by cardiopulmonarydiagnostic | Aug 9, 2026 | Uncategorized
Heart disease is one of the most common chronic diseases in the United States, and it remains the top cause of death for both men and women. While certain risk factors — like age and family history — can’t be changed, heart disease is largely preventable.
In fact, your lifestyle is one of the biggest contributing factors to your heart health. Certain habits can lead to heart disease, and others can lower your risk and help you stay healthier throughout your life.
So, what do your habits mean for your heart health? Kunal Patel, MD, and our team at NJ Cardiovascular Institute can help you find the answer. We specialize in heart disease care in Elizabeth, Lakewood, Paramus, and Secaucus, New Jersey.
Here are four common habits that can increase your risk of heart disease, and how you can start making healthier choices today.
1. An inactive lifestyle
Regular physical activity is one of the best ways to maintain a healthy heart. But unfortunately, the rise of sedentary jobs and modern conveniences mean many people lead increasingly inactive lifestyles.
Lack of exercise contributes to weight gain, high blood pressure, and elevated cholesterol levels, all of which are risk factors for heart disease.
How to make heart-healthy changes
Strive to incorporate about 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity into your weekly routine. You don’t have to become an athlete to see the benefits of a more active lifestyle, so try brisk walking, cycling, or any activity that gets your heart rate up.
Consider adding muscle-strengthening activities, like yoga or weightlifting, at least days a week, too. Remember to consult with your health care team before starting any new exercise routine.
2. An unhealthy diet
Keep in mind that atherosclerosis is a driving force behind heart disease. With atherosclerosis, plaque deposits made of fats, cholesterol, and minerals build up in your arteries, restricting blood flow to your heart and increasing your risk of heart attack and stroke.
A diet high in processed foods that contain unhealthy fats, sodium, and refined carbohydrates and added sugar aren’t good for your heart health and can lead to atherosclerosis. Excessive use of alcohol may also contribute to heart disease.
How to make heart-healthy changes
Start by taking a look at the foods you eat regularly. Limit your intake of baked goods, snack chips, and other processed foods, especially processed meats. Add more heart-healthy whole foods, like fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, nuts, and lean proteins. Limit your use of alcohol.
Over time, maintaining a balanced diet can significantly reduce your risk of heart disease.
3. Smoking and tobacco use
Smoking and tobacco use are two major risk factors for heart disease. The chemicals in tobacco damage your blood vessels, reduce oxygen levels in your blood, and raise your blood pressure. All of these factors contribute to cardiovascular problems and increase your risk of heart disease.
How to make heart-healthy changes
If you smoke or use tobacco, quit. If you don’t use tobacco, don’t start — and do your best to avoid secondhand smoke.
If you need help quitting, ask Dr. Patel and our team about smoking cessation programs. Remember, the benefits of quitting smoking are profound. Quitting can significantly reduce your risk of heart disease and other smoking-related health issues, including cancer.
4. Chronic stress
Chronic stress can take a toll on your heart, and it can even increase your risk of heart disease. When you’re under stress, your body releases hormones that temporarily raise your blood pressure and heart rate.
Over time, chronic stress can contribute to high blood pressure and inflammation, both of which increase your risk of heart disease.
How to make heart-healthy changes
Learn to recognize the stressors in your life, then start exploring healthy ways to manage them. Prioritize self-care, and consider trying exercise, deep breathing exercises, and spending time with loved ones to help reduce stress levels naturally.
Take a proactive approach to heart health
Heart disease is often preventable and taking a proactive approach is the best way to protect your health. The good news is that you don’t have to do it alone.
Dr. Patel and our team specialize in proactive cardiology care to identify and address your unique heart disease risk factors before they lead to significant health issues.
We do a comprehensive heart health assessment, where we review your medical history, assess your lifestyle habits, and conduct tests to measure your cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and other cardiovascular markers.
Based on the results of your assessment, we create a personalized risk factor management plan to address any existing or potential issues. This plan can include lifestyle modifications, dietary changes, exercise recommendations, and medications if necessary.
We work with you to implement these changes, and you have regular follow-up visits to track your progress and make any necessary adjustments to your heart health plan. Ongoing monitoring is the best way to detect any changes or emerging risk factors early, so we can intervene in a timely manner.
As we mentioned, heart disease is often a preventable condition, and adopting a heart-healthy lifestyle is key to reducing your risk. For more personalized guidance, schedule an appointment with Dr. Patel at NJ Cardiovascular Institute today.
by cardiopulmonarydiagnostic | Aug 9, 2026 | Uncategorized
Your heart beats more than 35 million times in a single year. Over the course of your lifetime, you’ll clock over 2.5 billion heartbeats. And with every beat, your heart works hard.
Your heart pushes blood into your blood vessels, throughout your body, and back with every heartbeat. It’s an essential process that keeps you alive, but your heart changes as you get older — and your risk of certain heart conditions goes up.
Kunal Patel, MD, and our team at NJ Cardiovascular Institute specialize in comprehensive heart care in Elizabeth, Lakewood, Paramus, and Secaucus, New Jersey. We’re here to help you understand how your heart ages so you can enjoy your best health at every age.
If you’re getting older, here are five of the most common age-related heart conditions and what you can do about them.
1. High blood pressure
High blood pressure, also called hypertension, occurs when the pressure inside your blood vessels is too high. Your blood pressure is measured by two numbers — systolic and diastolic — and systolic pressure naturally rises with age.
An estimated 90% of people will have high blood pressure at some point in their lives. Uncontrolled high blood pressure increases your risk of heart attack, stroke, heart failure, and other issues. Fortunately, it can be managed with lifestyle changes and medication, no matter your age.
2. Atherosclerosis
Atherosclerosis is another heart condition that gets more common with age. It develops when cholesterol and fats build up inside the walls of your arteries, hardening them and restricting blood flow. Your heart and blood vessels naturally grow stiffer over time, which can accelerate the condition.
3. Heart disease
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. It includes a lot of different conditions, and many of them develop due to atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.
Your risk of certain types of heart disease goes up as you get older. Coronary artery disease is the most common among people over age 65, and congestive heart failure occurs 10 times more often in people over age 75 than in younger adults.
4. Stroke
Strokes and transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) occur when something blocks blood flow to your brain. A TIA is a medical emergency that requires immediate care. The most common cause is a blocked artery, often due to atherosclerosis or a blood clot.
Anyone can suffer a stroke, but unfortunately, one of the biggest risk factors for stroke is your age. Your risk of suffering a stroke nearly doubles every 10 years after you turn 55.
5. Heart attack
A heart attack happens when something restricts blood flow to your heart. Like strokes, heart attacks are serious medical emergencies.
Coronary artery disease is the most common cause of heart attack. Your risk goes up as you get older, and most heart attacks occur among men over 45 and women over 55.
Protecting your heart health at every age
Some age-related heart changes are unavoidable. But that doesn’t mean that heart disease and other heart conditions are inevitable.
There’s a lot you can do to maintain your heart health as you get older, and taking a proactive approach is the best place to start. Dr. Patel and our team provide comprehensive care to help lower your risk of heart problems, from medication management to lifestyle recommendations.
Get personalized care for every stage of life at NJ Cardiovascular Institute. Book your first appointment online or call the office nearest you today.
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by cardiopulmonarydiagnostic | Aug 9, 2026 | Uncategorized
Varicose veins are large, twisted veins just below the surface of your skin. They’re an extremely common vascular problem, affecting an estimated 23% of American adults.
The top complaint regarding varicose veins is that they’re unsightly or embarrassing, but symptoms can go beyond being simply cosmetic. Varicose veins can cause swelling, muscle cramps, and itchy skin.
Whether you’re bothered by pain or embarrassment, our team at NJ Cardiovascular Institute can help. Kunal Patel, MD, and our team of specialists offer diagnostics and treatment for varicose veins.
To some extent, you can’t control whether or not you’ll develop varicose veins or how severe they’ll be. But there are some risk factors that you can change. Dr. Patel shares a few common factors that affect varicose veins.
Body weight
Being overweight or obese can impact your health in a variety of ways. Extra body fat makes your muscles, organs, and veins work harder, and carrying extra weight could contribute to varicose veins.
Obesity puts extra pressure on your abdomen and your legs. Increased blood pressure increases your risk of vein damage, because there’s a greater chance of congestion within veins as blood travels back to your heart.
Activity level and lifestyle
Living a sedentary lifestyle may increase your risk of developing varicose veins and make existing varicose veins worse. Spending long periods of time sitting makes your vascular system work harder to return blood to your heart.
It’s a common misconception that sitting with your legs crossed increases your risk of varicose veins. Crossing your legs won’t cause the condition on its own, but it can make existing varicose veins or other vascular problems worse.
On the other hand, spending most of the day standing is hard on veins, too. Since your legs are so far from your heart, veins are put under increased stress when you stand in one place for too long.
Pregnancy
Like carrying extra weight or spending long hours on your feet, being pregnant puts increased strain on your vascular system. When you’re pregnant, the amount of blood in your body naturally increases, and this can enlarge your veins and increase your blood pressure.
Pregnancy, increased blood volume, and hormones all contribute to varicose veins, making it a common issue that many expecting mothers face. The good news is that varicose veins that develop during pregnancy often improve on their own a few months after your baby is born.
Other varicose vein risk factors
You can’t control every risk factor for varicose veins. Gender, age, and genetics all play a role in whether or not you’ll develop them. For example, women are at least two times more likely than men to have varicose veins.
For women and men alike, risk increases with age because veins naturally weaken over the years. People with a family history of varicose veins or deep vein thrombosis (DVT) may be at increased risk for developing varicose veins themselves.
Schedule a varicose vein evaluation at NJ Cardiovascular Institute to find out what you can do to keep your varicose veins from getting worse. Call the office nearest you in either Secaucus or Newark, New Jersey, or book an appointment online.
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by cardiopulmonarydiagnostic | Aug 9, 2026 | Uncategorized
By now you don’t have to be a nutritionist to know that too much cholesterol is bad for your heart health. If you have high cholesterol, you certainly aren’t alone. About 95 million adults in the United States have unhealthy cholesterol levels. This makes fighting high cholesterol a health priority.
To arm patients with knowledge on managing cholesterol, we’ve put together seven practical ways you can start getting your cholesterol under control today.
Tip #1: Eat cholesterol-fighting foods
What you eat has a major impact on cholesterol balance. Indulge in too much saturated fat and levels of harmful cholesterol will rise. The good news is you can use food to your advantage. Incorporating cholesterol-lowering foods into your diet is an excellent way to fight high cholesterol. Here are our top three cholesterol-fighting picks:
Oats
If you pick up a container of oats, you may notice a heart symbol with a statement that oats lower the risk of heart disease. The Food and Drug Administration approved this claim because oats contain beta glucan, a soluble fiber that reduces cholesterol. Make oats a part of your heart-healthy diet.
Beans
Oats aren’t the only cholesterol-lowering food though, as beans are especially rich in soluble fiber, too. With so many types of beans and the myriad ways to prepare them, you have endless options for incorporating more beans into your diet. No matter what type of bean you like best, they’re all rich in soluble fiber and provide cholesterol-lowering benefits.
Fish
Fatty fish contains omega-3 fatty acids, essential fats your body needs to function properly and that also help lower LDL cholesterol. To reap cholesterol-battling benefits, aim to eat fatty fish 2-3 times a week.
Tip #2: Limit saturated fat
Out of all the components in your diet, saturated fat has the strongest influence on raising levels of bad cholesterol. Limiting saturated fat from fatty cuts of meat, butter, cheese, and other dairy foods and eating more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can get your cholesterol numbers moving in the right direction.
Tip #3: Lose weight
Most adults are carrying some excess weight, and the extra pounds work against healthy cholesterol levels. On the upside, even modest weight loss of 10% of your total body weight has a potent impact on lowering cholesterol. If you’re overweight, shedding some of the excess weight can have a major impact on fighting high cholesterol.
Tip #4: Quit smoking
Despite what we know about the negative health effects of smoking, it’s estimated that more than 34 million American adults smoke cigarettes and roughly half of them are living with a smoking-related disease. Not only does smoking damage your arteries, it lowers levels of good cholesterol.
People who smoke are 2-4 times more likely to develop heart disease than nonsmokers. If you smoke and you struggle with high cholesterol, it’s even more crucial that you take steps to stop smoking. If you’ve tried unsuccessfully in the past, talk to your doctor about resources to help you quit. Medications and programs are available.
Tip #5: Move more
Along with making changes to your diet, exercise is one of the most effective ways to fight high cholesterol naturally. Physical activity boosts good cholesterol and lowers total cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL. It does this even if you’re currently overweight. Research shows that when combined with a heart-healthy diet, physical activity like walking, jogging, or cycling improves cholesterol in obese adults.
Tip #6: Moderate alcohol consumption
Moderate alcohol consumption may offer health benefits, such as boosting good cholesterol and lowering the risk of heart disease. This is no reason to start drinking if you don’t currently consume alcohol though.
Heavy drinking, on the other hand, has a negative influence on cholesterol and increases the risk of developing heart disease. Avoiding heavy alcohol consumption can improve your cholesterol levels. Stick to moderate alcohol consumption. Moderate intake is considered two drinks a day for men and one drink per day for women.
Tip #7: Discuss medication
Lifestyle changes are often enough to bring your numbers down if you have high cholesterol. However, if your cholesterol is severely elevated or you have other factors that make it more difficult to control cholesterol, lifestyle changes aren’t always enough. Protecting your heart is the number one priority. If your levels remain elevated despite lifestyle changes, discuss cholesterol-lowering medication with your doctor.
High cholesterol is a serious threat to your heart health. Partnering with a health professional like our board-certified cardiologist Dr. Kunal Patel, is a wise place to start on the path to improved cholesterol. Visit us here at the NJ Cardiovascular Institute for a checkup and for more information about how you can keep your heart healthy. Call 201-866-7000 to schedule an appointment at one of our offices in Secaucus or Newark, New Jersey. Additionally, we accept booking requests here on our website
by cardiopulmonarydiagnostic | Aug 9, 2026 | Uncategorized
Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a common heart condition that affects about 20 million adults in the United States. It develops when your coronary arteries, which supply oxygen-rich blood to your heart, become narrowed or blocked due to plaque buildup — a mix of cholesterol, minerals, and other substances.
Over time, this restriction reduces blood flow to your heart and increases your risk of heart attack and other severe complications. Anyone can get CAD, and understanding its symptoms and your personal risk factors is key to maintaining your best possible heart health.
Kunal Patel, MD, and our team at NJ Cardiovascular Institute specialize in heart disease care in Elizabeth, Lakewood, Paramus, and Secaucus, New Jersey, and in this blog post, we share some of the most important facts you should know about CAD and its symptoms.
Recognizing the symptoms of coronary artery disease
CAD can be dangerous, because it doesn’t always present with obvious symptoms — especially in its early stages. That means you could have it without knowing it, and you could be at risk for developing more serious complications.
As CAD progresses and your coronary arteries become narrower, more obvious symptoms can develop. These may include:
Chest pain or discomfort (angina)
Chest pain is one of the most common signs of CAD. It may feel like pressure, tightness, or a squeezing sensation in your chest. Usually, chest pain caused by CAD is triggered by physical exertion or stress and relieved by rest.
Shortness of breath
If your heart struggles to pump blood efficiently, you may have difficulty catching your breath during everyday activities.
Fatigue
Reduced blood flow to your heart can leave you feeling unusually tired or weak.
Other symptoms
Sometimes, people with CAD may experience pain in their neck, jaw, back, or arms, or nausea and dizziness.
It’s important to note that not everyone with CAD experiences noticeable symptoms, and some people may have a heart attack as the first sign of the condition. Women, in particular, might have more subtle symptoms, like fatigue, nausea, or back pain, rather than classic chest pain.
Understanding your risk factors for coronary artery disease
For many people, the symptoms of CAD are subtle or nonexistent. That means understanding your risk factors for CAD is crucial, so you can get the heart care you need to to avoid serious complications before they happen.
Your risk of CAD goes up as you get older, and men are generally at higher risk earlier in life. A family history of heart disease can also raise your likelihood of developing CAD.
Smoking, poor diet, and lack of exercise all contribute to plaque buildup in the arteries and increase your risk of CAD. Certain health conditions, like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and obesity also increase your risk.
By identifying your risk factors early, you can take steps to manage them and improve your overall heart health.
Taking a proactive approach to your heart health
You don’t have to wait for a serious medical event like a heart attack to start taking better care of your health. If you have risk factors or experience symptoms of CAD, get your heart health evaluated by a medical professional.
Dr. Patel and our team offer comprehensive heart testing to diagnose CAD and other heart issues. We might perform tests like an electrocardiogram (EKG), stress test, or advanced imaging to assess your heart function.
From there, we work with you to create a personalized care plan that might include lifestyle changes or medications. In some cases we need to perform interventional procedures — for example, if you already have advanced CAD and we need to improve blood flow to your heart.
Taking a proactive approach to CAD doesn’t just prevent complications — it can significantly improve your quality of life. If you’re concerned about your risk for CAD or you’re experiencing symptoms, don’t wait. Call us at 201-866-7000 to schedule an appointment with our team or send us a message online to learn more.
by cardiopulmonarydiagnostic | Aug 9, 2026 | Uncategorized
Breathing is a vital and complicated process. The first step is inhaling (also called inhalation or inspiration) where your diaphragm contracts, causing a vacuum in your chest and drawing air into your lungs. The air enters through your mouth and nose, then moves through your trachea (windpipe) and into your lungs. The lungs extract oxygen and send it through your bloodstream to all of your cells.
When you have shortness of breath (dyspnea), it’s a sign that your breathing is not normal. It may result from a minor issue or could indicate an illness that requires medical attention.
If you live in the Secaucus, Elizabeth, Paramus, or Lakewood, New Jersey, area and you’re struggling with breathing problems like dyspnea, Dr. Kunal Patel and our dedicated medical team at NJ Cardiovascular Institute can help you get it under control.
To determine when you need to see a doctor about shortness of breath, let’s examine the types of dyspnea, the common causes, and what symptoms may signal a need for medical help.
Types of dyspnea
The abnormal respiration associated with shortness of breath comes in several forms, including:
Orthopnea: a sensation of breathlessness while lying down, often connected with heart failure
Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea (PND): a feeling of breathlessness that forces you awake from sleep
Sleep apnea: a sleeping problem where you have extended pauses in breathing as you sleep due to obstructions in your airway
Hypoventilation or bradypnea: labored, shallow, and slow breathing
Hyperventilation: rapid, shallow breathing (also known as overbreathing) caused by anxiety, panic, or chemical imbalance
Common causes of dyspnea
Shortness of breath can be either acute (happens for a short period of time) or chronic (long-lasting or recurring) and causes a “tightness” in your chest that feels like you’re working harder to breathe normally.
Feeling short of breath is a common problem that may be caused by lung problems, circulation-related illnesses, environmental factors, or medications.
Lung problems
Any illness that creates airway problems — like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), respiratory infections, inflamed lungs, pneumonia, pleural effusion, pulmonary edema, and pulmonary hypertension — can lead to dyspnea.
Circulation-related illnesses
Anemia, heart failure, heart muscle problems (cardiomyopathy), abnormal heart rhythm, and heart inflammation can all lead to issues with breathing properly.
Environmental factors
Mold spores, dust, and other particulates in the air can lead to allergy and asthma symptoms, which can compromise breathing during an attack and lead to shortness of breath.
Medications
Drugs like cholesterol-lowering statins and beta blockers used for treating high blood pressure can also have shortness of breath as a side effect.
Signs you need medical help
By itself, shortness of breath can be a cause for concern, but if it presents with other signs and symptoms, like ankle and feet swelling, trouble breathing when lying flat, chills, cough, high fever, or wheezing, then you need to get medical help.
Other serious symptoms to look out for include chest pain, bluish lips, nausea, fainting, or changes in mental awareness, which can be due to a pulmonary embolism or heart attack.
If you’re experiencing shortness of breath, make an appointment with Dr. Patel and our team at NJ Cardiovascular Institute today. You deserve to breathe easier.
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