cardiovascular health
Yes, Valentine's Day is around the corner. No, I’m not a big fan of commercialized holidays. I’ll take random acts of kindness/words of affirmation over Hallmark holidays, any day. However, I do want to take this opportunity to talk about something I'm genuinely passionate about: your cardiovascular health and longevity.
In this blog post, I'm going to share powerful metrics you can track, explain what they mean for your health, and offer practical ways to optimize them.
resting heart rate (RHR)
Think of your resting heart rate as your heart's baseline workload. A lower RHR (ideally below 64 beats per minute) generally indicates better cardiovascular fitness and is associated with longevity. Just like you wouldn't want your car engine constantly revving at high speeds, a lower RHR means your heart doesn't have to work as hard to do its job.
There are two easy ways to measure your RHR:
Manual Measurement: The most accessible method is to check your pulse first thing in the morning, before getting out of bed. Find your pulse either at your wrist (radial artery) or neck (carotid artery). Count the beats for 20 seconds and multiply by 3. For the most accurate picture, track this for a week and look for patterns.
Wearable Devices: If you have a fitness tracker like a Whoop, Oura ring, Apple Watch, or Fitbit, these devices automatically track your RHR throughout the day and night. They can provide valuable insights into your heart rate trends over time. Many of these devices also track other important metrics like HRV (coming up next!) and sleep quality.
The best time to measure RHR is in the morning after a good night's sleep, but before getting out of bed. Factors like stress, poor sleep, dehydration, or alcohol consumption the night before can temporarily elevate your RHR. If you notice your RHR trending upward over time, it might be a sign to evaluate your lifestyle habits or stress levels.
heart rate variability (HRV)
HRV is one of my favorite metrics for understanding overall health and stress resilience. It measures the variation in time between each heartbeat. Counter to what you might think, higher variability is actually better! A higher HRV indicates that your body can efficiently adapt to different situations - whether that's running to catch the bus or relaxing in a hammock.
The most important thing about HRV:
Your HRV number is highly individual. While it might be tempting to compare your HRV with your partner's or friend's numbers, this isn't helpful. Your HRV is influenced by many factors including age, genetics, and fitness level. The only person you should compare your HRV to is yourself! Think of it as your body's personal stress fingerprint.
Tracking your HRV:
The most reliable way to measure HRV is through wearable devices like Whoop, Oura Ring, or certain models of Apple Watch and Fitbit. These devices track your HRV while you sleep, when measurements are most consistent. Your HRV naturally fluctuates throughout the day and night, which is completely normal. What we're looking for are overall trends over time.
ways to improve your HRV
Optimize Your Sleep
Maintain consistent sleep and wake times
Keep your bedroom cool (around 65°F)
Avoid screens for at least 30 minutes before bed
Use blackout curtains or an eye mask
Support Your Nervous System
Get morning sunlight within an hour of waking
Take regular breaks during the day for deep breathing
Try ending your shower with 30 seconds of cold water
Do my Vagus Nerve Exercises
Be Strategic with Exercise
Balance high-intensity workouts with recovery days
Pay attention to your HRV trends - a significantly lower number might indicate you need more recovery
Include gentle movement like walking or stretching daily
Mind Your Evening Habits
Avoid late-night eating (aim to finish dinner 3 hours before bed)
Limit alcohol, especially close to bedtime
Keep evening activities calm and relaxing
Consider a short meditation or gratitude practice before sleep
Remember, improvements in HRV take time, and that's okay! Focus on consistency with these practices rather than trying to make dramatic changes all at once. If you'd like to learn more about tracking and improving your HRV, let's discuss this at your next appointment - I can even demonstrate some biofeedback techniques to help you optimize your nervous system function.
silent inflammation: the hidden driver of aging
One of the most important markers I look at for heart health is high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), which measures inflammation in your blood vessels. Think of inflammation as a steady undercurrent that can damage your arterial walls over time. While some inflammation is necessary for healing and fighting off infections, chronic low-grade inflammation can damage your tissues and accelerate aging.
hs-CRP is a powerful predictor of future cardiovascular events, even in people who appear healthy. While standard CRP tests have been around for years, the "high-sensitivity" version can detect much smaller changes in inflammation levels. This gives us valuable insight into your cardiovascular risk long before traditional markers might show a problem.
inflammaging: the intersection of inflammation and aging
There's a reason why I focus so much on inflammation when discussing longevity - it's at the heart of what we call "inflammaging." This term describes how chronic, low-grade inflammation becomes more common as we age and actually accelerates the aging process. It's like a slow-burning fire that gradually affects every system in your body, from your heart to your brain.
The good news? There's a lot we can do to reduce inflammation and slow down inflammaging:
Nourishment:
Focus on anti-inflammatory foods like fatty fish, leafy greens, berries, and olive oil
Include foods rich in polyphenols (colorful fruits and vegetables)
Consider adding turmeric with black pepper to your meals
Minimize/avoid processed foods, refined sugars, and industrial seed oils
Lifestyle:
Prioritize quality sleep - poor sleep significantly increases inflammation
Manage stress through regular mindfulness practices
Exercise moderately - too little or too much exercise can both increase inflammation
Stay well-hydrated to support your body's natural detoxification processes
Environmental:
Reduce exposure to environmental toxins
Use air purifiers in your home
Choose clean personal care products
Filter your water
Rhythm:
Practice time-restricted eating to give your body a break from digestion
Get morning sunlight to regulate your circadian rhythm
Allow 3 hours between your last meal and bedtime
Remember, inflammation isn't inherently bad - it's chronic, unchecked inflammation that we want to address. By making conscious choices to support your body's natural anti-inflammatory processes, you're investing in your long-term health and longevity.
If you're curious about your personal inflammation levels, we can discuss testing your hs-CRP at your next appointment. This can give us valuable insight into your cardiovascular risk and help us create a targeted plan to optimize your health.
understanding cholesterol: beyond the numbers
If you've ever had bloodwork done, you're probably familiar with cholesterol testing. But the standard cholesterol panel that most doctors run only tells part of the story. Let's look deeper into what these numbers really mean for your heart health.
Cholesterol isn't inherently "bad" - in fact, it's essential for life! Your body uses cholesterol to:
Form the structural components of cell membranes
Produce important hormones like cortisol, estrogen, and testosterone
Create vitamin D when your skin is exposed to sunlight
Generate bile acids necessary for fat digestion
The Standard Panel vs. Advanced Testing
Most doctors only look at total cholesterol, HDL ("good"), LDL ("bad"), and triglycerides. However, these basic measurements don't tell us enough about your actual cardiovascular risk. More important than the total numbers are the size and type of your cholesterol particles.
Think of it this way: if LDL particles are like cars on a highway, we want to know not just how many cars there are (your LDL number), but also their size. Small, dense LDL particles are like sports cars that can easily crash into and damage your arterial walls. Large, fluffy LDL particles are more like buses - they're less likely to cause damage. Advanced testing can tell us about your particle size and give us a much clearer picture of your cardiovascular risk.
What really affects your cholesterol?
Contrary to popular belief, eating cholesterol-rich foods like eggs isn't the main driver of unhealthy cholesterol levels. Instead, the biggest influences are:
Sugar and refined carbohydrates
Industrial seed oils (corn, soybean, canola)
Chronic stress
Poor sleep
Lack of movement
Environmental toxins
supporting healthy cholesterol
Focus on whole, unprocessed foods
Include plenty of fiber-rich vegetables
Choose healthy fats like olive oil, avocados, and nuts
Get regular movement throughout the day
Prioritize quality sleep
Manage stress through mindfulness practices
If you're concerned about your cholesterol levels, let's look at getting a more comprehensive panel done. Advanced testing can help us create a more targeted approach to supporting your cardiovascular health.
