The Connection Between Lifestyle, Inflammation and Cardiovascular Disease

You probably already know that unhealthy cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, smoking, obesity, type 2 diabetes and a sedentary lifestyle can raise your risk of cardiovascular disease. But did you ever wonder how these conditions are connected? The answer is inflammation, a byproduct of the immune system’s reaction to an invader or irritant. It’s involved in all stages of heart disease development.   

There are three basic types of inflammation – acute, subacute and chronic. Acute occurs when your body identifies an invader or irritant, be it bacteria, a virus or a foreign object like a splinter. That invader triggers an immune system reaction, typically causing redness, heat, swelling, pain or loss of function. Acute inflammation generally lasts a few days. 

Inflammation persisting longer than a few days is considered subacute, a phase that usually lasts between two and six weeks. And if inflammation goes beyond this point, it’s deemed long-term or chronic and can last years, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Chronic inflammation can affect your overall health, causing problems, especially for the cardiovascular system. But unlike the visible inflammation around a cut or painful inflammation from a sore throat, cardiovascular inflammation is hard to detect. You can't see it or feel it, which makes it particularly dangerous.  

Fortunately, modern testing can reveal and help monitor chronic inflammation.  

Testing for Hidden Inflammation  

Two main tests can help identify chronic inflammation. Your doctor may order one or both as part of the MDVIP Wellness Program.   

C-reactive protein (CRP) – is a protein that increases when inflammation is present. CRP test is one of the most common detectors of chronic inflammation. While the test doesn't show the specific cause of the inflammation, it can indicate your risk for heart disease.  

Myeloperoxidase (MPO) – is an enzyme and biomarker of vascular inflammation. Cleveland Heart Lab developed a proprietary, advanced diagnostic screener that helps identify the level of MPO in your blood through a simple blood test that enables physicians to assess your risk of developing heart disease and having a heart attack within the next six months to two years, regardless of other risk factors you may have.  

Lifestyle Variables that Raise Your Risk of Inflammation 

In addition to testing, we also know what puts you at risk for chronic inflammation, including these common lifestyle challenges.

Consuming too much sugar. Processed sugar causes the liver to release harmful fats into your bloodstream, which triggers inflammation, leading to chronic inflammation. This can damage your blood vessels, including those in the blood vessels in eyes, kidneys and heart, raising the risk of cardiovascular disease.  

Smoking: Cigarette smoke has toxins that irritate and inflame the inner lining of arteries. This weakens arterial walls, making it easier for fatty deposits (plaques) to build up, narrowing the arteries and raising the risk of atherosclerosis and peripheral vascular disease. Smoking also raises your blood pressure. People with high blood pressure also tend to have elevated inflammatory markers.  

Being obese: Obesity, particularly abdominal obesity, is dangerous because it affects hormonal balances, leading to insulin resistance, which produces inflammation in fat tissue and is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. It’s also indicative of visceral fat — deep abdominal fat surrounding organs. This type of fat can trigger an unhealthy cholesterol profile, hormonal imbalances that can lead to insulin resistance and inflammation, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Obesity also accounts for between 65 and 78 percent of high blood pressure cases.  

Lacking sleep: Sleep provides your body with more than just rest. It also regulates cortisol, the stress hormone. A poor night’s sleep raises cortisol levels, disrupting progesterone and estrogen, hormones that affect the thyroid, affecting metabolism. Sleep deprivation also interferes with hunger-related hormones—insulin, ghrelin and leptin—leading to weight gain and insulin resistance, both of which contribute to inflammation and cardiovascular disease.  

Being stressed: Your body produces the hormone cortisol during stressful situations. Cortisol contributes to inflammation.  

Managing and Reducing Inflammation  

The good news is that physicians can work with patients to help them lower their inflammation markers, according to a study published in the Journal of International Medical Research.  

More than likely, your primary care physician will recommend lifestyle modifications such as quitting smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, getting the right amount of exercise and eating a heart-healthy diet. They’ll also suggest that you properly care for teeth and gums, manage stress and get adequate sleep, as these factors help reduce chronic inflammation.  

They may also prescribe a statin medication. Statins are drugs known for lowering cholesterol, but they also help reduce inflammation, providing dual benefits for cardiovascular protection. And if your MPO level is elevated, your primary care physician may order additional tests.  

It’s also important to establish a strong relationship with your primary care physician. This will help them understand your lifestyle and daily stresses, as well as your personal and family history. This is one reason MDVIP-affiliated practices are much smaller than traditional primary care practices. Unhurried visits enable your primary care physician to get to know you well.    

If you don’t have a primary care physician, consider joining an MDVIP-affiliated practice. MDVIP-affiliated physicians have more time to help you pursue a heart-healthy lifestyle. Find a physician near you and begin your partnership in health»