This is not about waiting for a problem. It’s about stopping it before it starts.
Your heart never takes a day off. No vacations, no sick leave, no complaints. It just keeps ticking. Until one day, maybe, it doesn’t.
Most people assume their heart is fine. No chest pain? No problem. Blood pressure’s “normal”? Must be good. But the truth is, heart disease doesn’t announce itself with a grand entrance. It builds in silence, waiting for the right moment to make itself known.
That’s why Giovanni Campanile, MD takes a proactive approach, looking beyond the usual markers to assess true heart health. Because the real question isn’t just “Is my heart working?”—it’s “Is it working as well as it should?”
And most of the time, the answer isn’t what you think.
Your Numbers Say You’re Fine? Maybe Not
A routine check-up says everything is normal. Blood pressure? Within range. Cholesterol? No red flags. You leave feeling reassured.
But standard tests only catch obvious problems. They don’t see the hidden issues. They don’t measure how your arteries are aging. They don’t check if inflammation is quietly setting the stage for trouble.
Plaque doesn’t build overnight. It starts slow, sometimes in your 20s or 30s, long before a doctor raises an eyebrow. Stress hormones might be running high, quietly hardening arteries. Your blood sugar might be fluctuating too much, even if you’re not diabetic. These small shifts don’t always show up in a regular screening, but they add up over time.
Your numbers are just part of the story. The fine print? That’s where the real risk hides.
It’s Not Just a Pump. It’s a Symphony
Doctors talk about the heart like it’s plumbing. Pipes, valves, pressure. Keep the arteries clear, and everything flows.
But your heart isn’t just a mechanical pump. It’s a conductor of a complex orchestra—nerves, hormones, blood vessels, metabolism. If even one section falls out of tune, the whole system suffers.
- Chronic stress can throw your heart’s rhythm off balance.
- Inflammation can weaken blood vessels, making them more vulnerable.
- Blood sugar spikes can damage arteries, even if you don’t have diabetes.
- Deficiencies in magnesium and CoQ10 can drain your heart’s energy supply.
Ignore these, and your heart may still function. But it won’t thrive.
The Symptoms No One Associates with Heart Trouble
The body sends signals before a full-blown crisis. But they’re subtle. Easy to brush off.
Feeling exhausted, even after a good night’s sleep? That could be your heart working harder than it should. Getting dizzy when you stand up too fast? Circulation issues might be at play. Hands and feet always cold? That’s not just a “you run cold” thing—poor circulation could be a warning sign.
Even small changes, like struggling more with exercise or feeling “off” after big meals, can hint at an underlying issue. But because these don’t scream heart attack, people ignore them. Until they can’t.
How Everyday Life Chips Away at Heart Health
It’s not just the big things—family history or lack of exercise. It’s also the daily choices that seem harmless.
- That “one” extra cup of coffee? If stress is already high, caffeine pushes your heart into overdrive.
- Sitting all day, even if you exercise? The heart likes movement throughout the day, not just a 30-minute workout.
- Skipping meals or eating at odd hours? Your blood sugar spikes and crashes, putting strain on the heart.
- Overlooking hydration? Dehydration thickens the blood, making your heart work harder.
Tiny habits, repeated daily, create the conditions for heart trouble long before the first warning sign appears.
What Functional Cardiology Does Differently
Traditional medicine waits for damage. Functional cardiology looks for warning signs. Instead of focusing just on cholesterol and blood pressure, it digs deeper:
- Inflammation markers – Because heart disease is more about inflammation than cholesterol.
- Metabolic health – Blood sugar swings and insulin resistance stress your heart.
- Heart rate variability (HRV) – A window into how well your heart adapts to stress.
- Nutrient levels – Magnesium, CoQ10, omega-3s—your heart depends on them.
- Hormonal balance – Cortisol, thyroid function, even estrogen influence heart health.
Give Your Heart What It Needs to Keep Beating Strong
Your heart works for you. Give it something in return.
Eat like it matters—less sugar, more real food. Move daily, not just in the gym but in life. Stress? Treat it like a real threat because your heart feels every bit of it. And sleep—don’t cut corners. That’s when your heart repairs.
Most importantly, listen. If something feels off, don’t settle for “normal.” Normal doesn’t always mean healthy.
Conclusion
Most people don’t think about their heart—until something forces them to. By then, it’s usually too late.
But it doesn’t have to be. The right approach to heart health isn’t just about fixing problems—it’s about preventing them. That’s the core of Campanile Cardiology, where a deeper understanding of heart function helps people take control of their health before it’s too late.
So—will you?