Healthy Heart and Eye Relationship

February is American Heart Month, and it's the perfect time to focus on our heart health. The health of our heart encompasses the entire cardiovascular system, which includes the heart itself and all the blood vessels that circulate blood throughout our body. Interestingly, our eyes can signal potential cardiovascular issues! It may come as a surprise, but the eye is the only place where we can see our blood vessels directly.  [1]

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When you visit an eye doctor, they might take a retinal image to show the blood vessels in your eye. You've probably seen something like this in spy movies – a retinal scanner that displays an image of the retina. By examining these blood vessels, doctors can learn a lot about the health of your overall vascular system.

If there's too much pressure from the heart pumping, the blood vessels will indicate high blood pressure. In the eye, this can lead to retinopathy, harming the eye's main blood supply. Consequences include bleeding, blurred vision, swelling, blood clots, damage to the optic nerve, or even strokes in the retina leading to vision loss.

Diabetes can also affect the blood vessels in the eye, showing irregularities and signs of leakage. And if arteries are clogged with plaque, the blood vessels appear stiff, a condition known as hardening of the arteries.

What impacts the blood vessels impacts the eyes, since they're part of the same system.

To protect your heart health, eating well, staying active, and making positive lifestyle changes are key. Additionally, dietary supplements might offer extra support for your heart and cardiovascular health. Consider these heart health supplements as a step toward better heart health.

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1 Flammer J, Konieczka K, Bruno RM, Virdis A, Flammer AJ, Taddei S. The eye and the heart. Eur Heart J. 2013 May;34(17):1270-8. doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/eht023. Epub 2013 Feb 10. PMID: 23401492; PMCID: PMC3640200.

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