Cancer? No, thank goodness, it’s just high cholesterol.
Health Cancer? No, thank goodness, it’s just high cholesterol. Joseph Woo (on screen, from left), Ami Bhatt, Tommaso Danesi, Jorge Plutzky, and Melody Mendez in conversation.Photos by Niles Singer/Harvard Staff Photographer Alvin Powell Harvard Staff Writer March 3, 2025 6 min read Cardiovascular disease remains nation’s top cause of death, but patients seem too casual about prevention, experts say Heart disease — America’s No. 1 killer — has a surprising problem, according to cardiovascular disease experts. It’s not scary enough. “You get a cancer diagnosis, and everybody moves. They move heaven and earth. Families move. People move,” said Ami Bhatt, chief innovation officer at the American College of Cardiology. “You say, ‘heart disease’ and people don’t move in the same way.” The attitude of many, if not most patients, is that they’ll get to it. They’ll improve their diet after the holidays, and they’ll start that exercise program once the weather warms up. All of this needs to change. That was...