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Why Looking After Your Heart Matters Long Before Symptoms Appear When we think about heart health, many people assume it’s only relevant later in life — or only if there’s a family history of heart disease. In reality, cardiovascular disease often develops quietly over years or decades, even in people who feel well, exercise regularly and consider themselves “healthy”. At Level Up Clinic, the focus is on early insight, prevention and long-term health — not waiting for problems to appear. Why Heart Health Matters for Everyone Heart disease remains one of the leading causes of illness and premature death in the UK. What makes it particularly challenging is that: Many people only discover there’s an issue once damage has already occurred. The goal of preventative health is to identify risk early, when simple lifestyle changes can make a meaningful difference. Fitness Does Not Equal Immunity One of the most common misconceptions is that being active automatically means having a healthy heart. While regular exercise is hugely beneficial, it doesn’t make someone immune to: This is particularly relevant for endurance athletes and high performers, where training stress, recovery, sleep and nutrition all interact with cardiovascular health. Key Markers of Heart Health ECG (Heart Rhythm) An ECG looks at the electrical activity of the heart and helps screen for rhythm abnormalities. Many rhythm changes cause no symptoms but are still important to identify early, especially in active individuals. Blood Pressure Blood pressure is one of the strongest predictors of long-term cardiovascular risk. Even mildly elevated readings, if persistent over time, can increase strain on the heart and blood vessels. The challenge? You usually can’t feel it when it’s high. Cholesterol Cholesterol isn’t inherently “bad” — it plays essential roles in the body. Problems arise when levels or ratios increase cardiovascular risk over time. Understanding cholesterol in context allows for informed decisions around lifestyle, nutrition and long-term health planning. Blood Sugar & Metabolic Health (HbA1c) Long-term blood sugar control plays a major role in heart health. Subtle changes can occur years before diabetes develops, increasing cardiovascular risk well before symptoms appear. This is why metabolic health is just as important as cholesterol when thinking about longevity. Practical Ways to Reduce Heart Disease Risk While some risk factors can’t be changed, many can be influenced significantly through lifestyle choices: 1. Move Regularly (but recover properly) More training isn’t always better — adaptation matters. 2. Prioritise Sleep Poor sleep increases blood pressure, disrupts blood sugar control and affects recovery. Sleep is one of the most underestimated contributors to heart health. 3. Manage Stress Chronic stress impacts hormones, blood pressure and metabolic health. Finding ways to manage stress — not eliminate it — is key. 4. Focus on Nutrition Quality Small, sustainable changes consistently outperform short-term extremes. 5. Track, Don’t Guess Having objective data allows you to: This is where targeted health screening plays a valuable role. Heart Health as a Long-Term Investment Looking after your heart isn’t about fear or restriction — it’s about protecting your future health, performance and quality of life. Early insight gives you options.Prevention gives you control. That’s the foundation of longevity-focused healthcare. Further Reading NICE – Cardiovascular Disease Risk Assessment and ReductionSummary of UK clinical guidance on assessing and reducing cardiovascular risk, including blood pressure and lipids. GOV.UK – Preventing Cardiovascular DiseaseOfficial UK government public health overview explaining how high cholesterol and other risk factors contribute to cardiovascular disease. Diabetes UK – Diabetes and Heart DiseaseExplains how long-term elevated blood sugar and HbA1c are linked to damage to blood vessels and increased cardiovascular risk. UK Biobank Study – HbA1c and Cardiovascular RiskLarge population-based research showing higher HbA1c is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease outcomes. NHS Health Check Programme – Modifiable Cardiovascular Risk FactorsUK NHS data listing hypertension, high cholesterol and elevated HbA1c among key modifiable cardiovascular risk factors that are screened for in routine checks