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Cold winter temperatures can put additional strain on the heart, making February's Heart Month an important time to focus on cardiovascular wellness, according to Dr. Tiffany Di Pietro, who recently shared heart health recommendations.
Winter weather forces the body to work harder to maintain warmth, creating extra stress that makes heart health awareness particularly crucial during colder months. Di Pietro emphasized the importance of targeted supplementation alongside traditional lifestyle approaches.
"A lot of patients ask me about supplements," Di Pietro said. "When it comes to supplements, I recommend Qunol Ultra CoQ10."
CoQ10 serves as a key nutrient that helps the body produce energy at the cellular level, with the heart requiring more energy than any other organ. While the body naturally produces CoQ10, levels decline with age and can be affected by certain medications.
"By helping supply that energy that the heart needs to function properly, CoQ10 helps support vascular health and healthy blood pressure," Di Pietro explained.
She recommends combining targeted supplementation with lifestyle habits, including a balanced diet and regular exercise, for optimal heart health benefits. However, not all CoQ10 supplements offer the same absorption rates.
Regular CoQ10 found in many supplements is poorly absorbed because it doesn't dissolve well in water. Qunol Ultra CoQ10 differs in that it is both water- and fat-soluble, providing up to three times better absorption than regular CoQ10 formulations.
"This helps people increase CoQ10 levels in just weeks," Di Pietro said.
Beyond supplementation, Di Pietro stressed the importance of knowing family health history when developing individualized heart care approaches. She encourages patients to gather information about health problems affecting parents, siblings, and grandparents.
"It frustrates doctors when patients come in, and when we ask what's going on in their family, they don't know," Di Pietro said. "Ask your mom, your dad, your brothers, your sisters, your grandparents what health problems they have, because that's something genetically that you might be predisposed to."
Understanding family history can significantly change individualized healthcare approaches when discussed with healthcare providers. Di Pietro also emphasized knowing personal health numbers, including cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels.
"Know those numbers cold and know what your goal should be for those numbers, so you can make changes to whether your diet, your exercise, or maybe even potentially medications or supplements to help improve your heart health," she said.
Qunol Ultra CoQ10 soft gels are available in 60 and 120 count bottles starting at $25.99 at major retailers including Walmart, CVS, and Costco. Additional information about heart health supplements is available at qunol.com.
