If you’re a wife concerned that your husband won’t take your advice or even your family doctor’s advice and see a cardiologist, we understand. As premier heart care specialists in Bergen County, we see this “macho syndrome” in men all the time. The wives are concerned, and often with reason because if their husbands are over 55, their risk of heart disease is increasing much faster than it did when they were younger. Sometimes the wives are concerned because their husbands are ignoring huge heart disease risk factors such as being overweight or obese, smoking cigarettes, or not exercising. Often the husbands are actually displaying early warning signs, such as chest pain or shortness of breath. And yet they refuse to see a specialist.

So what can you tell such guys, to overcome either their fear or their avoidance? In our experience, quoting statistics at them rarely works. So in this article, we’ll concentrate on presenting a few symptoms or “warning signs” that are so serious that any man experiencing them should see one of our amazing heart care specialists in Bergen County, and soon. Read through the article yourself, and if necessary print it out and force your husband to read it. It could literally save his life.

Signs that you really need to see a cardiologist

• Your family doctor recommends it. You should never ignore this advice.
• Pain or pressure in the chest, shortness of breath while exercising, or syncope (unexplained fainting). If your husband is ignoring danger signals this severe, he needs to be dragged to see a cardiologist.
• Family history of heart attack or sudden death before age 60. If you have such a family history, you need to start seeing a cardiologist in your 40s, because your risk is much greater than that of people with no family history.
• He’s over 40 and starting a new exercise program. This is especially true if he has not been in the habit of exercising regularly before. A quick examination and stress test can keep the new exercise program from actually triggering a heart attack.
• High cholesterol levels. If your husband’s total cholesterol levels are 200 mg/dL or higher, he really needs to see a cardiologist. If he is over 40 and doesn’t know what his cholesterol levels are, it’s even more important.
• High blood pressure. If he has a high systolic blood pressure ( the first number of your blood pressure reading, for example the 120 in 120/80), he should definitely see a cardiologist. Again, if he is over 40 and doesn’t know what his blood pressure is, he should.
• He is or was a smoker. Smoking is one of the biggest risk factors for heart disease, and its effects can last for a year after quitting smoking.
• He is overweight. Obesity is a huge risk factor for heart disease, especially if the extra weight is associated with diabetes.
• He has recurring gum disease. As odd as this may sound, gum disease is linked with inflammation, and can be a high risk factor for heart disease.

There are other “danger signs” that indicate that a man should see a cardiologist, but this list covers most of them. As we suggested earlier, have your husband read this article online, or print it out and give it to him. Then, if you’re really concerned about keeping him as healthy as possible, sit him down and dial 201-546-5753 or go online to schedule for him and set up an initial consultation with the best heart care specialists in Bergen County.  A complete checkup only requires a few minutes of his time, but could literally save his life, so remind him you’re insisting because you love him.