Preventive Cardiology: Catching Problems Before They Start

Happy American Heart Month! As we reflect on this national observance, we here at Dr. Sangani & Associates want to raise awareness about cardiovascular health and promote why it’s important to live heart-healthy lifestyles. While it’s common to overlook treatment plans for when you have issues with your heart, you should be focusing on preventative methods instead. Research outlines preventive cardiology as a field focused on preventing or delaying the onset of various issues dealing with the human heart.

One key aspect of preventive cardiology is early intervention by catching problems before they actually start. When concerning your heart health, our lead cardiologist, Dr. Bharat Sangani, recommends you focus on the following target areas:

• Weight Management: Express weight can strain the heart by making it pump harder, leading to the enlargement of the muscle and a higher risk of heart failure, heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, and more health deficits. 
• Tobacco Cessation: If you smoke, tobacco can lead to the buildup of fatty plaque in your arteries called atherosclerosis. This can reduce the levels of oxygen in your blood, leading to potential high blood pressure and an increased heart rate.
• Increase Physical Activity: Regular exercise can strengthen the heart muscle and make it more efficient at pumping blood. This improves cholesterol numbers, manages weight, and significantly lowers the risk of a variety of different diseases that could affect the heart. The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes of moderate to intense aerobic activity per week.
• Reduce Stress: High levels of stress negatively impacts heart health by raising heart rate and blood pressure through the introduction of stress hormones (adrenaline and cortisol). If you don’t have your stress in check, you could have an increased risk for heart attack and stroke, and likely utilize poor coping mechanisms like poor dieting or smoking; which also contributes to an unhealthy heart. 

Preventive cardiology starts with you! For individuals with a family history of heart health deficits, it’s important that you adopt a healthy and consistent lifestyle. Of the target areas mentioned above, the most important is getting regular check-ups with your cardiologist so you can always stay a step ahead. Here at Dr. Sangani & Associates, we utilize a wide variety of preventive tools to ensure your heart is at its best! Curious about how you can stay on top of your heart health? Don’t wait! Call us and schedule an appointment with us today!