Jarett Berry, M.D.

Preventive Cardiologist

Cardiovascular disease develops long before its signs and symptoms do, says preventive cardiologist and physician-scientist Jarett D. Berry, M.D.

“Heart disease doesn’t magically appear when people are 75 or 80,” he says. “What determines our risk for cardiovascular disease at 80 is our risk factors at 40 – and that’s the perspective we apply to our clinical care at UT Southwestern Medical Center.”

Dr. Berry’s clinical and research focus is primary prevention, and he evaluates and treats patients for conditions such as atherosclerosis, hypertension (high blood pressure), and lipid disorders.

He also cares for patients suffering from conditions that include coronary artery disease, heart failure, and angina, as well as those who have suffered cardiovascular events such as heart attacks.

Dr. Berry believes that integrating his research interests with his clinical pursuits helps him to provide insightful, evidence-based care.

“I enjoy bringing evidence-based care into my practice to provide my patients with good counsel and perspective as they undertake lifestyle changes and consider the risks and benefits of treatment,” he says.

“We use our data to show patients that their exercise patterns in middle age impact their heart disease risk for the rest of their lives – just as much as things like diabetes and hypertension do.”

Cardiovascular disease has a long latency, and it progresses throughout life, so patients need to think beyond the immediate future when it comes to heart health.

“One of my key responsibilities as a cardiologist is to help people understand that heart health and cardiovascular disease risk are measured in decades,” Dr. Berry says.

Dr. Berry is optimistic about advances being made in cardiology and their potential for improving patient care. New products and medical therapies in the pipeline can enable doctors to better treat patients at risk for cardiovascular disease, and progress is being made in the field of prevention.

“There’s the potential to further personalize the practice of prevention by tailoring lifestyle recommendations to patients based on their unique risk factors or genetic makeup,” he says. “And a growing understanding of novel risk markers such as coronary calcium is helping us gain a better overall understanding of risk.”