sugar between 100-125 is considered pre-diabetic, while anything higher than that is diabetic.
No. 5 is a number that may not be obvious to everyone, according to Myint.
"Right now, the size of a person's waist is the strongest predictor of heart disease," she said.
A person's waist circumference should be less than half of their height. That means for an average woman, her waist size should be no larger than 32.5 inches.
"These are the five numbers that are really important for women. If you're at a young age, it's to prevent. If you're at an older age, we have to control the disease," Myint said.
She said when it comes to your health, knowledge is power.