If you remember nothing else from your annual physical, remember these five numbers. They are the cheapest, fastest, and most predictive measurements in primary care, and most of them you can have on a single morning's blood draw plus a 5-minute check at the front desk.
1. Blood pressure (target: under 120/80)
The most under-rated number in medicine. Roughly half of U.S. adults with high blood pressure don't know they have it, and untreated hypertension is the single largest preventable contributor to stroke, heart attack, kidney disease, and dementia.
What it should be: Below 120/80 is optimal. 120–129/under 80 is "elevated." 130/80 and above is hypertension, and the conversation about treatment starts.
Catch: A single high reading at the doctor's office doesn't mean you have hypertension — white-coat effect is real. Ask for two confirmatory readings, ideally with a home cuff over a week.
2. A1c (target: under 5.7%)
HbA1c reflects your average blood sugar over the past three months. It is the single best screen for diabetes and pre-diabetes, and the only one of these five numbers you cannot fake by changing your behavior in the week before the test.
What it should be: Under 5.7% is normal. 5.7–6.4% is pre-diabetes (a strong predictor of type 2 diabetes within 5–10 years). 6.5%+ on two occasions is diabetes.
Catch: Pre-diabetes is reversible with weight loss and exercise. The window to act is roughly five years from the first elevated reading.
3. Lipid panel (key number: LDL)
Your standard lipid panel breaks cholesterol into total, LDL ("bad"), HDL ("good"), and triglycerides. For most adults the number worth memorizing is LDL.
What it should be: Under 100 mg/dL for average-risk adults; under 70 if you already have cardiovascular disease or diabetes.
Catch: LDL alone isn't enough to predict heart disease risk. Your doctor will combine it with age, blood pressure, smoking history, and family history into a 10-year ASCVD risk score. Ask for the score, not just the cholesterol.
4. BMI (informative range: 18.5–24.9)
BMI is a blunt instrument — it doesn't distinguish muscle from fat, doesn't account for body composition variation, and is genuinely misleading for athletic builds. That said, for most adults across most of the population, it is a useful pointer for cardiometabolic risk.
What it should be: 18.5–24.9 is "normal." 25–29.9 is "overweight." 30+ is "obese." These categories are imperfect — discuss with your doctor whether your individual body composition makes BMI a useful number for you.
Catch: Waist circumference (over 35 inches for women, 40 inches for men) is often more predictive than BMI for cardiovascular risk.
5. Resting heart rate (target: 60–80)
The most overlooked of the five. Your resting heart rate is a passive readout on your overall cardiovascular fitness, your stress level, and (sometimes) thyroid function. Most fitness watches will track it for free.
What it should be: 60–80 bpm is typical. Below 60 in a fit adult is often healthy; below 50 with symptoms (dizziness, fatigue) should be investigated. Above 90 at rest, persistently, is worth a conversation.
Catch: Trends matter more than single readings. A resting heart rate that has been climbing 5 bpm a year for three years is more interesting than today's number.
The action item
Write all five numbers from your last visit on a sticky note and put it on your fridge. Re-test annually. The patients who stay ahead of chronic disease are the ones who can quote these numbers from memory — not the ones who know their cholesterol "is fine."
