At Inspire Health Cardiology, physicians take a comprehensive approach to cardiovascular care, with an emphasis on prevention, early identification of risk factors and personalized treatment. Photo by Joshua Chehov on Unsplash
Heart disease can affect people of all ages, and many of the factors that contribute to cardiovascular disease can be identified and addressed before serious symptoms develop. For patients, understanding those risks and knowing when to seek care are important parts of protecting long-term heart health.
At Inspire Health Cardiology, physicians take a comprehensive approach to cardiovascular care, with an emphasis on prevention, early identification of risk factors and personalized treatment. Factors such as blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, family history, diet and lifestyle can all play a role in a person’s cardiovascular health.
“Prevention is a very important part of cardiology,” said Ankit Rathod, MD, an Inspire Health cardiologist specializing in cardiac consultation and advanced cardiac imaging. “Understanding a patient’s risk factors early gives us an opportunity to address them before they develop into a more serious problem.”
When it comes to heart disease, some common assumptions can make it easy to overlook risk or delay an evaluation. Dr. Rathod addresses several common questions about cardiovascular health.
Myth or Facts about cardiac health:
Is heart disease purely hereditary?
Myth. While the hereditary component is a strong component of determining the risk of an individual suffering from a heart attack, there are factors that can influence and decrease or increase hereditary-based risk. These factors include environmental conditions, dietary restrictions, and lifestyle choices.
You can’t do anything about heart disease if it runs in your family.
Myth. There are a lot of environmental, lifestyle, and dietary factors that influence your eventual risk of getting a heart attack or any bad heart problems. So, if you have a family member or a strong genetic history for any cardiac problem, you should still seek care from a cardiologist and focus on the avenues for prevention and mitigating that risk.
There is no need to worry about heart health if you are young and active.
Myth. Being young and active does not dismiss you from worrying about heart health or heart attacks.
Plaque buildup in your arteries of the heart and the circulatory system starts immediately after birth, and it continues to build up as you grow older—depending on what kind of risk factors you may have. These risk factors include high blood pressure, high cholesterol numbers, high sugar levels, and family history of heart disease.
This plaque buildup might not cause symptoms until it is too late. Early screening and a comprehensive evaluation are still recommended, regardless of the absence of symptoms.
Exercise and eating healthy are necessary to maintain good cardiac health.
Fact. The cornerstone for good cardiac health is your diet and daily activity levels. Nourishing your body and engaging in regular exercise will help you maintain good cardiac health and fitness.
Good cardiac health or good cardiac fitness can be defined by the ability of your heart to meet the metabolic demands of your body while sustaining a period of increased activity levels. When your heart can do those activities without showing signs of stress or without showing signs of compromise in function, you know you have a good and healthy state of heart function.
High blood pressure is normal as you get older.
Myth. High blood pressure should not be overlooked, especially as you get older, because it is a risk factor for heart attacks, kidney problems, and strokes.
It is very important to control blood pressure, even in elderly patients, and many national guidelines and studies outline ideal parameters, ranges, and strategies for treating elevated blood pressure across all age groups.
Can drinking too much caffeine make your heart skip a beat?
Fact. Caffeine is a stimulant and acts to stimulate the sympathetic system. So, it could trigger an arrhythmia-like event or an extra beat if you have a propensity for it, thus making you prone to those arrhythmias.
Can your heart actually “break” during a breakup?
Fact. The term “broken heart” has been used interchangeably to describe someone experiencing stress. This type of stress is not limited to experiences in a relationship or a sad event in their life, it could also be related to extreme sickness, which the person individually suffers.
What happens is that the heart muscle in those situations can develop weakness either in certain areas or as a whole, and you could suffer from symptoms of heart failure. So, this is a real clinical entity where you suffer heart problems and symptoms related to heart failure without actually suffering from a heart attack.
Good cardiovascular care is about more than treating heart problems after they occur. Understanding individual risk factors, identifying potential problems early and developing a plan for prevention can help patients protect their heart health over the long term. Inspire Health Cardiology provides comprehensive cardiovascular care, including cardiac consultation and advanced cardiac imaging, for patients throughout the Central Valley. If you have concerns about your heart health or risk factors for cardiovascular disease, talk with your primary care physician about whether a cardiology evaluation may be appropriate. To learn more about Inspire Health Cardiology, call (559) 320-0545 or visit inspirehealth.org/cardio.