Chicago’s top heart doctors offer top health tips

Chicago’s top heart doctors love getting patients back on their feet, but ultimately wish they had fewer to begin with.

That’s because many cases of heart disease are preventable, say two top peer-recommended physicians just named to Chicago Magazine’s Top Cardiologists list, Advocate Heart Institute’s Dr. Pierrot Abi-Mansour and Dr. Vincent Bufalino, who is also Chief Advocate Medical Group Officer.

Sadly, heart disease remains the top killer in most of the U.S., accounting for about one of every four deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Taking an online Heart Health Assessment or scheduling an in-person heart scan is an excellent way to pre-identify risk.

Meanwhile, the doctors share a time-tested exercise to a top tip for preventing and reducing bad heart health.

“Just one session of exercise can protect the development of heart damage, and this protection is upheld with months of exercise, making exercise one of the few sustainable protective cardiac interventions,” says Dr. Abi-Mansour, a cardiologist at the Advocate Heart Institute at Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, Ill.

The good news is someone doesn’t have to be an athlete to reap rewards and exercise provides immediate benefits to heart health.

Even activity as simple as walking helps prevent heart disease and can be done by people of all ages, says Dr. Bufalino, senior vice president of the Advocate Heart Institute and a senior medical director of cardiology.

“But the best part is that it helps people just feel better,” Dr. Bufalino says.

If you’re seeking to really improve your overall health, Dr. Abi-Mansour says strive to achieve 30 minutes of exercise per day, ideally five days a week.

With summer here, now is the perfect time to begin a lunch-time stroll or brisk evening walking routine.

As with any new exercise, use common sense and contact a doctor if you have concerns or develop symptoms indicating a medical health issue, such as dizziness or chest pain.