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Beyond Blood Pressure: 3 Surprising Factors That Affect Your Heart
When people think about heart health, high blood pressure often tops the list — and with good reason.
Blood pressure measures the force of blood against your artery walls as your heart pumps. When it stays high over time, it strains your heart, damages arteries, and increases your risk for heart attack, stroke, and other cardiovascular problems.
But blood pressure is just one aspect of heart health. Many other health issues can increase cardiovascular risk, and some you might not immediately associate with your heart.
Our team at AssociatesMD specializes in cardiology in Plantation, Pembroke Pines, Davie, Weston, Margate, Dania Beach, and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and we’re here to help you learn more about three important factors that can affect your heart.
1. High cholesterol: silent build-up, serious consequences
Cholesterol is a waxy substance naturally found in your blood. Your body needs it to build cells and make certain hormones, but too much of the wrong kind (low-density lipoprotein, or LDL) can pose a risk to your heart health.
Too much LDL cholesterol can build up inside your arteries, form plaques, and stiffen the artery walls, all of which reduce blood flow. This process is called atherosclerosis, and it increases your risk for heart attack, stroke, and peripheral artery disease over time.
High cholesterol usually doesn’t cause symptoms, which is why regular screening is essential. A simple blood test can measure LDL, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and triglycerides to give a clear picture of your lipid health.
Cholesterol management at AssociatesMD can help you lower LDL levels through lifestyle changes, nutrition guidance, and medication when appropriate.
Combined with blood pressure management and other heart-healthy habits, controlling cholesterol is a powerful step toward reducing your cardiovascular risk.
2. Sleep apnea
Many people assume that sleep apnea is just extreme snoring. And while it’s true that loud snoring is a common symptom, the condition goes far beyond disrupted sleep.
The most common type of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea, which happens when your airway repeatedly collapses during sleep and breathing pauses briefly.
These pauses trigger short surges in blood pressure and release stress hormones, which over time can increase your risk for issues like high blood pressure, arrhythmias, heart attack, and stroke.
Sleep apnea also contributes to poor sleep quality, daytime fatigue, and metabolic dysfunction — all of which can indirectly harm your heart.
Because many people with sleep apnea aren’t aware they have it, screening and evaluation are a must. At AssociatesMD, our sleep apnea services include assessment, diagnosis, and coordinated care to help you improve both sleep and heart health.
3. Chronic inflammation: when your body’s defense becomes a risk
Inflammation is your body’s natural response to injury or infection. But when it becomes chronic, that ongoing inflammation can damage blood vessels and accelerate plaque buildup.
Conditions like diabetes, autoimmune disorders, obesity, and even chronic stress contribute to a prolonged inflammatory state and make your heart more vulnerable to disease.
Unlike high blood pressure or high cholesterol, chronic inflammation isn’t routinely tested in basic checkups, but your primary care provider can assess risk through markers like C-reactive protein (CRP), lifestyle factors, and the presence of other inflammatory conditions.
We take a multifaceted approach to managing chronic inflammation, and our goal is to work with you to identify and address inflammation and any other hidden risk factors as part of a tailored heart-health strategy.
Depending on your needs, we may recommend nutritional changes, regular physical activity, stress management, and sufficient sleep.
Eating a diet rich in anti-inflammatory foods, like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and omega-3 fatty acids, can help protect your heart, as can careful management of chronic conditions like diabetes.
Blood pressure is an important vital sign, but it’s important to remember that it’s just one of many factors that influence your cardiovascular risk. At AssociatesMD, our team offers comprehensive cardiology care to support your heart from every angle.
If you’re due for a check-in or want to explore how these risk factors apply to you, schedule a visit with AssociatesMD online or call us at 954-434-1705 today.