Doctor reveals the four major traits heart surgery patients have in common

There are four common traits that could increase your risk of heart disease, according to a doctor.

Around two million people worldwide undergo open-heart surgery every year, according to the Cleveland Clinic, while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that one in every four deaths each year is due to heart disease.

One practitioner who has seen his fair share of heart surgery patients is Doctor Jeremy London, a heart surgeon who routinely shares tips, tricks and information on his dedicated TikTok channel.

In his latest clip, the medical expert has revealed the ‘four common traits’ that his heart surgery patients usually exhibit.

The doctor has claimed that there’s one ‘single worst thing’ that you can do for your health as well as announcing how weight gain can have a seriously negative effect on your blood pressure.

Smoking

In the clip, Dr London said that one of the main traits he sees in many of his patients is that they are smokers.

“Single worst thing you can do for yourself,” the practitioner began. “If you make one change to decrease your overall cardiovascular risk please stop smoking.”

According to Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) around one in every eight people in the UK smokes, while the NHS states that, in 2022-2023, there were an estimated 408,700 hospital admissions due to smoking.

Smoking causes fatty deposits to build up inside coronary arteries, which can reduce blood flow to the heart and increase the chance of a heart attack.

It can also increase your risk of developing heart and circularity diseases, the British Heart Foundation states.

Obesity

The TikToker claimed many of his patients are also obese, remarking that fat stores drive inflammation and that excess abdominal fat is a known risk factor for a heart attack.

Penn Medicine says that obesity can also cause a spike in bad cholesterol and triglyceride levels, as well as lower good high-density lipoproteins (HDL) cholesterol.

HDL cholesterol helps to remove bad cholesterol while simultaneously working to reduce the risk of heart disease.

They also states that obesity can cause your blood pressure to rise to due individuals requiring more oxygen and nutrients.

Diabetes

“How well our bodies manage metabolised glucose is a direct indicator of our overall metabolic health,” stated Doctor London.

“Eating a whole foods diet, limiting processed foods and adding resistance training to our exercise programmes or even something as simple as taking a 15 minute walk after meals can dramatically move the needle.”

According to Diabetes UK, around 4.4 million people in the UK are currently living with diabetes.

An additional 1.2 people could be unaware that they are living with type 2 diabetes.

Symptoms pointing to both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes include extreme fatigue and slow-healing sores.

Family History

It’s so important to be aware of your family history when it comes to health issues because it can help identify whether or not you are at higher risk of contracting or suffering from certain conditions.

These health problems can range from asthma to heart disease, high blood pressure and certain psychiatric diagnoses.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services claims that family history is considered one of the most important risk factors for health issues - and Doctor London would agree.

“We can’t run from our genes,” the content creator stated. “But we can make good common sense, nutritional and lifestyle decisions that impact how these genes are expressed to improve our overall cardiovascular health.”

If you want to collect information on your family history, Healthy WA advises you speak to first-degree relatives such as your parents and siblings first before discussing with your aunts, half-siblings and grandparents.

After talking with your second-degree relatives, it is also recommended to speak to your cousins, as they are categorised as third-degree relatives.