Wellness & Prevention
Heart & Cardio Health — Know Your Risk, Protect Your Future
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. High blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, and abnormal blood sugar often cause no noticeable symptoms. Screening can identify these risks before a heart attack, stroke, or other complication occurs. A licensed provider can help you understand your cardiovascular risk and take meaningful steps to reduce it.
Start a VisitAbout heart & cardio health
❤️ Your heart works every second. What are you doing to protect it?
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. High blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, and abnormal blood sugar often cause no noticeable symptoms. Screening can identify these risks before a heart attack, stroke, or other complication occurs. This is exactly why cardiovascular health belongs in the prevention column, not just the treatment column.
This page is for people who want to understand their cardiovascular risk, know their numbers, and take meaningful steps to protect their heart health before a problem develops. If you are already managing hypertension, high cholesterol, or another diagnosed heart condition, see our Heart & Metabolic Health page for ongoing disease management.
🚨 This is not an emergency resource
Call 911 immediately for possible heart attack or stroke symptoms. Heart attack signs may include new chest pressure or tightness, severe shortness of breath, fainting, cold sweating, nausea with chest discomfort, or pain spreading to the arm, back, neck, or jaw. Stroke warning signs include sudden facial drooping, arm weakness, speech difficulty, vision loss, severe imbalance, or a sudden severe headache. Do not drive yourself or wait for a telehealth response.
Understanding your cardiovascular risk
Blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, and weight trends are important parts of cardiovascular risk assessment. A provider also considers age, smoking, kidney health, family history, medical conditions, medications, pregnancy-related history, and other risk-enhancing factors. No single number determines your overall risk — understanding the full picture is what a prevention visit is for.
Understanding your cardiovascular risk
📊 What drives heart disease — and what you can do about it
Cardiovascular risk is shaped by a combination of factors you cannot change and factors you can. Understanding both helps you and your provider focus on what will have the most impact for your specific situation.
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High blood pressure (hypertension)
High blood pressure usually causes no symptoms, even while increasing the risk of heart, brain, kidney, and vascular disease. Normal blood pressure is below 120/80 mmHg. Stage 1 hypertension begins at 130/80. Regular monitoring is the only way to know where you stand.
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High cholesterol (dyslipidemia)
High cholesterol usually causes no symptoms. A lipid panel is generally needed to identify it. Elevated LDL contributes to plaque buildup in the arteries over years, narrowing them and increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke. Treatment is based on overall cardiovascular risk using clinician tools such as the PREVENT calculator, not cholesterol numbers alone. PREVENT is designed for adults without known cardiovascular disease and is one part of shared decision-making — it does not replace clinical judgment.
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Prediabetes and insulin resistance
Prediabetes often occurs alongside other cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol, and excess abdominal weight. Identifying it early creates an opportunity to reduce the likelihood of progression to type 2 diabetes and address overall cardiovascular risk. Blood sugar and A1C testing can identify it early, when lifestyle intervention is most impactful.
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Excess weight, especially abdominal
Higher body weight, particularly abdominal adiposity, may be associated with elevated blood pressure, insulin resistance, sleep apnea, and less favorable lipid levels. Even modest weight reduction may improve some cardiovascular risk markers.
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Smoking and tobacco use
Smoking is one of the most powerful cardiovascular risk factors — it damages arterial walls, reduces HDL cholesterol, promotes clotting, and accelerates atherosclerosis. Cardiovascular risk begins to decline after quitting and continues to improve over time. Cessation medications are available through a telehealth visit when clinically appropriate.
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Poor sleep and sleep apnea
Untreated obstructive sleep apnea is associated with hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Chronic sleep deprivation may affect blood pressure and metabolic health. Loud snoring, witnessed breathing pauses, or waking unrefreshed are worth discussing with a provider.
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Family history and age
A first-degree male relative (parent or sibling) with cardiovascular disease before age 55, or a first-degree female relative before age 65, may indicate premature cardiovascular disease risk. Cardiovascular risk generally increases with age, and the importance of age depends on the full clinical picture including other risk factors.
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Chronic stress and sedentary lifestyle
Chronic stress may affect blood pressure and cardiovascular health, both directly and through its effects on sleep, physical activity, eating patterns, alcohol or tobacco use, and medication adherence. Physical inactivity is an independently associated with higher cardiovascular risk — even modest increases in regular movement reduce that risk meaningfully.
⚠️ Very high triglycerides need urgent attention
Triglycerides at or above 1,000 mg/dL require prompt medical assessment because pancreatitis risk is increased. If you feel well, contact a qualified clinician promptly rather than waiting for a routine visit. Seek emergency care for severe or persistent upper-abdominal pain, repeated vomiting, fever, fainting, or significant illness alongside a very high triglyceride result.
Metabolic syndrome: when risk factors cluster
Metabolic syndrome identifies a cluster of risk factors — elevated waist circumference, high triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol, elevated blood pressure, and elevated fasting blood sugar. Three or more of these together is associated with increased likelihood of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. A provider can evaluate whether you meet criteria and discuss what to prioritize.
Knowing your numbers
🔍 Signs it's time to check in on your heart health
Most cardiovascular risk factors produce no symptoms. But there are clear signals that a conversation with a provider about your heart health is overdue.
- →You have never had your blood pressure checked or it has been more than a year. High blood pressure affects nearly half of U.S. adults, and many people are unaware of it or do not have it adequately controlled.
- →Your blood pressure has been running high on home monitoring or at a pharmacy kiosk, even without symptoms.
- →You have never had a cholesterol panel or have not had one in several years. Many adults begin lipid screening in early adulthood. Repeat frequency depends on age, results, medication use, family history, diabetes, kidney health, and overall cardiovascular risk.
- →You have a strong family history of early heart disease, heart attack, or stroke in a parent or sibling.
- →You have been told you have prediabetes or your blood sugar is trending up. This directly accelerates cardiovascular risk.
- →You are a current or recent smoker who has not discussed cessation support with a provider.
- →You snore loudly or wake up tired despite adequate sleep time, which may indicate obstructive sleep apnea.
- →You experience new or recurrent chest pressure, tightness, or unusual shortness of breath with exertion. These require prompt in-person medical evaluation. Call 911 if symptoms are occurring now, severe, or accompanied by sweating, nausea, fainting, or spreading discomfort.
- →You have multiple risk factors but no clear plan for managing them. Understanding your overall picture is the starting point.
⚠️ Symptoms that need evaluation, not just monitoring
New or recurrent chest pressure or tightness with exertion requires prompt in-person medical evaluation. Palpitations with fainting, chest pain, severe breathlessness, or a sustained rapid or irregular heartbeat also warrant urgent in-person care. Unexplained progressive fatigue, new leg swelling, or shortness of breath at rest that is new deserve timely clinical evaluation. Call 911 if any symptoms are severe, sudden, or worsening.
Not sure where your cardiovascular health stands? A provider can help you understand your risk.
Start a VisitHow telehealth supports heart health
💻 What a cardiovascular prevention visit can do
Telehealth is well suited for cardiovascular risk assessment and prevention conversations. A provider can review your history, risk factors, and existing lab results, and help you understand which steps will have the most impact for your specific situation.
| What a telehealth heart health visit can do | What requires in-person or lab-based evaluation |
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| Cardiovascular risk assessment based on history, age, family history, and risk factors | Blood pressure measurement (though home monitoring guidance provided) |
| Review and interpret your blood pressure readings and home monitoring logs | Lipid panel, blood sugar, A1C (lab referral provided) |
| Review existing lipid panel and blood sugar results | EKG, echocardiogram, stress testing |
| Discuss cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar trends over time | Cardiology evaluation for complex or established heart disease |
| Smoking cessation support and prescription cessation medications when clinically appropriate | In-person physical examination |
| Discuss sleep apnea risk and referral options for sleep study | |
| Heart-healthy lifestyle guidance tailored to your risk profile | |
| Referral coordination for specialist or in-person care when needed |
⚠️ When telehealth is not appropriate for blood pressure or cholesterol
Telehealth is not appropriate for hypertensive emergency (blood pressure of 180/120 mmHg or above with symptoms such as chest pain, severe headache, vision changes, shortness of breath, or neurological symptoms). These require immediate emergency care. MyPhysician360 does not independently manage new or uncontrolled hypertension during pregnancy through this preventive service. Pregnant or recently postpartum patients with elevated readings should contact their obstetric clinician promptly. Severe headache, vision changes, upper-abdominal pain, breathing difficulty, or sudden swelling requires urgent evaluation. Suspected secondary hypertension and signs of end-organ damage also require in-person evaluation. For cholesterol, this preventive service is not the right setting for triglycerides at or above 1,000 mg/dL, recent cardiovascular events, active chest pain, or suspected familial hypercholesterolemia. Suspected familial hypercholesterolemia requires prompt structured evaluation and often lipid-specialist referral — telehealth may help identify the concern and coordinate next steps, but it should not be managed as a routine low-risk visit. A telehealth provider will let you know if your situation requires in-person or emergency evaluation.
A note on blood pressure and telehealth
Telehealth cannot physically measure your blood pressure. But home blood pressure monitoring, done consistently and correctly, produces readings that are often more clinically useful than a single in-office reading. Your provider can guide you on how to measure accurately at home, what your readings mean, and when they indicate that further evaluation or treatment is appropriate. Choose a validated automatic upper-arm monitor with the correct cuff size — wrist and finger monitors are generally less reliable. Validated home monitors are widely available; your provider or pharmacist can help you choose an appropriate model.
What to expect
🗓️ Your heart health visit — what happens
Here is what a cardiovascular prevention visit looks like from start to finish.
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Share your health picture
Complete a brief intake covering your age, family history, current medications, lifestyle habits, blood pressure readings if available, and any recent lab results. The more you bring, the more targeted the conversation. |
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Talk with a licensed provider
A licensed provider reviews your cardiovascular risk profile, interprets any existing results you have, asks about your lifestyle, and discusses which areas of your health are most important to address for your specific risk picture. |
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Get a clear plan
Your provider outlines what to monitor, what lab work may be helpful (with referral to a local lab when indicated), lifestyle priorities specific to your risk factors, and whether any follow-up or specialist evaluation is warranted. |
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Stay connected
Cardiovascular risk management is ongoing. If your situation requires ongoing care for diagnosed hypertension or high cholesterol, your provider can connect you to our Heart & Metabolic Health program for regular follow-up. |
Bring your numbers if you have them
If you have a home blood pressure log, recent lab results (cholesterol, blood sugar, A1C), or notes from a previous provider visit, bring them. Your provider can work with what you already have rather than starting from scratch. Context over time is often more useful than a single reading.
Heart-healthy lifestyle
🏃 The habits with the strongest evidence for heart health
Medications have an important role for people with certain risk levels, but the foundation of cardiovascular health is lifestyle. These are the interventions with the strongest and most consistent evidence for reducing cardiovascular risk, regardless of whether medication is also part of the picture.
Move more — even a little more
- →The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week: walking, cycling, swimming, dancing. The cardiovascular benefits of exercise are among the most robustly supported findings in medicine.
- →Physical inactivity is an independent cardiovascular risk factor. Moving from sedentary to even lightly active produces meaningful risk reduction. You do not need to run marathons.
- →Strength training twice a week contributes to better blood pressure, blood sugar, and body composition, all of which affect cardiovascular risk.
Eat for your heart
- →Mediterranean-style eating, emphasizing vegetables, legumes, fish, olive oil, nuts, and whole grains, has the strongest consistent evidence for cardiovascular benefit, including reduced blood pressure, improved cholesterol profiles, and lower rates of heart attack and stroke.
- →Reducing sodium meaningfully lowers blood pressure in people who are salt-sensitive. The largest sodium sources are processed and restaurant foods, not the salt shaker.
- →Limiting saturated fat and replacing it with unsaturated fat (olive oil, avocado, nuts, fatty fish) supports healthier LDL levels. Avoiding trans fats is equally important.
- →If you do not drink alcohol, do not start for heart-health reasons. If you drink, reducing intake may help lower blood pressure and triglycerides and reduce other health risks.
If you smoke, quitting is one of the highest-impact changes you can make
- →Cardiovascular risk begins to decline after quitting smoking and continues to improve over time. The sooner a person stops using tobacco, the greater the long-term benefit.
- →Effective prescription cessation medications (varenicline and bupropion) are available through a telehealth visit when clinically appropriate, and significantly improve quit rates compared to willpower alone.
Manage stress and prioritize sleep
- →Chronic stress and inadequate sleep may affect blood pressure and metabolic health. These are recognized contributors to cardiovascular risk, and addressing them is part of a comprehensive prevention approach.
- →If you suspect sleep apnea, evaluation and treatment may help blood-pressure control and overall wellbeing. The effect on long-term cardiovascular outcomes varies by severity, adherence, and individual health factors. Your provider can help coordinate a sleep study referral.
Want a provider's perspective on what to prioritize for your heart health?
Start a VisitWhen prevention leads to treatment
🏪 From prevention to care — when medication enters the picture
Lifestyle measures are recommended for nearly everyone with elevated cardiovascular risk, but some risk levels also warrant medication without waiting for lifestyle changes alone to take effect. Current guidelines recommend medication for blood pressure at 140/90 mmHg or above, and for selected patients at 130/80 mmHg based on overall risk, medical history, and shared decision-making. If a prevention visit reveals blood pressure or cholesterol levels that warrant treatment, your provider can discuss your options. Prescriptions may be sent electronically to your pharmacy when clinically appropriate.
- ✓When prescription treatment is appropriate, it may be sent electronically to your selected pharmacy
- ✓Many cardiovascular medications are available as low-cost generics
- ✓Referrals to local labs for cholesterol, blood sugar, and other testing when needed
- ✓No required memberships to access our telehealth services
- ✓If we cannot help you online, you will not be charged
Medication decisions require review of your health history, laboratory results, pregnancy or pregnancy plans, liver and kidney health, potential drug interactions, and any previous adverse effects. Your provider will discuss what is appropriate before prescribing.
Start a Visit Available every day, 8am–8pm ETFrequently asked questions
❓ Heart health and telehealth — your questions answered
Can telehealth actually help with heart health?
Yes, particularly for prevention and risk assessment. A telehealth provider can review your cardiovascular risk factors, help you understand your blood pressure readings and existing lab results, discuss lifestyle priorities tailored to your specific situation, and coordinate lab referrals for cholesterol and blood sugar testing. What telehealth cannot do is physically examine you, perform an EKG, or provide emergency cardiac care. For people at lower or moderate risk who want to understand and proactively manage their cardiovascular health, telehealth is a practical, accessible starting point.
What blood pressure reading is considered high?
Current guidelines define normal blood pressure as below 120/80 mmHg. Elevated blood pressure is 120 to 129 systolic with diastolic below 80 — not yet hypertension, but worth monitoring. Stage 1 hypertension begins at 130/80 mmHg, and Stage 2 hypertension at 140/90 mmHg or above. Very high readings of 180/120 mmHg or above with symptoms such as chest pain, severe headache, vision changes, confusion, or neurological changes require emergency care immediately. If a reading exceeds 180/120 mmHg and you have no concerning symptoms, wait at least one minute, confirm you are using correct technique, and repeat the measurement. Then contact a healthcare clinician promptly for guidance. Do not simply recheck and wait. A single high reading does not diagnose hypertension — consistent elevated readings over time, particularly with home monitoring, are more meaningful.
How do I know if my cholesterol is too high?
High cholesterol usually causes no symptoms. A lipid panel is generally needed to identify it. Whether a specific result warrants treatment depends on your overall cardiovascular risk profile, including age, blood pressure, smoking status, diabetes, kidney health, and family history — not the number alone. A provider can review your lipid results in that context and discuss whether any intervention is warranted. If you do not have recent results, your provider can refer you to a local lab for testing.
What is the difference between this page and Heart & Metabolic Health?
This page focuses on cardiovascular prevention — for people who want to understand their risk, know their numbers, and build heart-healthy habits before a problem develops. The Heart & Metabolic Health page is for people who are already managing a diagnosed condition — such as hypertension, high cholesterol, or type 2 diabetes — and need ongoing provider support, medication management, and regular follow-up. Some people start here and move there. Both are accessible through the same platform.
Should I get a home blood pressure monitor?
A home monitor is especially useful if you have elevated readings, diagnosed hypertension, medication changes, possible white-coat hypertension, or other cardiovascular risk factors. Home monitoring provides readings in a relaxed setting across multiple time points, which is often more clinically informative than a single in-office reading. Choose a validated automatic upper-arm monitor with the correct cuff size — wrist and finger monitors are generally less reliable. Your provider or pharmacist can help you choose an appropriate model and cuff size.
Can I get help quitting smoking through a telehealth visit?
Yes. If you smoke, quitting is one of the highest-impact changes you can make for your cardiovascular health, and telehealth handles it well. A licensed provider can prescribe varenicline (Chantix) or bupropion when clinically appropriate, discuss nicotine replacement options, and provide follow-up support. You do not need to have already decided to quit to have this conversation.
Is this visit HSA or FSA eligible?
Yes. MyPhysician360 consultations are HSA and FSA eligible and may be eligible for reimbursement through your Health Savings Account or Flexible Spending Account. Check with your plan administrator for specifics.
Helpful resources
📚 Trusted heart health resources
Authoritative information on cardiovascular risk, prevention, and heart-healthy living.
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❤️ Prevention & lifestyle Heart-healthy living — risk factors, diet, activity, and prevention guidance American Heart Association Visit American Heart Association |
🩸 Blood pressure Understanding blood pressure readings and what they mean American Heart Association Visit AHA Blood Pressure Resources |
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📊 Cardiovascular risk calculator PREVENT Calculator — estimate 10- and 30-year cardiovascular risk including heart failure, kidney, and metabolic factors American Heart Association / ACC Open PREVENT Calculator |
🔬 Cholesterol Cholesterol — what it is, what the numbers mean, and how to manage it American Heart Association Visit AHA Cholesterol Resources |
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🚭 Smoking cessation Quit smoking — tools, resources, and support Smokefree.gov / U.S. Department of Health Visit Smokefree.gov |
Your heart is worth knowing about. Let's look at the numbers together.
A licensed provider can help you understand your cardiovascular risk, interpret your blood pressure and cholesterol, and identify the steps that matter most for your health. Privately, same day when possible, from wherever you are.
HSA & FSA eligible | No required membership | No charge if we can't help
Medical disclaimer: The information on this page is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Heart disease and cardiovascular risk require individualized evaluation by a licensed provider. If you are experiencing chest pain, severe shortness of breath, fainting, or other symptoms of a possible heart attack or stroke, call 911 immediately — do not drive yourself or wait for a telehealth response. Telehealth is not appropriate for emergency cardiac evaluation, hypertensive emergency, or during pregnancy without obstetric coordination. Lab work requires in-person collection; MyPhysician360 can refer you appropriately. Medication decisions require review of your full medical history, laboratory results, and individual risk factors. A licensed MyPhysician360 provider will review your complete health history before making any recommendations or prescribing any medication. MyPhysician360 services are available in most states. Services are not currently available in Mississippi or Alaska.