Cardiology

Cardiologists, Practice What You Preach!

Cardiologists might be struggling with the same lifestyle challenges they counsel patients about, as a national survey of ACC members revealed significant gaps between what physicians’ recommend and how they act.

  • Current lifestyle medicine guidelines encompass six core pillars: regular physical activity, whole-food plant-based eating, stress resilience, restorative sleep, positive social connections, and avoidance of risky substances.
  • Despite CVD being the leading cause of death worldwide, lifestyle interventions aren’t common and still inconsistent, potentially due to physicians’ personal behaviors.

The ACC CardioSurve study surveyed 166 U.S. cardiologists about their training in lifestyle medicine and clinical recommendations across all six lifestyle pillars, revealing some striking disconnects…

  • While 41% frequently recommended whole-food plant-based diets for CVD prevention, only 8% personally followed such diets, with most (68%) consuming omnivorous diets.
  • Physical activity counseling was nearly universal (91%), yet only 69% of cardiologists met the guidelines themselves.
  • Most cardiologists (87%) had never received formal training in lifestyle medicine.

Even with recognition of lifestyle medicine’s importance, cardiologists reported multiple barriers preventing both their compliance and how they counsel patients such as…

  • Concerns about protein adequacy (28%).
  • Cultural challenges (40%).
  • Patient compliance issues (63%).
  • Dissatisfaction with sleep quality (35%).
  • Difficulty maintaining social connections (69%).
  • Pervasive alcohol consumption (69% used alcohol, 34% weekly).

It’s also worth noting that the survey had a 31% response rate that may over-represent cardiologists with greater lifestyle interest, suggesting actual compliance rates could be even lower.

The Takeaway

It’s hard to be a model citizen when your job is stressful, but being a healthcare provider means your patients look up to you. While this survey is small and certainly doesn’t apply to all cardiac care professionals, it’s a good reminder to practice what you preach. The meaning of doctor is teacher, after all.

Get twice-weekly insights on the biggest stories shaping cardiology.

You might also like

Obesity Care August 25, 2025

GLP-1s Work, But Not for Free August 25, 2025

Real-world semaglutide (Wegovy) patients might be experiencing a healthcare cost paradox, after a recent analysis in JAMA showed that GLP-1s successfully reduce weight and improve cardiovascular risk factors, but lead to increased patient healthcare expenditures in the short term. The real-world analysis examined 23.5k adults prescribed semaglutide between January 2018 and January 2025 across two […]

Electrophysiology August 21, 2025

Conduction-System Pacing Succeeds at Treating AV Block August 21, 2025

Conduction-system pacing could be poised to reshape standard care for atrioventricular (AV) block patients after the randomized CSPACE trial demonstrated its significant benefits over traditional right ventricular septal pacing. Taking a closer look at CSP’s potential, the CSPACE trial enrolled 202 patients with AV block at two Australian hospitals, randomizing them to conduction-system pacing or […]

Cardiology Pharmaceuticals August 18, 2025

Rivaroxaban Monotherapy Could Be Better for CAD + AFib August 18, 2025

New analysis from the AFIRE trial suggests rivaroxaban monotherapy might be emerging as a preferred antithrombotic strategy for patients with AFib and stable coronary artery disease, especially in older age groups. The Post Hoc AFIRE Analysis examined 2,215 Japanese patients with AFib and stable CAD, stratifying them into four age groups (<70, 70-74, 75-79, and […]

You might also like..

Select All

You're signed up!

It's great to have you as a reader. Check your inbox for a welcome email.

-- The Cardiac Wire Team

You're all set!