Heart Healthy Living

Need Comprehensive Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in Orange County? Hoag Has You Covered.

At Hoag’s Jeffrey M. Carlton Heart and Vascular Institute, we not only offer advanced diagnosis and treatment for your biggest cardiovascular challenges, but also techniques, tools and strategies to help reduce your risk of high blood pressure, coronary heart disease or a heart attack.

From cardiac rehabilitation to a specialized walking program to help even those with mobility challenges get moving, the compassionate health care team at Hoag stands ready to help you reduce your risk of heart disease and live a healthier life.

Read on for information, strategies and resources to help you get heart disease risk factors like obesity, smoking, stress or high blood cholesterol in check. If you need help treating or managing a cardiovascular condition in Orange County, there’s no place like Hoag. Need help finding a general cardiologist? Visit our general cardiologist team page here.

Strategies for Heart Disease Prevention

Because many types of heart disease can have a genetic component that runs in families — including high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, certain valvular diseases and others — there’s no known way to definitely prevent yourself from developing heart disease.

However, there are certain steps you can take to potentially lower your risk factors for many types of heart disease, even if you have a family history that may put you at greater risk for those conditions. As an added bonus, making these dietary, exercise and lifestyle changes will go a long way toward improving your overall health. Below are steps you can take to help prevent heart disease.

See Your Primary Care Provider For Regular Check Ups

Early detection and treatment are key to avoiding serious cardiovascular issues. That’s why scheduling regular checkups with your primary care provider is one of the most important steps you can take to lower your risk of experiencing a heart-related problem.

Regular checkups give your primary care provider the opportunity to take a snapshot of your heart health, including listening for irregular rhythms, taking your blood pressure, checking for abnormal sounds in your heart and arteries and more.

Those results can then be compared to information collected at previous and future checkups. This allows your doctor to see subtle changes over time that might indicate a developing cardiovascular problem. By catching and treating these problems early, regular checkups give you a much better chance of avoiding serious issues like heart failure or a heart attack.

When Should I See a Cardiologist?

A cardiologist is a medical doctor with years of additional training in the normal function of the cardiovascular system, the medical conditions and lifestyle factors that can affect the health of the heart and the latest treatment options for cardiovascular conditions.

If you visit your primary care provider with symptoms that suggest you have an issue that is affecting the function of the cardiovascular system or the heart’s ability to pump oxygenated blood to tissues and organs, you may be referred to a cardiologist for more specialized diagnosis and care.

Symptoms that might cause a primary care provider to refer a patient to a cardiologist include constant or recurring chest pain, a congenital (present at birth) heart defect, shortness of breath, heart valve problems, an irregular heartbeat, palpitations, dizziness when standing and other issues.     

Don’t Smoke Tobacco, and Quit If You Do

Cigarette smoking is a major risk factor for many different types of cardiovascular disease, from mild issues like varicose veins to serious and potentially deadly conditions like heart attacks and aortic aneurysms.

According to the CDC, smoking is a contributing factor in one out of four deaths due to cardiovascular disease. That’s because, over time, smoking tobacco can cause a cascade of potentially harmful effects on the heart and circulatory system.

Among other cardiovascular issues, smoking increases the ability of plaque to build up on blood vessel walls (a major factor in coronary heart disease, renal artery disease and heart attacks), makes the blood more likely to form dangerous clots (which can cause strokes and pulmonary embolisms) and weakens and narrows blood vessels (which can weaken the aorta, potentially causing a deadly aortic aneurysm).

Need to quit smoking in Orange County? Visit here for information about Smoking Cessation from Hoag, including tips, Hoag’s Lungs for Life support group, and NewLung, the free, publicly-funded program to help residents of Orange County stop smoking for good.

Get Regular Physical Activity and Maintain a Healthy Weight

Not getting enough physical activity and leading what’s called a sedentary lifestyle are also strong risk factors for heart disease and other serious conditions.

According to the CDC and the current U.S. national health guidelines, people should get a minimum of 150 minutes of moderately-intense physical activity such as brisk walking each week, along with strength training that works out all major muscle groups on at least two days each week.

Potential health effects if you don’t get enough regular physical exercise may include:

  • Weight gain and obesity: Inactivity results in the burning of fewer calories. Couple that with a poor diet that’s high in sugar, starch and saturated and trans fats, and weight gain over time is likely. Maintaining a healthy weight is critical to long-term cardiovascular health, as being obese can contribute to a range of cardiovascular problems, including putting added strain on your heart and arteries. Visit this link to explore the range of services available through Hoag’s Metabolism and Weight Management Center.
  • High blood pressure: Regular physical activity helps lower blood pressure by improving blood flow and the flexibility of the blood vessels. Those with a sedentary lifestyle tend to have higher blood pressure, which can cause strain on the heart and blood vessels, potentially leading to issues like cardiomyopathy, heart failure or aortic aneurysm. Learn more about managing high blood pressure here.
  • Clogged arteries (atherosclerosis): When a person is inactive, their blood flow slows down. That allows fatty deposits called plaque to build up in the blood vessels, which can narrow the arteries. Among other issues, narrowed arteries can limit blood flow to the heart, increasing the risk of angina (chest pain) and heart attacks.
  • Reduced good cholesterol: Exercise can boost levels of healthy fats called HDL, the “good cholesterol” that clears harmful forms of cholesterol from arteries. A sedentary lifestyle reduces HDL, further contributing to plaque buildup. Learn more about managing cholesterol here.
  • Insulin resistance: Inactivity and weight gain make your body less efficient at using insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar. Over time, having high blood sugar levels can lead to prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, another significant risk factor for heart disease. Visit this link to explore the range of services available through the Mary & Dick Allen Diabetes Center at Hoag.
  • Inflammation: Prolonged sitting increases inflammation (redness and swelling) throughout the body, including in the arteries. This chronic inflammation can damage blood vessels and contribute to the buildup of plaque (atherosclerosis).
  • Mental health impacts: Studies have shown that a sedentary lifestyle can have an impact on mental health, putting a person more at risk for issues like stress, anxiety and depression.

Hoag has a wide range of monitored exercise programs in Orange County to help people maintain a healthy weight, improve their body mass index score and boost their health.

Eat a Heart-Healthy Diet

Eating a healthy diet is another major step you can take to improve your overall health and lower your risk factors for heart disease.

In addition to helping you maintain a healthy body weight that allows you to stay active and feel less tired, eating a diet that’s low in sugar, salt, starch and fat also provides your body with more of the things it needs to stay strong and work efficiently, including vitamins, nutrients, protein and water.

Here are some general tips for following a heart-healthy diet:

  • Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, leafy greens and whole grains
  • Eat less salt, which can be a contributing factor in high blood pressure (hypertension)Eat lean proteins like fish and poultry, while avoiding red and processed meats
  • Limit your intake of saturated fat and trans fats, which can lead to high cholesterol levels in the blood and atherosclerosisEat food with plenty of fiber
  • Cook with healthier, vegetable-derived oils like olive oil or canola oil
  • Eat less sugar, which can lead to increased risk for obesity and diabetes
  • Drink plenty of plain water: According to the CDC, men should consume at least 3.7 liters of water per day, while women should consume 2.7 liters
  • Don’t drink too much alcohol
Manage Stress

Managing stress is another step you can take to potentially reduce your risk of heart disease. Feeling nervous, anxious, angry, frustrated or under pressure is common for most people from time to time. But if you are constantly feeling that way, it can begin to have an impact on your cardiovascular health.

Issues that too much stress can cause may include:

  • Arrhythmias: Extreme stress can sometimes disrupt the electrical signals in your heart, which can increase your risk of developing an arrhythmia, which is an irregular heartbeat. While some arrhythmias are harmless, certain forms can potentially be life-threatening. Visit here to learn more about the different types of arrhythmia from Hoag.
  • Increased release of potentially harmful hormones: When you’re stressed, your body releases powerful hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. These “fight or flight” hormones can cause your heart rate and blood pressure to rise, putting additional strain on your cardiovascular system. Over a long time, that can potentially lead to issues like high blood pressure, which is a major risk factor for heart attack and stroke.
  • Poor sleep: Chronic stress can make it difficult to get a good night’s sleep. Along with making you feel constantly tired during the day, sleep deprivation can elevate your blood pressure and increase inflammation in the body, which can further impact your heart health.
  • Inflammation: Chronic stress can also cause inflammation throughout the body, including in your blood vessels. Over time, that can damage the blood vessel walls and contribute to the buildup of plaque, which can narrow arteries and increase the risk of heart attacks, stroke, pulmonary embolism, issues with the aorta and other cardiovascular conditions.
  • Mental health impacts: Stress can be a contributing factor for a range of mental health conditions, including anxiety and depression. In addition to causing relationship and career issues, having these conditions can also increase the risk of heart disease. Hoag is here for those with mental health disorders. Visit this link to learn more about the Hoag Mental Health Program, proudly serving Orange County since 1998.
  • Cardiomyopathy: In rare instances, severe emotional stress from an event like the death of a parent or spouse can cause a condition called takotsubo cardiomyopathy. Also called “Broken Heart Syndrome,” the condition causes the heart’s left ventricle, the main pumping chamber of the heart, to become abnormally shaped. That can affect the ability of the heart to efficiently pump blood. Learn more about cardiomyopathy from Hoag.

Need Help Reducing Your Risk of Cardiovascular Disease? Orange County Looks to Hoag for Prevention and Early Detection.

Every day at Hoag’s Jeffrey M. Carlton Heart and Vascular Institute, our goal is to provide the best and most patient-focused cardiovascular care in Southern California, helping residents across Orange County stay healthy.

A big part of that mission involves early detection and prevention of heart disease, especially for those with a family history or increased risk of cardiac issues.

From the latest techniques for managing hard-to-control high blood pressure to Orange County’s patient-focused programs for cardiac rehabilitation after heart attack or a cardiac procedure, we are committed to helping you achieve lifelong heart health. Hoag’s unified team of nationally-rated cardiac programs have the experience you need.

Visit the following links to learn more about the advanced technology and techniques we use to diagnose different types of cardiovascular conditions at Hoag:

Ready to take the next step? Contact Hoag’s Heart and Vascular Institute today. Call 949-764-5871 or fill out our form.

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