by NJ Cardiovascular Institute | Jun 1, 2019 | Blog, Heart Health
High cholesterol is a common — but serious — health problem. Cholesterol is a substance that your body uses to build cells, but having high cholesterol means there’s too much of it in your blood.
Excess cholesterol can build up in your arteries, narrowing them and making your heart work harder over time. When you have high cholesterol, your risk of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke, is higher, too.
Fortunately, you can improve your cholesterol levels and your health. Kunal Patel, MD, and our team at NJ Cardiovascular Institute are here to teach you how.
Understanding your cholesterol numbers
Cholesterol tests measure two main types of cholesterol in your blood: high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL).
HDL is often called the “good” cholesterol, because it removes excess cholesterol from your blood and takes it to your liver. LDL is the “bad” cholesterol, because this is the type that builds up in your arteries and increases your risk of heart disease and stroke.
When you get a cholesterol test, Dr. Patel takes a small sample of your blood and measures your HDL and LDL. Your cholesterol is in a healthy range if your HDL is 60 or higher, your LDL is under 100, and your total cholesterol is under 200.
You’re considered at risk if your HDL is 40-59 (for men) or 50-59 (for women), your LDL is 100-159, and your total cholesterol is between 200-239.
You’re diagnosed with high cholesterol if your HDL is under 40 (for men) or under 50 (for women), your LDL is 160 or higher, and your total cholesterol is 240 or higher.
Many cholesterol tests also measure triglycerides, a type of fat in your blood. High triglyceride levels can also increase your risk of heart disease.
How to lower your high cholesterol
Whether you already have high cholesterol or your cholesterol test showed that you’re at risk, it’s not too late to improve your numbers. Lifestyle habits are the main contributor to harmful cholesterol levels, and making healthy changes is an effective way to lower your cholesterol.
A few of the changes Dr. Patel and our team recommend are:
1. Getting regular exercise
Physical activity is one of the best ways to manage your cholesterol naturally, and we recommend making a habit of exercise for better heart health. Exercise increases your good cholesterol levels and decreases both bad cholesterol and blood pressure.
You should aim to get about 30 minutes of moderate exercise most days a week. Along with controlling cholesterol levels, exercise helps you lose extra pounds. Maintaining a healthy weight can also help lower your risk of heart disease and other complications.
2. Eating a heart-healthy diet
Trans fats contribute to high cholesterol, and eating foods that contain this type of fat can raise your cholesterol levels. Avoid foods that have “hydrogenated oils” in the ingredients, as these contain trans fats. Packaged baked goods, fast foods, and processed snack foods may contain trans fats.
Eating too many foods with saturated fats may also contribute to high cholesterol levels, so try to limit your intake of fatty meats and full-fat dairy products.
Instead, focus on eating foods low in fat, salt, and added sugars. Choose low-fat dairy products, lean meats, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats like extra virgin olive oil and nuts. Foods high in fiber (like beans and oats) can help reduce bad cholesterol levels and increase good cholesterol levels.
3. Quitting smoking
Smoking elevates bad cholesterol levels and reduces good cholesterol levels. The chemicals in cigarette smoke damage your blood vessels, which hardens your arteries and makes it more likely that bad cholesterol will build up.
If you don’t smoke, don’t start. If you do smoke, quitting can have a positive impact on your cholesterol levels and your heart health. Talk with Dr. Patel and our team to get help with smoking cessation.
4. Limiting alcohol
While some research indicates that red wine offers heart-health benefits, too much alcohol can raise cholesterol and triglyceride levels, which increases your risk of heart disease and other heart problems.
Avoid drinking too much alcohol. In general, that means no more than two drinks a day for men and no more than one drink a day for women.
Surprised by your cholesterol numbers? You’re not alone, and it’s not too late to change them. Book an appointment online or call the NJ Cardiovascular Institute office nearest you to get personalized support for better heart health.
by NJ Cardiovascular Institute | Dec 31, 2018 | Blog, Heart Health
Most of the time, your heart beats regularly and you don’t notice it. But sometimes, a skip, flutter, or change in heart rate can catch your attention. These irregular heartbeats can happen while you’re active or at rest, and they might make you worry about the health of your heart.
Irregular heartbeats, also called heart palpitations, can be unnerving, but they generally aren’t a sign of something more serious. But if you experience palpitations regularly — or if you have an underlying heart condition — make an appointment to have your heart examined.
Kunal Patel, MD, and our team at NJ Cardiovascular Institute in Newark and Secaucus, New Jersey, have the expertise to diagnose and treat many common heart issues, including heart palpitations.
Understanding heart palpitations
Heart palpitations occur when your heartbeat changes pace. It might feel like a fluttering, a skipped beat, or a pounding sensation. Some people feel palpitations in the chest, while others notice them in their throat or neck.
The way palpitations feel can vary greatly from person to person, but no matter how they feel, many people find them worrisome. The truth is that they’re most often the result of factors not related to your heart, which can include:
Anxiety or stress
Vigorous exercise
Too much caffeine, nicotine, or alcohol
Hormonal changes
Prescription medications
Illicit drugs
Some health conditions can make it more likely that you’ll experience heart palpitations. These include anemia, thyroid disease, low blood sugar, and low blood pressure. Pregnancy can also be a cause of heart palpitations.
When heart palpitations should be checked out
Don’t hesitate to visit our team if you’re concerned about your heart. Unless you have a pre-existing heart condition, most heart palpitations are a rare occurrence. But even if your heart palpitations aren’t a sign of a more serious health issue, getting checked out can help put your mind at ease.
If your heart palpitations are accompanied by shortness of breath, chest pain, dizziness, or loss of consciousness, seek immediate medical attention. If you have a known heart condition, such as a prior heart attack, heart disease, or coronary artery disease, seeking care for heart palpitations can help your heart stay strong.
Heart palpitations generally happen quickly, and the irregular heartbeat is gone by the time you come in to the office. Consider keeping notes when you experience a palpitation, and come to your appointment prepared to talk about your symptoms.
The doctor performs a physical exam and listens to your heartbeat. If your heart palpitations are caused by a murmur, he can detect irregular sounds and potential issues with your heart’s valves through this exam.
We may recommend additional testing depending on your symptoms and medical history. A blood test can evaluate the possibility of thyroid imbalance, low potassium, or anemia. Another common test to evaluate heart palpitations is an electrocardiogram (EKG).
Once we determine the cause of your heart palpitations, we can prescribe treatment to help your heartbeat stay normal. In many cases, lifestyle changes like quitting smoking, limiting alcohol, and getting more sleep can lead to significant improvements in your heart health.
Find top-quality care for your heart at NJ Cardiovascular Institute. If you’re concerned about heart palpitations, call one of our offices today or book an appointment online.
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by NJ Cardiovascular Institute | May 1, 2018 | Blog, Heart Health
A strong, healthy heart is essential for a long and healthy life. But more than 30 million Americans are living with heart disease, a term used for a group of conditions that compromise heart health.
Heart disease and other heart problems are common, but it doesn’t mean you have to watch your health decline. Diagnosing heart problems and monitoring them with advanced testing is the first step to improving your well-being when you’re living with a heart condition.
NJ Cardiovascular Institute provides comprehensive diagnostic testing to our patients. Under the leadership of Kunal Patel, MD, our team regularly evaluates heart health with stress tests, echocardiograms, and other assessments. While all heart tests aim to identify and evaluate potential problems, each one serves a unique purpose.
We share more about stress tests and echocardiograms — two of the most common heart tests.
Stress test
A stress test is a noninvasive test that assesses how your heart operates under physical stress. It’s sometimes called an exercise stress test because it involves exercising to elevate your heart rate.
Stress tests can be helpful in diagnosing heart conditions such as coronary artery disease and arrhythmias, which are irregular heartbeats. Stress testing may also be an element of ongoing monitoring if you’ve already been diagnosed with a heart condition.
Participating in a stress test is a simple in-office procedure. Our team gives you instructions to prepare for your stress test. Depending on your situation, you may need to avoid caffeine, nicotine, and certain medications for a period of time before your stress test. Sometimes, fasting is recommended. We give you complete instructions so you’re prepared.
At the beginning of your stress test, your doctor listens to your heart and lungs. He attaches electrodes to your chest and legs, and places a blood pressure cuff on your arm, so we can monitor your blood pressure and heart rhythm throughout the test.
You then begin walking on a treadmill or riding a stationary bicycle. The team monitors your heart rate and assesses how well your heart performs under the stress of physical activity. If you experience chest pain, shortness of breath, or other symptoms at any point during your test, you need to let us know.
There’s no downtime required after your stress test is complete. Our team reviews the results of the test and uses the information to guide our treatment recommendations for you.
Echocardiogram
An echocardiogram is an ultrasound procedure to evaluate your heart health. Ultrasounds are noninvasive tests that use harmless sound waves to create images of your heart.
Our team orders echocardiograms for a number of reasons, including:
Diagnosing congenital heart defects
Diagnosing heart disease
Evaluating the health of heart chambers and valves
If you have an existing heart condition, echocardiograms may be part of your routine healthcare. They can be used to assess how well a specific treatment is working and monitor your heart health over time.
There’s no special preparation required for an echocardiogram. When you come in for your test, the team may give you a gown to wear. You lie on your left side on a special exam table, your technician applies ultrasound gel to your chest.
The technician moves an ultrasound wand called a transducer over your chest, capturing images of your heart in action. You’ll remain lying down for the duration of the test, which takes about 40 minutes from start to finish. Ultrasounds aren’t painful, and you can return to your normal daily activities after you leave the office.
Sometimes the two tests are done together
When we want to see images of your heart pumping after you’ve exercised, we do a stress echocardiogram, usually called a “stress echo” for short.
First, we do a regular echocardiogram to see images of your heart when you’re at rest. Next, you go through the regular stress test by walking on the treadmill or riding the bike. Then you quickly return to the exam table so we can do another echocardiogram to see images of your heart when it’s beating faster after exertion.
At NJ Cardiovascular Institute, our team is equipped to diagnose and treat issues affecting heart health. Our cardiology services are available at two offices in Newark and Secaucus, New Jersey. Find out if you could benefit from heart testing by scheduling a consultation online or calling the office nearest you.
