Providers generally start talking about your heart health at routine checkups in your mid-30s for screenings like blood pressure and cholesterol, with an increased focus on individual risk factors.
“The top four risk factors of heart disease are smoking cigarettes, hypertension, high cholesterol and diabetes, but being overweight or out of shape are also big factors,” says Dr. Lynn Swisher, Medical Director of the Cayuga Heart and Vascular Institute at Cayuga Health, a Member of Centralus Health.
Having multiple factors compounds the damage. Many risk factors promote inflammation, damage the inner lining of blood vessels, impair insulin sensitivity, and disrupt the body’s ability to break down and store fat, all contributing to plaque buildup.
“It’s additive; the more of those things you have, the higher chance you have of having vascular disease, whether it’s coronary or peripheral,” says Dr. Swisher.
If a patient makes healthy lifestyle choices and doesn’t have a family history of cardiovascular disease, providers will continue to monitor heart health throughout a person’s life. Conversations will get serious immediately if a patient mentions symptoms like chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, and/or palpitations.
“It’s recommended to seek medical attention for chest, arm, and/or neck pain that’s different from what they had before. Also, a decline in exercise ability or stamina that’s not explained by other reasons.”
Difficulty exercising, known as exercise intolerance, signals poor heart health because a struggling heart can’t deliver enough oxygen-rich blood to working muscles, causing rapid fatigue, shortness of breath, and reduced endurance. It’s a key symptom of conditions where the heart can’t pump effectively, or blood flow is restricted, making even simple activities exhausting and signaling a need for medical evaluation.
“If you have difficulty exercising, you should be asking if its heart related. That’s number one. It sounds strange because it’s very simple, but it can be a warning sign.”
Coronary artery disease is the most common type of heart disease in the United States and globally. It’s caused by plaque buildup in the arteries that supply the heart, leading to reduced blood flow and potentially a heart attack, but it’s not the only thing to look out for.
“There’s a lot of different kinds of heart health to keep an eye on besides coronary artery disease.”
Beyond coronary artery disease, other major heart ailments include heart failure, where the heart can’t pump enough blood; valvular heart disease, when the heart has leaky or stiff valves; and arrhythmias, when people experience irregular heartbeats like atrial fibrillation, significantly impacting heart health and leading to other heart problems.
“Atrial fibrillation is a really common rhythm. It’s more common with age, starting with people over 50. Some people are aware that their heart is always racing, and they’ll always ask for help because they don’t like it. A lot of people are completely unaware,” says Dr. Swisher.
Health experts say age is the biggest risk factor for atrial fibrillation and, when untreated, can lead to other major health events.
“If you’re in your 60s and 70s it can increase your risk for stroke.”
Atrial fibrillation often requires lifelong management, but treatments can help you live a normal, healthy life. People who are knowingly living with an irregular heartbeat can talk to their provider about ways to minimize their risk factors.
“If, for whatever reason, you find your heart rate is fast or irregular, see your doctor and find out why. The risk factors for atrial fibrillation, besides aging, would be alcohol, sleep apnea, high blood pressure and any kind of lung related ailment.”
If you have concerns about your cardiovascular health, don’t wait for a crisis; regular primary care visits are crucial for heart health discussions.
Whether you need critical care in a crisis or preventative care to improve your heart health, the most qualified specialists are waiting for you at Arnot. Arnot Health’s Heart and Vascular Institute is located at 600 Roe Avenue, Elmira.
Cayuga Heart and Vascular Center has been providing cardiac services for 40 years and has more than a decade of experience in invasive cardiac care. Cayuga Health’s Heart and Vascular Center is located at 201 Dates Drive, Ithaca; 40 Catherwood Road, Ithaca; and 220 Steuben Street, Montour Falls.
