The heart works tirelessly to keep the body in check, yet most of us only pay attention to it when something feels wrong.
A heart surgeon has taken to social media to highlight everyday behaviours that could be damaging cardiovascular health.
Dr Colleen Pietras, a cardiac surgeon, posted a TikTok video outlining three common habits she avoids to protect her heart.
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Dr Pietras warned against using tobacco and nicotine products
|GETTY / TIKTOK / COLLEEN_MD
The medical professional's viral clip focuses on practices many people engage in without realising their potential harm.
Her warnings cover oral hygiene products, dietary choices and lifestyle habits that could increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.
The surgeon's advice challenges conventional thinking about certain health practices, particularly regarding antibacterial mouthwash use and its unexpected connection to blood pressure regulation.
The first habit Dr Pietras warns against is using mouthwash containing alcohol.
"Alcohol-based mouthwashes are anti-bacterial," she explained in her video. "Antibacterial kills both good and bad bacteria, and you need the good. The good bacteria produce nitric oxide."
The surgeon detailed how oral bacteria play a crucial role in cardiovascular health.
Beneficial microbes in the mouth transform nitrates found in vegetables such as leafy greens into nitrites, which then become nitric oxide.
This gas acts as a signal for blood vessels to dilate and relax, helping to reduce blood pressure.
"You wipe out good bacteria, then you suppress nitric oxide production, negatively affecting your blood pressure," Dr Pietras cautioned.
The cardiac surgeon's second warning concerns dietary choices, specifically advising against consuming ultra-processed and fast food products.
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The expert warned that mouthwash can have a detrimental effect on blood pressure
|GETTY
"Anything pre-packaged or with preservatives, extra salts, sugars, none of it's good, and it increases your risk of heart disease," Dr Pietras stated.
Her final caution addresses tobacco and nicotine products.
"Nicotine narrows your blood vessels, smoking injures the lining of your blood vessels, not only in your heart but in your brain, increasing your risk of heart attack and stroke," the surgeon explained.
These substances damage the inner walls of blood vessels throughout the body, elevating the likelihood of both cardiac events and strokes.