Hi everyone!
My name is Parul Kakar and I am Cardiologist practicing in New Jersey. I first started running in the 7th grade with the guidance of my dad. We are South Asian (Indian) and for reasons that are still not known, South Asians are at a higher risk to develop heart disease (specifically heart disease in the blood vessels of the heart).
My paternal grandfather passed away at a younger age due to a massive heart attack and despite my dad's active lifestyle growing up, he too had a heart procedure at a young age. Maybe it's the reason I gravitated towards Cardiology as a medical field? I cannot tell you with certainty, but I can confidently tell you that heart disease is a personal matter to me and something I care deeply about.
I treat heart disease daily by teaching patients about their disease process or helping them understand their risk factors, so we can do our best to prevent heart disease early. Knowing your risk factors early is the key to prevention. It is never too early to start understanding your risks and how to manage them, which brings me to why I am running for the American Heart Association this year!
I ran my first (and only) marathon back in 2015. It was the NYC marathon and one of the coolest things I've done. I have always wanted to do another, but I kept using the excuse of being busy with medical training to properly train for a marathon. I finally realize that life will always be busy, but I want to work towards a goal that is meaningful again.
I am excited to help fundraise for the American Heart Association to help spread the word and resources to specifically target heart disease prevention.
I run to stay healthy, so I can enjoy time with my family (my two daughters pictured above!). I run to role model for my patients that I too take the daily steps to prevent heart disease. Now I want to run to encourage you to start taking your own steps towards gaining more knowledge and understanding for how you can lead a heart-disease-free life.
Thank you for your support!
Parul
