Dr. Alon Gitig

Born and raised in New York, Dr. Gitig has long been passionate about using advanced technology and early detection to prevent heart disease before it develops rather than simply treating it after symptoms appear.

“We have so much opportunity to see early if there is a problem,” Dr. Gitig says. “With CAT scans, ultrasound, and other technologies we have an incredible opportunity to make real differences in people’s outcomes.” His approach focuses on identifying and controlling root causes of disease as early as possible, recognizing that the work may only pay off 15 to 20 years later.

Dr. Gitig was drawn to cardiology during medical school because of the intellectual challenge and fascinating physiology of heart disease. “It was always the subject that got my juices flowing intellectually,” he says. “Ironically, prevention—which became my focus—was not at all part of the education.”

His innate curiosity extends beyond traditional cardiology. When his step-father was diagnosed with metastatic lung cancer despite never smoking, it sparked his interest in thinking holistically—and outside the box—about patient care. “I don't like uncertainty,” he says. “I always want to know the why. Why is this happening to this person and not someone else, and why now?"

Dr. Gitig takes a 360-degree view of health and well-being, appreciating that when it’s done right, cardiology is truly collaborative. “Optimal prevention breaks down the walls from various other specialties. We are continuously learning more about how factors such as psychological well-being and stress, sleep disorders, sex hormones, oral health, and gut microbiome can influence predisposition to arterial disease,” he says. Dr. Gitig has extensive expertise using novel biomarkers alongside noninvasive cardiac imaging, including echocardiography, vascular ultrasound, and cardiac CT to assess patients' cardiovascular risk and develop targeted, personalized prevention strategies. 

Dr. Gitig focuses on personalized lipid management and the treatment of high blood pressure and blood sugar with a combination of medications and non-pharmacological approaches. He also targets less commonly appreciated root causes that may drive atherosclerosis in a given individual, understanding that if we only treat the most common risk factors seen in studies of large groups of people, we may miss an important disease trigger in the patient sitting in front of us. He uses an array of interventions to target elevated markers of oxidative stress and inflammation in the body, both of which are critical drivers of atherosclerotic disease.

After earning his medical degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in 2001, Dr. Gitig completed his internal medicine residency at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, followed by a cardiovascular disease fellowship at Montefiore Medical Center.

After two years in private practice, Dr. Gitig joined Mount Sinai in 2009, where he spent over 15 years building an exceptional career in cardiology. During his tenure, Dr. Gitig served in key leadership roles including Director of Cardiology at Mount Sinai Doctors Westchester and Medical Director of the Mount Sinai Heart Failure Alliance. Throughout his time at Mount Sinai, he was also named Assistant Professor of Medicine and consistently earned recognition as a top doctor, with patients heralding his thorough, compassionate approach to cardiovascular care.

“Pretty much every adult who is serious about lifespan and healthspan should be thinking about cardiovascular prevention,” he says. “The earlier we get risk factors under control, the better. The future of prevention will be about precision medicine—optimizing our ability to determine the specific root causes of disease in a given individual so that we can more effectively stop the process in each person. And we already have many tools at our disposal."

His dedication to advancing the field has earned him recognition through inclusion in Marquis Who's Who in America.

Dr. Gitig lives in New York with his wife and three children. He stays active through skiing and riding his beloved Peloton, and values spending time in nature and maintaining social connections—practices he often recommends to his patients as part of comprehensive cardiovascular health.