by cardiopulmonarydiagnostic | Aug 9, 2026 | Uncategorized
Your arteries carry oxygen-rich blood from your heart to the rest of your body. Healthy arteries are strong, muscle-lined tubes that keep blood flowing smoothly. But if part of an artery wall gets weak, it can balloon out and form an aneurysm.
Aneurysms are abnormal bulges in arteries. They typically form without symptoms, but they can quickly become a medical emergency if they burst and cause internal bleeding.
You can’t completely prevent an aneurysm, but you can learn your risk and take steps to improve your heart and vascular health. Kunal Patel, MD and our team at NJ Cardiovascular Institute specialize in aneurysm screening and heart disease care.
We share more about aneurysms, why they form, and how you can protect your health.
Types of aneurysms
Aneurysms can form in any artery in your body. They’re more common in certain areas, including the heart, abdomen, brain, legs, and spleen.
Aortic aneurysms and brain aneurysms are two of the most common types. Since they directly impact the arteries of your heart or brain, they’re also some of the most dangerous.
Aortic aneurysm
Your aorta is a large artery that starts in your heart and passes through your chest and abdomen. Aortic aneurysms develop when a bulge forms along your aorta, either in your chest or your abdomen.
An abdominal aortic aneurysm occurs in your abdomen, and a thoracic aortic aneurysm forms in your chest. Together, aortic aneurysms cause about 25,000 deaths in the United States each year.
Brain aneurysm
A cerebral aneurysm develops in the arteries that transport blood to your brain. These aneurysms are also called brain aneurysms or berry aneurysms. In the United States, about 12,000 brain aneurysms are fatal each year.
Risk factors for aneurysms
Experts aren’t sure exactly what causes aneurysms to form, but they’re generally linked to heart conditions that cause your arterial walls to get weaker.
Certain factors may increase your risk of aneurysm. Dr. Patel may recommend screening for aneurysm or other heart conditions if you:
Are male
Are over age 60
Have high blood pressure
Smoke
Are overweight or obese
Having a family history of aneurysm or heart disease may also increase your risk of developing an aneurysm yourself.
Treatment options for aneurysms
Most of the time, aneurysms develop over time. Unless an aneurysm ruptures, it doesn't cause noticeable symptoms. Aneurysms may only be detected during routine medical testing.
If you’re at risk for an aneurysm, Dr. Patel may recommend an aneurysm screening to evaluate the health of your arteries. These screenings can also help our team monitor your aneurysm, arteries, and heart health before complications arise.
A ruptured aneurysm can quickly turn into a medical emergency. Signs of a ruptured aneurysm may vary depending on the location of the aneurysm, but may include:
Dizziness or lightheadedness
Increased heart rate
Abdominal, back, or chest pain
Severe headache
Ruptured aneurysms need prompt emergency medical care, and often require emergency surgery. Rapid care can help to prevent serious complications that may otherwise lead to death.
When you have an aneurysm, monitoring it could save your life. Come in for a consultation to learn more about our heart care services at NJ Cardiovascular Institute. Book online today or call the office nearest you — in Lakewood, Newark, Paramus, or Secaucus, New Jersey.
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by cardiopulmonarydiagnostic | Aug 9, 2026 | Uncategorized
About one in four Americans has varicose veins — those large, twisted veins that appear just below the skin’s surface on the legs and feet. Varicose veins range from purplish red to blue, and they’re a source of embarrassment for many people.
Varicose veins form when valves inside your veins malfunction, causing blood to flow back the wrong way or pool inside your veins. Most of the time, varicose veins are simply a cosmetic concern and don’t pose serious risks to your health, but they can lead to more severe complications if left untreated.
Kunal Patel, MD, and our team at NJ Cardiovascular Institute are here to help — whether you’re experiencing discomfort, swelling, or you’re unhappy with the way your legs look. Our varicose vein team offers treatments to improve your legs’ appearance and reduce your risk of suffering medical complications related to varicose veins.
More than just a cosmetic issue, a few potential dangers of varicose veins include leg pain, stasis ulcers, and blood clots.
Leg pain
Varicose veins can develop anywhere in the body, but they’re most often located in the legs or feet due to increased pressure inside your veins when you stand and walk. After cosmetic concerns, the most common symptom of varicose veins is leg pain.
Pooling blood can make your legs feel heavy or achy. In more severe cases, varicose veins may cause burning, throbbing, or swelling in affected legs. Discomfort may increase when you sit or stand for long periods of time, and sometimes the skin around varicose veins becomes itchy.
Stasis ulcers
Varicose veins form when blood isn’t effectively pumped back to your heart. As a result, blood collects in the veins, stretching the walls and creating more pressure. This may cause chronic swelling around the veins, and proteins inside your blood can leak into surrounding tissues and create skin ulcers, also called stasis ulcers.
Stasis ulcers may cause skin discoloration and scaling on your lower legs. Discoloration can appear dark red or purple, because blood spreads into surrounding tissue. The ulcer itself may appear shallow but large, and usually develops around your calf or ankle. Ulcers increase your risk of developing an infection and require professional medical care.
Blood clots
Although rare, blood clots are another potential danger of varicose veins. Clots can form inside superficial veins, causing swelling and tenderness in the affected area. Blood clots in superficial veins can be painful, but they generally don’t travel to the lungs or cause other health complications.
However, it’s possible for blood clots to develop in severe varicose veins deep inside your legs. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a serious medical condition that can cause a pulmonary embolism (blood clot in the lung) and related complications. Talk to our team to find out if you’re at risk for DVT.
Finding treatment for varicose veins
Don’t hesitate to make an appointment with us at NJ Cardiovascular Institute if you’re concerned about your varicose veins. We offer vein evaluations and various treatment options for both cosmetic and health reasons.
We perform a complete evaluation, that may include ultrasound testing, to diagnose circulation problems, and then we recommend a treatment plan that fits your needs.
Improve your health and your appearance with varicose vein care at one of our offices in Newark or Secaucus, New Jersey. Call us or book a consultation online to get started today.
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by cardiopulmonarydiagnostic | Aug 9, 2026 | Uncategorized
Millions of Americans have high cholesterol, one of the risk factors for heart disease. High cholesterol usually develops without any symptoms, which means you could have it without knowing it — but the good news is that small dietary changes may make a big difference.
Kunal Patel, MD, and our team at NJ Cardiovascular Institute specialize in high cholesterol, and understanding how foods may affect cholesterol levels can empower you to take control of your heart health naturally. Here’s how to get started.
How your diet affects your cholesterol levels
Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that’s found in every cell of your body. You need some cholesterol to support bodily functions like producing hormones, vitamin D, and digestive bile.
But too much cholesterol — particularly low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or “bad” cholesterol — can build up in your arteries and increase your risk of heart attack or stroke. On the other hand, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), the “good” kind, helps carry cholesterol to where it can be removed from your bloodstream.
While your body produces cholesterol naturally, your diet also plays a key role in your overall cholesterol levels. Trans fats from processed foods can raise LDL cholesterol, but other types of foods can help lower LDL, raise HDL, and improve your overall heart health.
If you’re looking to achieve healthier cholesterol numbers, Dr. Patel recommends incorporating five common foods into your meals.
1. Oats and other whole grains
Oats are rich in soluble fiber, particularly beta-glucan. This type of fiber helps reduce LDL cholesterol by forming a gel-like substance in your digestive tract that traps cholesterol-rich bile acids and removes them from your body.
Starting your day with a bowl of oatmeal or adding barley, whole wheat, and brown rice to your meals can gradually lower cholesterol and provide fiber to improve digestion.
2. Fatty fish like salmon
Fatty fish, including salmon, mackerel, sardines, and tuna, are high in omega-3 fats. Omega-3s help reduce your triglyceride levels, lower blood pressure, and slow the growth of plaque in arteries.
Eating fatty fish two to three times a week may help raise your HDL cholesterol and support overall heart health. Grilling, baking, or broiling fish (instead of frying) helps preserve its benefits without adding additional fat.
3. Nuts, especially almonds and walnuts
Nuts are packed with healthy monounsaturated fats, fiber, and plant sterols, all of which support lower cholesterol levels. Walnuts are especially rich in omega-3s, and almonds can help reduce LDL when eaten regularly.
A small handful of unsalted nuts makes a heart-healthy snack, but be mindful of portion size since nuts are calorie-dense.
4. Avocados
Avocados are another rich source of monounsaturated fats, which may help lower LDL cholesterol and help you maintain or increase HDL. They also contain fiber and potassium, which benefit blood pressure and heart function.
Try adding avocado to salads, sandwiches, or smoothies for a creamy, heart-smart boost.
5. Legumes like beans, lentils, and chickpeas
Legumes are another excellent source of soluble fiber and plant-based protein. Regularly eating beans, lentils, and chickpeas can reduce LDL cholesterol and help you feel fuller longer. Replacing animal protein with legumes a few times per week can lower your overall fat intake as well.
Whether your cholesterol numbers are higher than you’d like or you simply want to take a more proactive approach to your heart health, incorporating these cholesterol-lowering foods into your daily diet is a simple and natural way to support your heart.
Dr. Patel and our team are here to answer your questions and provide personalized guidance, along with prescription medication, if needed. Combined with regular exercise, stress management, and routine check-ups, your diet can be one of the most powerful tools in protecting your cardiovascular health.
Learn more about how nutrition affects your heart health with a consultation at NJ Cardiovascular Institute in Elizabeth, Lakewood, Paramus, and Secaucus, New Jersey. Call us at 201-866-7000 or send us a message online to get started.
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by cardiopulmonarydiagnostic | Aug 9, 2026 | Uncategorized
Staying healthy is a delicate balance of nutrition, exercise, lifestyle choices, and medical care. Physical activity alone can help maintain healthy blood pressure, improve your mood, promote healthy cholesterol levels, and improve blood circulation. However, if you’re keeping active to stay healthy, you may experience problems that make that harder to do, like chest pain.
There are a number of reasons you can experience pain in your chest during physical activity like cardio, and you should better understand why it can happen and what it means for your health. To that end, let’s explore the possible causes of chest pain, why it may occur during exercise, and how to prevent and manage the problem.
If you live in the Secaucus, Elizabeth, Paramus, or Lakewood, New Jersey, and you’re experiencing chest pain or other cardiovascular problems, Dr. Kunal Patel and our experienced medical staff at NJ Cardiovascular Institute can help.
Understanding chest pain
This is a broad term for different kinds of pain you can experience in your chest, ranging from a dull ache to a stabbing sensation.
Heart-related chest pain can be a crushing or burning feeling and can travel to different areas, such as the neck, jaw, or arms. It may also be accompanied by shortness of breath, cold sweats, lightheadedness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, or accelerated heartbeat.
If the pain is not related to heart problems, however, you may have other symptoms, like a sour taste while eating, problems swallowing, or pain when you cough.
Reasons for chest pain during exercise
Pain in the chest can result from issues with different systems in your body, including the cardiovascular, pulmonary, and digestive systems.
Cardiovascular problems
During cardio exercise, you breathe faster. Your heart pumps faster and harder to get the oxygenated blood to your muscles. If you have chest pain while exercising, it could be a sign of a serious medical condition, so it’s always best to see a heart expert like Dr. Patel. He can examine you and do testing to determine if your pain is heart-related or a result of another condition.
Cardiovascular causes of chest pain may include coronary artery disease, heart attack, mitral valve prolapse, coronary artery dissection, myocarditis, or pericarditis.
Pulmonary problems
Lung conditions that may cause your chest to hurt include pleuritis, lung abscess, pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, asthma, pulmonary hypertension, pneumothorax. Chest pain can also occur with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), an umbrella term that includes chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or chronic obstructive asthma.
Digestive problems
Various problems in the digestive tract can also lead to chest pain, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), esophageal contraction disorders, peptic ulcers, hiatal hernias, pancreatitis, and gallbladder conditions.
Prevention and treatment
The best way to prevent chest pain depends on the root cause of the pain. Some basic steps you can take to prevent heart-related chest pain include eating a balanced diet, avoiding smoking, managing your blood pressure, and adjusting physical activities in accordance to doctor’s orders.
If you have another condition, such as asthma, prevention may include using your medications and inhalers as prescribed and avoiding any allergy triggers.
If you do have chest pain while exercising or at rest, the treatment depends on the underlying condition that is triggering the pain. For example, for heart-related chest pain called angina, prescription medications that relax the arteries may help ease the pain. Pain caused by GERD may improve with medication that reduces stomach acid.
If you’re having chest pain while you’re walking, biking, or doing other physical activities, don’t ignore it. To find out why your chest hurts and what we can do to help, make an appointment with Dr. Patel and our team at NJ Cardiovascular Institute today.
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by cardiopulmonarydiagnostic | Aug 9, 2026 | Uncategorized
Crushing chest pain. Shortness of breath. Sudden lightheadedness. Breaking out into a cold sweat. There’s no denying these symptoms are scary. They come on suddenly, and if you’re experiencing them, your first thought might be that you’re having a heart attack.
While it’s true that these are all signs of a heart attack, they’re also signs of something much less life-threatening: a panic attack. Panic attacks are sudden episodes of intense fear that aren’t in proportion to the situation, but the symptoms are so similar that it can be hard to tell the difference in the moment.
Kunal Patel, MD, and our team at NJ Cardiovascular Institute can help. We specialize in identifying the cause of your chest pain so you can get the care you need. Here, we share how to tell the difference between panic attacks and heart attacks, and what to do if you start experiencing symptoms.
Why panic attacks and heart attacks feel similar
Both panic attacks and heart attacks come on suddenly. Panic attacks happen when stress hormones trigger your body’s fight-or-flight response, which elevates your heart rate. A heart attack happens when your heart doesn’t get all the blood it needs.
Since they both impact your heart, panic attacks and heart attacks can cause symptoms that include:
Chest pain or pressure
Cold sweat
Feeling of impending doom
Lightheadedness or dizziness
Nausea
Racing heartbeat
Shortness of breath
Symptoms range in intensity, and they’re so similar that it’s not always easy to determine what the cause is — especially if you’ve never had a panic attack or a heart attack before.
However, learning the difference is very important. Although they’re scary, panic attacks aren’t life-threatening. Heart attacks are, and they require immediate emergency medical care to prevent serious complications or death.
Identifying the differences between a panic attack and a heart attack
Although they share some similar symptoms, panic attacks and heart attacks are very different medical conditions. Panic attacks are often triggered by mental or emotional stress. Heart attacks happen when something blocks blood flow to your heart.
Signs it’s a panic attack
Panic attacks can happen at any time, including when you’re resting or sleeping. Along with other symptoms, you might experience shaking, trembling, or weakness.
Panic attack symptoms typically last for a few minutes to about an hour. The symptoms go away on their own with time, and you feel better afterward.
Signs it’s a heart attack
Unlike panic attacks, heart attacks usually develop after physical exertion or strenuous exercise. Chest pain from a heart attack is intense. It doesn’t always stay in your chest — it may radiate to your arm, neck, or jaw. The pain might ebb and flow, but it doesn’t go away.
Your symptoms are more likely to be caused by a heart attack if you have a history of chest pain or other heart conditions. If you think you might be having a heart attack, don’t wait to seek help. Go to the nearest emergency room or call 911 immediately.
Heart attacks require immediate medical attention. Panic attacks don’t require emergency care, but still, you shouldn’t ignore your symptoms. If you’ve had a panic attack, talk to your health care team about possible causes and treatment to help you feel better.
Not sure what’s causing your symptoms? Get your chest pain checked out at NJ Cardiovascular Institute. Call one of our offices in Elizabeth, Lakewood, Paramus, or Secaucus, New Jersey, to schedule your appointment.
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by cardiopulmonarydiagnostic | Aug 9, 2026 | Uncategorized
Food is your body’s main source of fuel. The foods and drinks you consume every day contain calories and nutrients, which your body converts into energy that keeps you alive.
Eating a healthy diet is one of the most important elements of living a healthy life. Healthy foods contain essential vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that keep your body functioning at its best — so it’s no surprise that the food you eat directly impacts the health of your heart.
Healthy foods can help lower your blood pressure and cholesterol, and reduce your risk of heart disease and other heart problems. Unhealthy foods can have the opposite effect. But what constitutes a healthy diet? And which foods are most important for heart health?
It’s normal to have questions, but protecting your heart doesn’t have to be complicated. Kunal Patel, MD, and our team at NJ Cardiovascular Institute are proud to educate people of all ages about the benefits of heart-healthy eating.
Making simple changes in your diet can have a significant impact on your heart and your overall health. Here’s how it works.
Why your diet matters for heart health
The main food groups are fruits, vegetables, proteins, grains, and dairy. Your body needs food from all these groups to function at its best, but some choices are healthier than others.
Processed foods, like fast food, packaged snacks, and commercial bakery products, are often high in saturated fat, trans fat, sugar, and sodium, while offering little nutritional value.
Eating a lot of unhealthy foods increases cholesterol and triglyceride levels in your blood. Over time, excess cholesterol builds up in your blood vessels, increasing your risk of cardiovascular conditions such as:
High cholesterol
High blood pressure
Heart disease
Heart attack
Stroke
On the other hand, poultry, fish, grass-fed dairy and grass-fed lean beef, whole grains, nuts, fruits, and vegetables are packed with healthy substances your body needs. These healthier options give your body fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients without unhealthy fats and excess sugar and sodium.
What to eat for better heart health
The connections between your diet and your heart health are clear. However, knowing which foods are best isn’t always easy. With our Heart Smart Program at NJ Cardiovascular Institute, we’re here to help you learn.
Fruits and vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are simple to add to your diet, and they offer lots of heart healthy benefits. Choose berries, like strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries for their fiber and antioxidants.
Leafy greens, like kale and spinach, are high in vitamin K, nitrates, and other important nutrients. Other heart-healthy veggies include beets, tomatoes, beans, and legumes.
Fatty fish
While many types of fat can hinder heart health, some types of fat are healthier than others. Unsaturated fat and omega-3 fats are two fats that can boost heart health.
Choose fatty fish like salmon and tuna, which have lots of heart-healthy omega-3 fats. A diet that includes omega-3s has been shown to lower blood pressure, cholesterol, and risk of heart disease.
Whole grains
Whole grain foods contain every part of the grain, and they’re packed with fiber. Eating three or more servings of whole grains every day could lower your risk of heart disease by about 22%.
When you’re shopping, look for 100% whole wheat breads, brown rice, oats, and quinoa. Read labels carefully, and avoid products with refined grains or white flour.
Nuts and seeds
Nuts, including walnuts and almonds, are high in fiber and micronutrients. Eating nuts can help lower your risk of heart disease, because they’re linked to lower cholesterol.
Consider adding seeds to your diet too. Chia seeds, flax seeds, and hemp seeds also have fiber, omega-3 fats, and other nutrients to improve heart function and health.
Boosting heart health starts with the foods you eat every day. Want more tips about ways to eat a heart-healthy diet? Contact us to schedule an appointment with Dr. Patel and our team at NJ Cardiovascular Institute.
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