Surgeon: Improve heart health by fixing your weakest lifestyle link
Cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Jeremy London tells Fox News Digital that targeting the lifestyle factor where a patient struggles most — diet, exercise or sleep — can yield the biggest heart-health gains.
A Georgia-based cardiothoracic surgeon said patients seeking to reduce their risk of heart disease should identify and address the single lifestyle area where they struggle most, rather than rely on one change alone.
In an on-camera interview with Fox News Digital, Dr. Jeremy London said a balanced approach across diet, exercise and sleep matters for cardiovascular health but that concentrating on a person’s weakest link often produces the largest benefit. "Figure out what you’re not good at, and that’s where you have the most opportunity," he told the outlet.
London said moderation in eating is helpful but not always sufficient to prevent serious conditions such as high cholesterol or heart disease. "You can be mindful of what you're putting in your mouth, but it's not necessarily the one thing," he said. He advised patients to compare their habits across major lifestyle domains and prioritize improving the area where they fall short, whether that is activity, nutrition or sleep.
As an example, London said that a weight loss of 15 to 20 pounds can make a meaningful difference for many people because visceral fat — the fat that accumulates around the abdomen and organs — promotes inflammation and is linked to cardiovascular disease. He recommended daily movement in addition to dietary changes and said poor sleep can undermine weight-control efforts and the ability to stick with an exercise program.
"If you're tired and stressed, you're less likely to eat properly and follow your workouts properly," London said. "Everything is so interconnected." He urged patients to assess which behavior most compromises their overall physiology and start there.
Public health guidance and clinical research identify several modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, tobacco use, physical inactivity, excess body weight and diabetes. Medical specialists often emphasize that combined improvements across multiple behaviors provide the greatest reductions in risk, because the factors interact — for example, poor sleep can worsen appetite regulation and reduce motivation for exercise.
London's comments were presented in a lifestyle-focused interview and were accompanied in the Fox News Digital piece by advice about practical steps patients can take, including weight reduction and consistent activity. He stressed that identifying the single lifestyle habit that most undermines a patient’s overall balance can provide a clear, actionable starting point for improving heart health.
The interview appears amid ongoing public-health efforts to reduce the burden of heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States. Clinicians typically recommend that patients discuss individualized risk and treatment priorities with their medical providers, including whether lifestyle interventions, medications or both are appropriate.
The Fox News Digital interview was summarized by lifestyle reporter Angelica Stabile. Dr. London’s remarks reflect his clinical perspective as a cardiothoracic surgeon and underscore the interconnected nature of diet, exercise and sleep in managing cardiovascular risk.