A recent Rutgers University article by Lavene Gass outlines heart disease risks and strategies to manage them. Gass spoke with Alfonso Waller, a professor of medicine and radiology and chief of the Division of Cardiology at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, who advocates for lifestyle changes, early diagnosis, and personalized medicine.

The article opens with an overview of heart disease incidence in the U.S. Dr. Waller explained that nearly half of all U.S. adults have a form of cardiovascular disease, and heart disease is still the leading cause of death in the U.S. He attributes this to family history and “modifiable risk factors.”

Additional key points:

• Key risk factors like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, smoking and physical inactivity can all be addressed. However, family history cannot be changed.
• Food insecurity, preventative care access, one’s neighborhood walkability, and air quality also play a part in heart disease risk.
• Heart disease disparities affect outcomes. 
• A combination of healthy diet and exercise can enhance heart health and lower stress and blood pressure.
• Rutgers Health and University Hospital serve cardiovascular patients from “prevention and early detection to advanced diagnostic screening and treatments.”
• Regular visits with a primary care doctor are important for managing heart health.