Tips on Heart Health from TTU Cardiologist

LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - You may think you feel fine, but the CDC estimates more than 16 million Americans over age 20 are living with coronary heart disease. Dr. Scott Shurmur is a Cardiologist and Texas Tech Physician. He says our heart health is something we can control. And it starts with going to the doctor and learning some important numbers and what they mean to you. He says, “For instance, we need to know what our cholesterol is. In conjunction with a health care provider, we need to keep track of our blood pressure.”

Dr. Shurmur says prescriptions save lives, which is why it’s so important for adults to have a relationship with a health care provider who can find your heart risk and get you the prescription you need to stay heart healthy. He says smoking is another big risk factor for heart disease. Even if you think none of these is a concern for you, your risk factor may be hiding in the family tree. He says, “If one has a family history, where there is heart disease in the family, particularly before or during middle age, then that needs to be paid attention to and their own risk factors need to be evaluated early in life.”

Aside from medication, Dr. Shurmur says what you eat matters... and even though high protein diets may be popular, they may not be good for the heart. As you might guess, he also recommends exercise. And you might be surprised to hear how little effort it may take to bring tremendous benefits to your health.

For specific advice on protecting your heart with a certain diet and exercise, watch the video on this page.

Dr. Scott Shurmur is a Cardiologist and Department Chair of Internal Medicine at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.

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