Your heart works hard. It beats every minute of every day, pumping some 2,000 gallons of blood through your body daily. It delivers oxygen and nutrients to your body through your blood, and it’s what keeps you alive.
You probably know that taking care of your heart is important for overall wellness, but what’s the best way to improve your heart health? And what happens if you’re at risk for common heart problems like heart disease?
Our team at NJ Cardiovascular Institute can help you find answers. Kunal Patel, MD, specializes in heart health and managing chronic heart conditions. Today, we’re exploring some things you might not know about your heart — and how learning about it can help you enjoy better health.
What comes to mind when you think of heart problems? Something like chest pain, heart attacks, or heart palpitations might be your first thought, but heart health extends far beyond your heart muscle alone.
Your cardiovascular system, also called the circulatory system, is made up of your heart, arteries, veins, and capillaries. Your heart pumps blood through your arteries, sending oxygen- and nutrient-rich blood through your body. Oxygen-poor blood travels through your veins back to your heart and lungs, and the process starts over again.
Some common health conditions, like high cholesterol and high blood pressure, damage your arteries and have a negative impact on your heart over time. Damaged or blocked arteries make it harder for blood to flow smoothly through your veins, which means your heart has to work harder to do its job.
Heart disease, also known as cardiovascular disease, is the leading cause of death in the United States. It’s responsible for about one in four deaths, but it’s largely preventable with proactive heart care.
Since heart disease can develop without noticeable warning signs, it’s important to recognize the factors that could increase your risk.
The three main risk factors for heart disease are:
Nearly 50% of American adults have at least one of these three risk factors for heart disease.
Other factors that could increase your risk of developing heart disease include:
If you think you could be at risk for heart disease, schedule a consultation with Dr. Patel. He offers diagnostic testing to evaluate your heart health, and our team works with you to prevent disease progression and improve your heart health.
It’s vital to take care of your heart, but it’s not always easy to know where to start. That’s why we have our Heart Smart Program.
The Heart Smart Program is a comprehensive approach to heart health. We make it simple to implement heart-healthy changes and get the preventive heart care you need. It’s a good option for people with existing heart conditions, but anyone can benefit from taking these steps to improve their heart health.
The program includes nutritional management, exercise routines, and educational sessions to help you make healthy lifestyle changes. You learn about how your diet affects your heart and the important role exercise plays in cardiovascular wellness.
Depending on your needs, we offer a range of diagnostic services to identify and monitor existing heart conditions. We partner with you to help you achieve your best possible health, no matter your age.
Curious about more ways to improve your heart health? Schedule a consultation with Dr. Patel and our team. Call the office nearest you or book an appointment online today.
