A Healthier You: A cardiologist's guide to protecting your heart
Nov 14, 2024
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Dr. Danielle Belardo, a preventive cardiologist specializing in heart health, joins Shoshana Ungerleider to debunk common misconceptions about heart disease. They discuss the urgency of early prevention, emphasizing that heart issues aren't just an older person's problem. Dr. Belardo shares key strategies for maintaining heart health, the importance of personalized care, and proactive lifestyle changes. Listeners learn the hidden dangers of heart disease and how early detection can save lives.
Simple dietary changes, like adopting a high-fiber, low-saturated fat diet, can significantly lower LDL cholesterol levels and improve heart health.
Understanding that heart disease risk begins in childhood underscores the importance of early intervention and awareness of heart health regardless of age.
Deep dives
Personal Health Journey and Dietary Changes
The host shares insights from her personal health journey, particularly focusing on the elevation of her LDL cholesterol over five years, which eventually increased significantly during a routine checkup. Despite maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including regular exercise and a balanced diet, she sought the advice of a preventive cardiologist and learned that minor dietary adjustments could yield significant results. After incorporating a high-fiber, low-saturated fat diet for two and a half months, her LDL levels dropped dramatically, showcasing the impact of dietary choices on heart health. This experience highlights the importance of staying proactive about health and the surprising effects that simple changes can have on cholesterol levels.
The Lifelong Development of Heart Disease
Heart disease is often misconceived as a condition that only affects older individuals, but research indicates that atherosclerosis begins much earlier in life, even in children. This understanding emphasizes the need for heart health awareness from a young age and the implementation of primordial prevention strategies. While it is never too late to start focusing on heart health, early intervention can lead to better long-term outcomes. Addressing risk factors such as elevated cholesterol, high blood pressure, and unhealthy lifestyle choices should begin in childhood to effectively reduce the likelihood of developing heart disease later in life.
Navigating Heart Disease Risk Factors
Understanding heart disease risk factors is crucial, and it's important to recognize that normal cholesterol or blood pressure levels may still pose risks. The host discusses the significance of individualization in treatment, as population-based guidelines cannot account for every person's unique health history or risk factors. Additionally, patients should not rely solely on risk calculators for an accurate assessment of their heart health, as these tools often overlook important personal factors. Engaging with health care professionals and utilizing advanced testing methods can provide a clearer picture of one's heart disease risk, enabling better prevention strategies.
Welcome back to our “A Healthier You” series, where TED Health host Shoshana Ungerleider guides you on a special journey to embrace your healthiest self. Join her and experts from across the healthcare space as they dive deeper into ideas and knowledge that could change the way you think about health – from your heart to your brain to your gut.
This is the second episode of the series, where we talk all about heart health. Taking care of your heart doesn’t have to be hard — take it from preventative cardiologist Dr. Danielle Belardo — and also Shoshana’s doctor! In this episode, Shoshana sits down with Dr. Belardo to discuss the common misconceptions about heart disease, the best practices to prevent it and Dr. Belardo’s best advice for keeping our hearts safe and pumping.