Your Year of Health · June
Heart Health
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States — but it’s also one of the most preventable. Most of it builds quietly over years, which means there’s a long window to catch it and turn things around.
A few simple numbers and steady habits protect your heart, your brain, and the rest of you. Your primary care office is where much of that prevention happens.
The Basics
What do we mean by “heart health”?
Heart health is about how well your heart and blood vessels — your cardiovascular system — do their job. Most heart disease develops slowly and silently over years as arteries narrow and stiffen, often without any symptoms until a heart attack or stroke. The encouraging part: it’s largely preventable, and the very same habits that protect your heart also protect your brain and the rest of your body.
What counts as cardiovascular disease?
It’s an umbrella term for conditions affecting the heart and blood vessels — including coronary artery disease (the most common), high blood pressure, heart failure, irregular heart rhythms, and stroke. Many of them share the same root causes and risk factors, which is why prevention works across the board.
Know Your Numbers
A few simple numbers tell most of the story — and most are silent, so you can’t feel them. Checking is what keeps them from sneaking up on you:
- Blood pressure — high blood pressure is the single biggest risk factor and has no symptoms (“the silent killer”). A normal target is generally under 120/80.
- Cholesterol — high LDL (“bad”) cholesterol builds plaque in your arteries; a simple blood test tracks it.
- Blood sugar (A1C) — high blood sugar and diabetes sharply raise heart risk.
- Weight and waist size — extra weight, especially around the middle, strains the heart.
Your doctor uses these together to estimate your overall risk and decide what, if anything, needs to change.
Risk Factors
What raises the risk?
Some risk factors you can change, and some you can’t:
- Within your control — high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, diabetes, inactivity, a poor diet, excess weight, heavy alcohol use, and chronic stress.
- Not in your control — age, family history, and certain genetic and ethnic backgrounds.
Having a risk factor doesn’t make heart disease inevitable — it just means there’s something to watch and act on. The more factors you address, the lower your risk falls.
Heart-Healthy Habits
The core habits are simple, well-proven, and reinforce one another:
- Don’t smoke (and avoid secondhand smoke) — the single most important step.
- Eat a heart-healthy pattern — lots of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, beans, fish, and olive oil, with less salt, added sugar, and processed food (the Mediterranean and DASH diets).
- Move regularly — aim for about 150 minutes of activity a week.
- Keep a healthy weight.
- Limit alcohol.
- Manage stress and protect your sleep.
- Take prescribed medications for blood pressure, cholesterol, or diabetes as directed.
Warning Signs
Signs of a heart attack — call 911
Get emergency help right away for chest pain or pressure; discomfort spreading to the arm, jaw, neck, or back; shortness of breath; or a cold sweat, nausea, or lightheadedness. Symptoms can be subtler in women, older adults, and people with diabetes. Don’t wait it out and don’t drive yourself — minutes of heart muscle are at stake.
Signs of a stroke — remember F.A.S.T.
- F — Face drooping
- A — Arm weakness
- S — Speech difficulty
- T — Time to call 911
Other signs include sudden numbness, confusion, trouble seeing or walking, or a severe headache. As with a heart attack, fast treatment saves brain tissue and lives.
When to Get Help
Beyond emergencies, see your doctor for routine prevention: have your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar checked, especially if you have risk factors or a family history of heart disease. Mention symptoms like chest discomfort with exertion, unusual breathlessness, palpitations, swelling in the legs, or new fatigue. Your primary care office can assess your overall risk, start prevention or treatment, and refer you to a cardiologist when that’s the right step.
When in doubt, call 911.
Heart attacks and strokes are emergencies where every minute counts. It’s always better to be checked and sent home than to wait — don’t try to “tough out” chest pain, and don’t drive yourself to the hospital.
Useful Links
Talk it through with Dr. Mui
Heart health is at the center of primary care. Book a visit to check your numbers, understand your risk, and build a prevention plan that fits you.
Prefer to ask first? Text Dr. Mui at 617-675-4085.
This page is for general education and isn’t a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always talk with a qualified health provider about your specific situation.