MedLink Health Connections Podcast

Heart Disease: The Silent Killer and How to Fight Back with Dr. Theresa Jacobs from GPCA

• MedLink Georgia • Season 1 • Episode 5

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This episode delves into heart disease prevention and the simple lifestyle changes that can lead to significant improvements in heart health. Dr. Teresa Jacobs from the Georgia Primary Care Association shares valuable insights, highlighting the importance of awareness and proactive strategies to combat heart disease.

• Understanding heart disease, its symptoms, and associated risk factors 
• Proactive measures for monitoring and improving heart health 
• The importance of community initiatives like the Live to the Beat campaign 

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Speaker 1:

February is American Heart Month, but heart health is important all year long. As this month wraps up, we're joined by Dr Teresa Jacobs from the Georgia Primary Care Association to discuss heart disease prevention, risk factors and simple lifestyle changes that can make a big impact. Whether you're managing high blood pressure or just looking to keep your heart strong, this episode is packed with valuable insights. Let's dive in. What is heart disease?

Speaker 2:

So that's a wonderful question, since it is the number one killer of folks in America. It is basically a range of conditions that actually affect the heart and and it could be the blood vessels surrounding the heart, it could be the valves, it could be the heart itself, because the heart is a muscle, so it could be the heart itself, or it could actually be something that someone is actually born with and they call that a congenital heart disease or congenital heart defect.

Speaker 1:

Okay, okay. And are there any warning signs of heart disease?

Speaker 2:

Absolutely. There are a myriad of possible signs and symptoms of heart disease. Most people are aware about the chest pain, but it also could be chest pressure. A lot of folks describes it as a elephant sitting on their chest. It could be dizziness, it could be fainting or near fainting episodes, it could be a fast heart rate, it could be shortness of breath, it could be swelling in the feet or legs, it could be pain radiating up to the shoulder or to the jaw, and so all of these are possible signs and symptoms of heart disease.

Speaker 1:

Okay. Is there any way that people can be proactive in preventing heart?

Speaker 2:

disease? Oh, absolutely. There are several ways. One, check your blood pressure. If you have a diagnosis of hypertension or high blood pressure, it's a good idea to make sure you know what your blood pressures are and take your medications as prescribed by your provider. If you don't have an issue with blood pressure, it's just nice from time to time to check it just to make sure your blood pressure is still well controlled, and that could be at the doctor's office, at the pharmacy, the fire station or even having a blood pressure cuff at your house. If you're a diabetic, this is always wonderful to make sure your blood sugars and your hemoglobin A1Cs are well controlled and, again, take your medications as directed.

Speaker 2:

Eating healthy and we all know about eating healthy, drinking lots of water, fruits and vegetables these are things that we should incorporate into our daily diet. Eating the more lean meats as opposed to beef and pork you want to do probably fish, chicken, turkey, things of that nature. If you're a smoker, it is just a great idea to stop smoking, because it is one of the high-risk things that we do that can increase our risk of developing heart disease. So, if you're a smoker, absolutely stop smoking. Limit the amount of alcohol that you drink as well, because obsessive alcohol also is a risk factor for heart disease. Exercising on an ongoing basis and that could be not necessarily going to a gym, but just walking in your neighborhood, walking in your house but find ways to exercise and to burn calories.

Speaker 2:

The other two biggies that I'll mention just before I stop here is find ways to manage stress, because if you internalize it, that can raise the heart rate, raise the blood pressure, raise the blood pressure, raise your blood sugar. So find ways to manage stress. And the last thing that a lot of folks don't do is getting those eight hours of sleep. Seven to nine hours of sleep is what most of us should be getting, so we have to find a way to do that on an ongoing basis. So keep a good sleep schedule. These are all things that will help you lower your risk of heart disease.

Speaker 1:

And how can some of these small lifestyle changes really improve your heart's health?

Speaker 2:

Well, I tell people, take baby steps. That's what I when I talk to my patients. Take baby steps. If you're going to the grocery store or out to the mall, you know, park further out on purpose. Don't circle the parking lot looking for that parking space nearest the door, but park out on purpose and then take a brisk walk up to the front of the store. If you're going into a mall, before you actually start shopping, yeah, take a I call it a victory lap or a heart lap around the mall. Just walk around the mall inside one time and then start doing your shopping.

Speaker 2:

So these are little things that you could do. It will increase the number of calories that you burn. It will help your heart be healthier. You can do things like carry that bottle of water with you or keep some water with you and drink that water whenever you think about it. Again, it's another way of increasing the amount of water that you drink, helping you to prevent dehydration, helping you also to help keep that heart healthy. So you find little things to do to help keep that heart healthy. So you find little things to do to help keep your heart healthy, okay.

Speaker 1:

So all of what you said has been amazing. I think it's definitely beneficial and helpful. I want to kind of change up where we're going just for a second, because I want to talk about the Live to the Beat campaign. Oh yeah, so I am an ambassador. I'm trying my best. I'm still new to the program, but I wanted you to kind of educate everyone just a little bit on exactly what that campaign is all about.

Speaker 2:

It's a wonderful campaign. It's called Live to the Beat campaign. It is led by the CDC Foundation, the Million Hearts Initiative, along with CMS, which is the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and their goal, their primary goal, is to see if they can prevent one million heart attacks and strokes over a period of five years, and so they've got all this wonderful literature that's out here. They are recruiting ambassadors so that the ambassadors can get out into their community and educate the community about heart disease and ways to prevent your risk to developing heart disease. So it's an excellent, wonderful campaign.

Speaker 1:

And how does the campaign encourage people to improve their quality of life?

Speaker 2:

Well it is. You know, if you can get a group of folks at your church, your synagogue, your community center to be dancing, it is a healthy way for your heart. Everybody's dancing, having a great time, you're socializing and that heart is loving every bit of it. And so if you can get folks out into the community to do those small steps to improve heart health, I say let's do it. So these ambassadors are out in the communities educating, but you're doing it in a fun way. We had some folks at an event. They were jumping rope, they were doing an old-fashioned dance called the twist, but everybody was having a good time, they were burning calories, they had cooking demonstrations, healthy ways to cook, and so it was a great time. But the message or the purpose of it was to show folks you can enjoy yourself and you can help reduce heart disease in your community.

Speaker 1:

Okay, I love that. I love that. I definitely think it is a very good campaign and it's it gives you kind of a different look on heart health. I feel like, Absolutely. Do you have any final words for us before we wrap up?

Speaker 2:

I sense cardiovascular or heart disease is the number one killer, unfortunately, of folks in the United States. This is extremely important, and so we encourage everyone to think about your heart, think about what are ways that I can improve my heart health, be it taking walks, be it just having conversations with folks that are in their 20s, in their 30s, in their 40s, talking to them about good heart health. So there are wonderful ways to do it. Make it a family affair, make it a community affair. It is so important.

Speaker 2:

But what's startling to me is that well over 80% of heart disease is preventable, and so once we get that message out in our community and give folks tools on how to reduce those risk factors, how to reduce heart disease in their communities, I think it makes it a healthier community for all of us. And so I tell everybody take care of that heart, think about it. Ways that you can do it Every single day. You can take those little baby steps to help you reduce heart disease in your family, in your communities even, and at your jobs. So salute to good heart health.

Speaker 1:

Yes, get that heart pumping. Yes, very good, all right, thank you so much for all that you have said today. It was amazing. Thank you so much for doing this with me. I have really enjoyed everything that you have to say, and it's so important, especially, it's important all year round, but this month is, you know, really pushing it with American Heart Month, and thank you so much for providing some insights for us. All right, I hope this helps. Yes, ma'am, it does so much.

Speaker 2:

All right. Thank you. Thank you for even for asking me. Yes, ma'am, it does so much, all right, thank you, thank you for even for asking me.

Speaker 1:

Yes, ma'am, thank you so much for doing it for us. It's amazing.

Speaker 2:

All right, great, and you can have a absolutely fabulous Valentine's Day, heart health month. Enjoy yourself and thanks. Thanks again for the invite. Thank you so much. Bye-bye.

Speaker 1:

Bye. Thank you for tuning in to the MedLink Health Connections podcast. We hope you found today's episode informative and inspiring. If you enjoyed the show, please subscribe, rate and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Please subscribe, rate and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. Remember the information shared in this podcast is for educational purposes only and should not replace professional medical advice. Always consult with your healthcare provider for any medical concerns. Stay connected with us on social media and visit our website at medlinkgaorg for more resources and updates. Until next time, stay healthy and take care.