Heart health is often shaped quietly over time, with cardiovascular risk building beneath the surface long before any warning signs appear. From plaque accumulation to inflammation and metabolic changes, these processes can progress unnoticed, making it all the more important to understand your risk factors early. Being aware of these hidden drivers allows you to make timely lifestyle changes that can protect your heart and potentially prevent serious events like heart attacks.
Dr Kunal Sood, an anaesthesiologist and interventional pain medicine physician, has outlined five key insights into heart health, shedding light on the factors that quietly drive cardiovascular risk and the everyday habits that can actively support and protect the heart. In an Instagram video shared on March 19, he highlights, “Heart risk is driven by plaque, inflammation, metabolism, and daily behavior, not just one lab value.”
1. Heart attacks can occur despite “normal” cholesterol
According to Dr Sood, cholesterol levels offer only a snapshot of the atherogenic particles circulating in your bloodstream at a given moment, but they fail to reflect the silent, long-term buildup of plaque already lodged within your arteries – a process that can unfold over years, often without symptoms. He notes that heart attacks are typically triggered not by cholesterol levels alone, but when these accumulated plaques become unstable, rupture, and set off clot formation that can abruptly block blood flow.
The physician explains, “Cholesterol levels reflect what is circulating now, not what has already built up in artery walls. Plaque forms over years and heart attacks occur when unstable plaques rupture and trigger clot formation. Inflammation and particle number also drive risk, which is why events can occur despite ‘normal’ labs.”
2. Plaque builds silently for years
Dr Sood emphasises that atherosclerosis – the gradual accumulation of plaque along arterial walls – is a slow, silent process that can develop over years without any noticeable symptoms. As a result, many people remain unaware of the damage until it reaches a critical point, making a heart attack the very first visible sign of underlying plaque buildup.
He explains, “Atherosclerosis often progresses without symptoms because arteries can remodel outward and preserve blood flow. Many plaques remain undetected until they rupture, meaning the first symptom may be a heart attack or stroke.”
3. Prolonged sitting increases heart disease risk despite exercise
The physician highlights that prolonged periods of sitting can raise cardiovascular risk, regardless of how much one exercises. He explains that a sedentary lifestyle disrupts efficient lipid metabolism, impairs insulin sensitivity, and fuels a range of metabolic imbalances – all of which collectively heighten the risk of heart disease.
Dr Sood notes, “Large meta-analyses show prolonged sitting increases cardiovascular risk independently of exercise. Long sedentary periods impair lipid metabolism, worsen insulin sensitivity, reduce blood flow, and promote inflammation and endothelial dysfunction.”
4. Walking after meals reduces risk
Dr Sood notes that a simple 10-minute walk after meals can be far more effective at curbing post-meal blood sugar spikes than delaying movement until later. He explains that this timely burst of muscular activity helps draw glucose out of the bloodstream and into the muscles, reducing the body’s reliance on insulin while also supporting healthier vascular function.
He highlights, “Walking after meals lowers post-meal glucose more effectively than walking later. Muscle activity pulls glucose out of the bloodstream, reduces insulin demand, and improves vascular function, helping reduce long-term cardiovascular risk.”
5. Omega-3s and magnesium may support heart health
The physician points out that omega-3 fatty acids play a crucial role in supporting cardiovascular health by lowering triglyceride levels and reducing inflammation, thereby promoting healthier vascular function. Magnesium, meanwhile, is essential for maintaining optimal blood pressure, regulating vascular tone, and ensuring stable cardiac electrical activity, all of which are vital for a well-functioning heart.
Dr Sood explains, “Omega-3s reduce triglycerides and support vascular function through anti-inflammatory and metabolic effects. Magnesium helps regulate vascular tone, blood pressure, and cardiac electrical stability. Both support heart health through different pathways but are adjuncts, not replacements for core risk management.”
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. It is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.
