“Knowing your cholesterol numbers is key. Specifically, patients should know their ’bad’ cholesterol number, or low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. For people who haven’t had heart issues, they should aim for an LDL below 100 mg/dl. For patients with a history of coronary artery disease or prior heart attack, they should strive to keep their LDL below 70 mg/dl, or sometimes below 55 mg/dl.”

Christopher Cannon, MD, Preventative Cardiology Section, Cardiovascular Division

Lowering your levels of stress can significantly improve your overall health. For example, higher stress before conception has been associated with higher glucose levels during pregnancy. Circulating glucose levels is a predictor of current and long-term health not only for women but also for the offspring.”

Lidia Mínguez-Alarcón, PhD, MPH, BPharm, Department of Medicine

“Being physically active is one of the best things you can do for heart health. The American Heart Association defines eight key measures for improving and maintaining cardiovascular health; physical activity is one of these eight measures. Engaging in physical activity also benefits one’s sleep, weight, cholesterol and blood sugar levels and blood pressure. Our research shows that no activity is too little to count — every bit helps!”

I-Min Lee, MD, ScD, Epidemiologist, Division of Preventative Medicine

“It’s important that we think not only about targeting cholesterol, but also consider the role of inflammation and other biomarkers of cardiovascular disease risk. For instance, lipoprotein (a) is a particle that circulates in the blood and appears to drive inflammation and the formation of fatty plaques in the arteries. Our research has shown that certain drugs may be very promising for individuals with high lipoprotein(a) levels who currently don’t have any effective therapies to lower its concentration.”

Michelle L. O’Donoghue, MD, MPH, McGillycuddy Logue Distinguished Chair in Women’s Cardiovascular Health, Cardiovascular Division

“Engaging in regular physical activity outdoors, such as hiking, brisk walking, or a more vigorous activity, is a key to heart health. Being outdoors and enjoying nature reduces stress and anxiety, boosts mood and happiness, and increases our sense of connection to the world. Numerous research studies from our team and others confirm we can reduce our risk of — and walk away from — coronary heart disease, stroke, heart failure, and many other forms of cardiovascular disease with regular brisk walking or other moderate-to-vigorous exercise. In addition, physical activity reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, adiposity, osteoporosis, cancer, cognitive decline, stress, and depression; it’s as close to a panacea as we’ve come in modern medicine. Throw in strength training a few times a week and you can’t match the benefits with any pill or pharmaceutical.”

JoAnn Manson, MD, DrPH, MACP, Chief, Division of Preventive Medicine 

“My research is focused on understanding how inflammation affects the heart; the most prominent examples would be patients with diseases of chronic inflammation like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. However, we also know that inflammation is an important factor in heart health even among people without these conditions. Treating this systemic inflammation can lower heart disease risk. Thus, by recognizing and addressing underlying systemic inflammation, people can improve their heart health.” 

Brittany Weber, MD, PhD, Director, Cardio-Rheumatology Clinic and Associate Physician, Prevention Cardiology and Cardiovascular Imaging