Your Heart House, heart disease prevention, and the effects of alcohol on your heart health are just a few of the topics in this WTOP, Washington DC interview with Dr. Aarush Manchanda.

Dr. Manchanda breaks down heart disease in Your Heart House

Your Heart House is Dr. Manchanda’s way of communicating the complicated interplay of your heart’s various functions and structures in a way that anyone can understand: by comparing the heart to a house.

In this interview, Dr. Manchanda gives a peak into some of the similarities he points out in the book: doors are likened to valves, siding is equivalent to the pericardium, and the heart even incorporates plumbing and electricity.

And just as a house with faulty plumbing doesn’t necessarily mean the doors are jammed, so too can the heart have localized problems that leave other areas unaffected.

A few tips on how to prevent heart disease

Dr. Manchanda includes a few heart disease prevention tips for the listeners and ties it back into the house metaphor.

Staying active, for instance, is one of the most far-reaching ways to help your heart house since it combats plumbing clogs like cholesterol, keeps your electricity running, and strengthens your walls.

Quitting smoking is another way to prevent heart disease as it tends to clog up your plumbing as well.

The effects of alcohol on your heart house

News of the benefits of having a glass of wine a day has become quite popular recently due to its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties.

Too much alcohol, though, Dr. Manchanda points out, can wreak havoc on your heart, weakening its walls and in some cases, depending on pre-existing conditions, landing you in the hospital.

One point, in particular, most people don’t consider is the fact that alcohol can have differential effects, acting as a depressant for the mind but also a stimulant for the heart.

To learn more about heart disease, heart healthy habits, and more, discover the book "Artisan's Approach to Your Heart," and take control of your heart health today.