by NJ Cardiovascular Institute | Aug 9, 2026 | Uncategorized
The holiday season is a time of celebration, indulgence, and joy — but it’s also an important time to prioritize self-care, and your heart health is the perfect place to start. Whether you’ve had a heart procedure or you have a chronic condition, our Heart Smart Program at NJ Cardiovascular Institute can help you keep your heart strong and resilient.
The program is available in Elizabeth, Lakewood, Paramus, and Secaucus, New Jersey, and it’s designed to give you comprehensive heart care that emphasizes prevention, monitoring, and continued wellness all year round. Here’s why it might be one of the best gifts you can give yourself this holiday season.
Why your heart health matters
Your heart beats about 60-100 times and pumps 5-6 quarts of blood every minute of every day. It delivers oxygen and nutrients your cells need to thrive, and it’s at the core of your overall well-being.
Maintaining a strong and healthy cardiovascular system reduces your risk of serious conditions like heart disease, heart attacks, and stroke, and it helps sustain energy levels and organ function. A proactive approach to heart health, including regular exercise, a balanced diet, and preventive medical care, helps ensure that this vital organ continues to work efficiently and protects your long-term health.
And if you’ve had heart conditions or procedures in the past or you’re managing chronic issues like congestive heart failure, taking care of your heart is extra important. Our Heart Smart Program makes it simple to focus on prevention and continual management to support long-term health and reduce your risk of future health complications.
Key features of our Heart Smart Program
Managing your heart health can feel overwhelming, especially if you’re recovering from a heart procedure or you’re living with a chronic heart condition. What sets our Heart Smart Program apart is its comprehensive, multi-faceted approach. It includes services that cater to the entire spectrum of heart care needs, from prevention to detailed monitoring and lifestyle management.
We tailor the program to your specific needs. With dietary monitoring, educational sessions, and onsite case management, our goal is to provide a seamless, supportive experience to help you achieve and maintain your best health.
Whether you’re recovering from a prior heart procedure or managing chronic conditions, the Heart Smart Program offers targeted care that can lead to meaningful lifestyle changes and enhanced well-being.
A few key features include:
Diagnostic services
We offer various tests like echocardiograms, stress tests, and electrocardiograms (ECG or EKG) to assess heart function and detect potential issues early.
Heart rhythm monitoring
Continuous heart rhythm assessments help identify irregularities and provide valuable data for ongoing treatment plans.
Lifestyle and nutrition management
Educational sessions and personalized dietary guidance empower you to make heart-healthy choices every day.
Exercise and pain management plans
Tailored exercise routines and pain management solutions aim to enhance your physical activity while reducing discomfort.
Give yourself the gift of a healthier heart
The holiday season often comes with added stress, indulgent meals, and busy schedules — and did you know all this can have an impact on your heart health? So before the holidays arrive is an excellent time to take charge and invest in a program that supports you now and in the future.
This holiday season, give yourself the invaluable gift of comprehensive heart care. Join the Heart Smart Program at NJ Cardiovascular Institute and take a proactive step toward a healthier future. Contact us today to learn more.
by NJ Cardiovascular Institute | Aug 9, 2026 | Uncategorized
More than 30 million American adults have heart disease. The term “heart disease” includes conditions that affect blood vessels, heart valves, heart rhythms, and your heart muscle itself.
Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common type of heart disease in the United States, but every type can have serious impacts on your health. In fact, nearly 660,000 people in the US die from heart disease every year, and it’s the leading cause of death in the country.
Receiving a heart disease diagnosis is serious. There’s no cure for it, and having heart disease increases your risk of complications like heart attack, stroke, and heart failure.
The good news? There’s still a lot you can do to improve your health, even after you’re diagnosed with heart disease. Kunal Patel, MD, and our team at NJ Cardiovascular Institute offer comprehensive heart disease care with our Heart Smart Program.
When you’re living with heart disease, your daily habits can make a big difference for your health. Here are the lifestyle changes to start making for better heart health.
Get regular exercise
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise each week. Regular exercise helps your heart get stronger. It can lower your blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and over time, it contributes to lower risk of heart disease complications.
Your workouts don’t have to be intense for you to get the heart-health benefits. Strive for at least 30 minutes of movement most days a week. Try a variety of activities, like walking, biking, or swimming, to see what you enjoy the most.
Eat a healthy diet
Did you know the food you eat affects your heart health? It’s true! When you have heart disease, eating a heart-healthy diet can lower your risk of complications.
We recommend eating a diet that’s low fat and low sodium. That means eating mostly fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein, like chicken and fish. Limit your consumption of red meats, and steer totally clear of processed foods that are high in trans fats.
Limit your alcohol intake or consider avoiding alcoholic beverages completely. Don’t start smoking, and if you do smoke, talk to our team about ways to quit.
Partner with your cardiology care team
Taking a proactive approach to your health care is important if you’re living with heart disease. Our Heart Smart Program combines diagnostic tests, routine screenings, checkups, and healthy lifestyle programs to help you manage your heart disease and lower your risk of complications.
We teach you how to eat a heart-healthy diet, and we offer exercise regimen planning. Through diet and exercise coordination, we can help you reach a healthy weight and maintain it.
You should know your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels, and we help you take steps to keep them in healthy ranges.
We also work with you to manage other chronic conditions that can increase your risk of heart disease, including:
Diabetes
High blood pressure
High cholesterol
Maintaining regular cardiology appointments is one of the best ways to ensure you’re enjoying your best possible health when you have heart disease. Dr. Patel and our team may prescribe medication and a range of other treatments, depending on the type of heart disease you have.
Recently diagnosed with heart disease and not sure where to start? We’re here for you. Schedule your first appointment online or call the NJ Cardiovascular Institute location nearest you today.
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by NJ Cardiovascular Institute | Aug 9, 2026 | Uncategorized
One American dies from heart disease every 36 seconds. It’s the leading cause of death in the United States, and it impacts men and women of every race.
Heart disease, also called cardiovascular disease, is a group of conditions that impact your heart’s ability to do its job. It develops when your blood vessels get narrow or blocked, making your heart work harder to send blood throughout your body.
Having heart disease increases your risk of heart attack, stroke, and death — but the symptoms and warning signs of these conditions are often different in men and women. If you’re a woman, it’s important to learn more about your heart and how to take care of it throughout your life.
Kunal Patel, MD, and our team at NJ Cardiovascular Institute partner with women of all ages to promote heart health. We specialize in diagnosing and treating heart disease, and today we’re taking a closer look at things every woman needs to know about her heart health.
Your risk for heart disease
Heart disease is very common, but it doesn’t always have obvious warning signs. To protect your heart health, it’s important to learn your risk of developing heart disease and check in with your doctor regularly.
Some factors increase your risk of heart disease, no matter your gender. These risk factors are:
Sedentary lifestyle
Poor diet
Obesity
Older age
High cholesterol
High blood pressure
Tobacco use
Family history of heart disease
Some risk factors carry more weight depending on your gender and could contribute to heart disease more often in women than in men. If you’re a woman, some factors that could make you more likely to develop heart disease are:
Depression
Stress
Sedentary lifestyle
Tobacco use
Pregnancy complications
Being postmenopausal
If you have risk factors for heart disease, schedule a cardiology consultation at NJ Cardiovascular Institute. Dr. Patel specializes in comprehensive evaluations to test for heart disease and personalized treatment plans to boost your well-being.
Signs of heart conditions in women vs. men
Having heart disease increases your risk of experiencing a life-threatening heart condition like heart attack or stroke. Unfortunately, about two-thirds of women who die from heart disease had no obvious symptoms beforehand.
Heart disease and other heart conditions often go undiagnosed in women, and cardiac emergencies can cause different symptoms in women than in men.
The signs of heart attack in women may include:
Aching chest pain
Cold sweat
Dizziness
Heavy sensation in chest
Nausea
Sharp pain in abdomen, neck, jaw, or upper back
Shortness of breath
Unexplained fatigue
The signs of stroke in women can include:
Blurred vision
Difficulty speaking or understanding
Difficulty walking or standing
Numbness in face, arms, or legs
Sudden, severe headache
Learning to recognize the signs of heart attack and stroke in women could help save your life or the life of someone close to you. Seek immediate medical attention or call 911 if you or someone you know experiences these symptoms.
Ways to keep your heart healthy
Heart disease is the leading cause of death among American women, but there’s a lot you can do to protect your heart and improve your health. Dr. Patel and our team work with you to identify risk factors that you can change, like your activity level, diet, and tobacco use.
Our Heart Smart Program is here to help you learn ways to improve your wellness. Depending on your health, we recommend regular exercise and healthy eating to help you reach or maintain a healthy weight.
If you have an underlying condition like high blood pressure, managing it can help lower your risk of developing complications. Proactively addressing other health concerns, including stress levels, can also help lower your risk of long-term heart problems.
Keep up with regular doctor’s appointments and primary care visits. Even if you don’t have signs of a heart condition now, preventive care is the best way to identify and address changes before they get worse.
As a woman, you should never overlook your heart health. Schedule an appointment with us at one of our four New Jersey offices. Book online or over the phone today.
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by NJ Cardiovascular Institute | Aug 9, 2026 | Uncategorized
by NJ Cardiovascular Institute | Aug 9, 2026 | Uncategorized
Varicose veins — those bulging, twisted veins you see just beneath the surface of your skin — are a common condition affecting 20% of all adults at some point in their lives. While they’re often labeled as simply a cosmetic concern, varicose veins can sometimes be indicative of an underlying health issue.
But unfortunately, it’s not always easy to know if your varicose veins signal something more serious. Our team at NJ Cardiovascular Institute is here to help. Kunal Patel, MD, specializes in varicose vein care, and in this blog post, we’re exploring the connection between varicose veins and potentially more serious health conditions.
Why varicose veins occur
Your veins have valves inside that help keep blood flowing through your body effectively. Varicose veins develop when those valves start to malfunction.
Malfunctioning valves can make blood collect and pool in specific areas, and the veins get enlarged and twisted. Varicose veins are most common in your feet and legs, often causing discomfort, pain, and aching sensations.
The potential complications of varicose veins
Most of the time, varicose veins themselves are harmless. But in some cases, they can indicate an increased risk of developing other circulatory problems.
A few possible risks associated with varicose veins are:
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
A deep vein thrombosis (DVT) happens when a blood clot forms in a deep vein of your leg. The blood clot can dislodge and travel to other parts of your body, making it a potentially serious condition. If the clot travels to your lungs, it can cause a pulmonary embolism.
Having varicose veins puts you at increased risk of developing a DVT, because weak vein valves slow down the blood flow. If you have varicose veins and experience sudden leg pain, swelling, or redness, seek immediate medical attention to rule out a DVT.
Venous insufficiency
Varicose veins can also be a signal of venous insufficiency, a condition characterized by impaired blood flow from your legs back to your heart. Along with varicose veins, you might experience symptoms such as leg heaviness, fatigue, and swelling.
If you have venous insufficiency, seeking treatment is essential to determine the extent of your condition. If it’s left untreated, venous insufficiency can lead to skin ulcers and chronic inflammation.
Overall cardiovascular health
Finally, having varicose veins may mean you have an increased risk of cardiovascular health issues, like hypertension and heart disease. The exact connections aren’t fully understood, but underlying factors that cause varicose veins may also contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease.
That means if you have varicose veins, we may recommend taking extra steps to manage your cardiovascular health. Regular exercise, a healthy diet, and lifestyle modifications all help improve heart health.
Varicose veins are often viewed as a cosmetic nuisance — but it’s important to take them seriously. To learn more about your condition and get a treatment plan that fits your needs, schedule a consultation with Dr. Patel and our team at NJ Cardiovascular Institute.
Call one of our offices in Elizabeth, Lakewood, Paramus, or Secaucus, New Jersey, or send us a message online now.
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by NJ Cardiovascular Institute | Aug 9, 2026 | Uncategorized
Of every 1,000 births in the United States, about nine babies are born with congenital heart defects. A congenital heart defect is a problem that originated when a baby’s heart was developing in the womb, and it’s the most common birth defect in the country.
A baby’s heart is fully developed by the 8th week of pregnancy, and congenital heart defects form some time between conception and week 8. Most of the time, there’s no clear cause for congenital heart defects — but they can have a significant impact on a child’s health.
As a leading cardiologist, Kunal Patel, MD, specializes in heart care for people of all ages at NJ Cardiovascular Institute, with offices in Secaucus, Paramus, Lakewood, and Newark, New Jersey. If you recently found out your child has a heart defect, learn more about what to do next.
Understand the types of congenital heart defects
A congenital heart defect can occur when your baby’s heart doesn’t develop exactly like it should. There are at least 18 different types of congenital heart conditions, some more severe than others.
Every baby is unique, and some have a combination of conditions. If your baby is diagnosed with a heart defect, it’s important to ask questions and understand exactly what their diagnosis means.
The types of congenital heart defects can be grouped into three main categories.
The first category includes conditions that cause too much blood to flow through your baby’s lungs. These conditions can cause lung and respiratory stress, because oxygen-rich blood circulates through the lungs without traveling to other parts of the body.
Another category includes various heart conditions that cause too little blood to flow to the lungs. With this type of heart defect, the baby’s blood is oxygen-poor and their body doesn’t get enough oxygen.
The third main category of congenital heart defects includes conditions that cause too little blood to travel throughout the body. The baby’s heart may not be strong enough to pump blood to the rest of their body.
Signs of heart defects in babies
Some types of heart defects can be identified before the baby is born, using a fetal echocardiogram. However, many babies are diagnosed with heart defects after they’re born and they begin exhibiting symptoms of heart problems.
Signs of a congenital heart defect may include:
Blue-tinted lips, fingernails, or toenails
Difficulty breathing or rapid breathing
Excessive sleepiness, particularly when feeding
Not every type of congenital heart defect causes symptoms, so it’s important to talk with your child’s pediatrician about their risk.
Care for your child and their heart defect
Learning that your child has a heart defect can be scary, but today’s medical technology means that you have treatment options available to you. An estimated three in four babies born with heart defects don’t need surgery or other medical procedures during their first year of life.
If your baby is diagnosed with a critical congenital heart defect, they may need surgery or another procedure to improve the way their heart functions. Your child’s pediatrician and their health care team will talk with you about your options for care.
Some children may need one or more surgeries to repair the structure and function of their hearts. Surgery isn’t always necessary, as some procedures can be done via a minimally invasive procedure called cardiac catheterization.
The goal of surgery and other treatments is to improve your child’s heart function. However, many congenital heart defects can’t be cured. Your child can live a long, healthy life, but they may need ongoing heart care with a trained cardiologist like Dr. Patel.
Dr. Patel provides personalized heart care for our patients at NJ Cardiovascular Institute. Schedule a consultation to learn more and meet our team. Call the office nearest you or book online now.
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