February 26, 2025 • 11 mins
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
Please subscribe, rate and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
February is American Heart Month, but heart health is
important all year long.
As this month wraps up, we'rejoined by Dr Teresa Jacobs from
the Georgia Primary CareAssociation to discuss heart
disease prevention, risk factorsand simple lifestyle changes
that can make a big impact.
Whether you're managing highblood pressure or just looking
to keep your heart strong, thisepisode is packed with valuable
(00:25):
insights.
Let's dive in.
What is heart disease?
Speaker 2 (00:31):
So that's a wonderful question, since it is the
number one killer of folks inAmerica.
It is basically a range ofconditions that actually affect
the heart and and it could bethe blood vessels surrounding
the heart, it could be thevalves, it could be the heart
itself, because the heart is amuscle, so it could be the heart
(00:53):
itself, or it could actually besomething that someone is
actually born with and they callthat a congenital heart disease
or congenital heart defect.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
Okay, okay.
And are there any warning signsof heart disease?
Speaker 2 (01:10):
Absolutely.
There are a myriad of possiblesigns and symptoms of heart
disease.
Most people are aware about thechest pain, but it also could
be chest pressure.
A lot of folks describes it asa elephant sitting on their
chest.
It could be dizziness, it couldbe fainting or near fainting
(01:33):
episodes, it could be a fastheart rate, it could be
shortness of breath, it could beswelling in the feet or legs,
it could be pain radiating up tothe shoulder or to the jaw, and
so all of these are possiblesigns and symptoms of heart
(01:54):
disease.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Okay.
Is there any way that peoplecan be proactive in preventing
heart?
Speaker 2 (02:00):
disease?
Oh, absolutely.
There are several ways.
One, check your blood pressure.
If you have a diagnosis ofhypertension or high blood
pressure, it's a good idea tomake sure you know what your
blood pressures are and takeyour medications as prescribed
by your provider.
If you don't have an issue withblood pressure, it's just nice
(02:25):
from time to time to check itjust to make sure your blood
pressure is still wellcontrolled, and that could be at
the doctor's office, at thepharmacy, the fire station or
even having a blood pressurecuff at your house.
If you're a diabetic, this isalways wonderful to make sure
your blood sugars and yourhemoglobin A1Cs are well
controlled and, again, take yourmedications as directed.
(02:50):
Eating healthy and we all knowabout eating healthy, drinking
lots of water, fruits andvegetables these are things that
we should incorporate into ourdaily diet.
Eating the more lean meats asopposed to beef and pork you
want to do probably fish,chicken, turkey, things of that
(03:10):
nature.
If you're a smoker, it is justa great idea to stop smoking,
because it is one of thehigh-risk things that we do that
can increase our risk ofdeveloping heart disease.
So, if you're a smoker,absolutely stop smoking.
Limit the amount of alcoholthat you drink as well, because
(03:33):
obsessive alcohol also is a riskfactor for heart disease.
Exercising on an ongoing basisand that could be not
necessarily going to a gym, butjust walking in your
neighborhood, walking in yourhouse but find ways to exercise
and to burn calories.
(03:54):
The other two biggies that I'llmention 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 yourblood sugar.
So find ways to manage stress.
And the last thing that a lotof folks don't do is getting
those eight hours of sleep.
(04:16):
Seven to nine hours of sleep iswhat most of us should be
getting, so we have to find away to do that on an ongoing
basis.
So keep a good sleep schedule.
These are all things that willhelp you lower your risk of
heart disease.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
And how can some of these small lifestyle changes
really improve your heart'shealth?
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Well, I tell people, take baby steps.
That's what I when I talk to mypatients.
Take baby steps.
If you're going to the grocerystore or out to the mall, you
know, park further out onpurpose.
Don't circle the parking lotlooking for that parking space
nearest the door, but park outon purpose and then take a brisk
walk up to the front of thestore.
(04:57):
If you're going into a mall,before you actually start
shopping, yeah, take a I call ita victory lap or a heart lap
around the mall.
Just walk around the mallinside one time and then start
doing your shopping.
So these are little things thatyou could do.
It will increase the number ofcalories that you burn.
(05:20):
It will help your heart behealthier.
You can do things like carrythat bottle of water with you or
keep some water with you anddrink that water whenever you
think about it.
Again, it's another way ofincreasing the amount of water
that you drink, helping you toprevent dehydration, helping you
(05:43):
also to help keep that hearthealthy.
So you find little things to doto help keep that heart healthy
.
So you find little things to doto help keep your heart healthy
, okay.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
So all of what you said has been amazing.
I think it's definitelybeneficial and helpful.
I want to kind of change upwhere we're going just for a
second, because I want to talkabout the Live to the Beat
campaign.
Oh yeah, so I am an ambassador.
I'm trying my best.
(06:13):
I'm still new to the program,but I wanted you to kind of
educate everyone just a littlebit on exactly what that
campaign is all about.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
It's a wonderful campaign.
It's called Live to the Beatcampaign.
It is led by the CDC Foundation, the Million Hearts Initiative,
along with CMS, which is theCenter for Medicare and Medicaid
Services, and their goal, theirprimary goal, is to see if they
can prevent one million heartattacks and strokes over a
(06:47):
period of five years, and sothey've got all this wonderful
literature that's out here.
They are recruiting ambassadorsso that the ambassadors can get
out into their community andeducate the community about
heart disease and ways toprevent your risk to developing
(07:08):
heart disease.
So it's an excellent, wonderfulcampaign.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
And how does the campaign encourage people to
improve their quality of life?
Speaker 2 (07:17):
Well it is.
You know, if you can get agroup of folks at your church,
your synagogue, your communitycenter to be dancing, it is a
healthy way for your heart.
Everybody's dancing, having agreat time, you're socializing
and that heart is loving everybit of it.
(07:39):
And so if you can get folks outinto the community to do those
small steps to improve hearthealth, I say let's do it.
So these ambassadors are out inthe communities educating, but
you're doing it in a fun way.
We had some folks at an event.
They were jumping rope, theywere doing an old-fashioned
(08:01):
dance called the twist, buteverybody was having a good time
, they were burning calories,they had cooking demonstrations,
healthy ways to cook, and so itwas a great time.
But the message or the purposeof it was to show folks you can
enjoy yourself and you can helpreduce heart disease in your
(08:25):
community.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
Okay, I love that.
I love that.
I definitely think it is a verygood campaign and it's it gives
you kind of a different look onheart health.
I feel like, Absolutely.
Do you have any final words forus before we wrap up?
Speaker 2 (08:40):
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, thinkabout what are ways that I can
improve my heart health, be ittaking walks, be it just having
(09:04):
conversations with folks thatare in their 20s, in their 30s,
in their 40s, talking to themabout good heart health.
So there are wonderful ways todo it.
Make it a family affair, makeit a community affair.
It is so important.
(09:25):
But what's startling to me isthat well over 80% of heart
disease is preventable, and soonce we get that message out in
our community and give folkstools on how to reduce those
risk factors, how to reduceheart disease in their
communities, I think it makes ita healthier community for all
(09:49):
of us.
And so I tell everybody takecare of that heart, think about
it.
Ways that you can do it Everysingle day.
You can take those little babysteps to help you reduce heart
disease in your family, in yourcommunities even, and at your
jobs.
So salute to good heart health.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
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 doingthis with me.
I have really enjoyedeverything 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
(10:32):
American Heart Month, and thankyou so much for providing some
insights for us.
All right, I hope this helps.
Yes, ma'am, it does so much.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
All right.
Thank you.
Thank you for even for askingme.
Yes, ma'am, it does so much,all right, thank you, thank you
for even for asking me.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
Yes, ma'am, thank you so much for doing it for us.
It's amazing.
Speaker 2 (10:50):
All right, great, and you can have a absolutely
fabulous Valentine's Day, hearthealth month.
Enjoy yourself and thanks.
Thanks again for the invite.
Thank you so much.
Bye-bye.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
Bye.
Thank you for tuning in to theMedLink Health Connections
podcast.
We hope you found today'sepisode informative and
inspiring.
If you enjoyed the show, pleasesubscribe, rate and leave a
review on your favorite podcastplatform.
Please subscribe, rate andleave a review on your favorite
(11:26):
podcast platform.
Remember the information sharedin this podcast is for
educational purposes only andshould not replace professional
medical advice.
Always consult with yourhealthcare provider for any
medical concerns.
Stay connected with us onsocial media and visit our
website at medlinkgaorg for moreresources and updates.
Until next time, stay healthyand take care.
February is American Heart Month, but heart health is
important all year long.
As this month wraps up, we'rejoined by Dr Teresa Jacobs from
the Georgia Primary CareAssociation to discuss heart
disease prevention, risk factorsand simple lifestyle changes
that can make a big impact.
Whether you're managing highblood pressure or just looking
to keep your heart strong, thisepisode is packed with valuable
(00:25):
insights.
Let's dive in.
What is heart disease?
Speaker 2 (00:31):
So that's a wonderful question, since it is the
number one killer of folks inAmerica.
It is basically a range ofconditions that actually affect
the heart and and it could bethe blood vessels surrounding
the heart, it could be thevalves, it could be the heart
itself, because the heart is amuscle, so it could be the heart
(00:53):
itself, or it could actually besomething that someone is
actually born with and they callthat a congenital heart disease
or congenital heart defect.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
Okay, okay.
And are there any warning signsof heart disease?
Speaker 2 (01:10):
Absolutely.
There are a myriad of possiblesigns and symptoms of heart
disease.
Most people are aware about thechest pain, but it also could
be chest pressure.
A lot of folks describes it asa elephant sitting on their
chest.
It could be dizziness, it couldbe fainting or near fainting
(01:33):
episodes, it could be a fastheart rate, it could be
shortness of breath, it could beswelling in the feet or legs,
it could be pain radiating up tothe shoulder or to the jaw, and
so all of these are possiblesigns and symptoms of heart
(01:54):
disease.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Okay.
Is there any way that peoplecan be proactive in preventing
heart?
Speaker 2 (02:00):
disease?
Oh, absolutely.
There are several ways.
One, check your blood pressure.
If you have a diagnosis ofhypertension or high blood
pressure, it's a good idea tomake sure you know what your
blood pressures are and takeyour medications as prescribed
by your provider.
If you don't have an issue withblood pressure, it's just nice
(02:25):
from time to time to check itjust to make sure your blood
pressure is still wellcontrolled, and that could be at
the doctor's office, at thepharmacy, the fire station or
even having a blood pressurecuff at your house.
If you're a diabetic, this isalways wonderful to make sure
your blood sugars and yourhemoglobin A1Cs are well
controlled and, again, take yourmedications as directed.
(02:50):
Eating healthy and we all knowabout eating healthy, drinking
lots of water, fruits andvegetables these are things that
we should incorporate into ourdaily diet.
Eating the more lean meats asopposed to beef and pork you
want to do probably fish,chicken, turkey, things of that
(03:10):
nature.
If you're a smoker, it is justa great idea to stop smoking,
because it is one of thehigh-risk things that we do that
can increase our risk ofdeveloping heart disease.
So, if you're a smoker,absolutely stop smoking.
Limit the amount of alcoholthat you drink as well, because
(03:33):
obsessive alcohol also is a riskfactor for heart disease.
Exercising on an ongoing basisand that could be not
necessarily going to a gym, butjust walking in your
neighborhood, walking in yourhouse but find ways to exercise
and to burn calories.
(03:54):
The other two biggies that I'llmention 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 yourblood sugar.
So find ways to manage stress.
And the last thing that a lotof folks don't do is getting
those eight hours of sleep.
(04:16):
Seven to nine hours of sleep iswhat most of us should be
getting, so we have to find away to do that on an ongoing
basis.
So keep a good sleep schedule.
These are all things that willhelp you lower your risk of
heart disease.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
And how can some of these small lifestyle changes
really improve your heart'shealth?
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Well, I tell people, take baby steps.
That's what I when I talk to mypatients.
Take baby steps.
If you're going to the grocerystore or out to the mall, you
know, park further out onpurpose.
Don't circle the parking lotlooking for that parking space
nearest the door, but park outon purpose and then take a brisk
walk up to the front of thestore.
(04:57):
If you're going into a mall,before you actually start
shopping, yeah, take a I call ita victory lap or a heart lap
around the mall.
Just walk around the mallinside one time and then start
doing your shopping.
So these are little things thatyou could do.
It will increase the number ofcalories that you burn.
(05:20):
It will help your heart behealthier.
You can do things like carrythat bottle of water with you or
keep some water with you anddrink that water whenever you
think about it.
Again, it's another way ofincreasing the amount of water
that you drink, helping you toprevent dehydration, helping you
(05:43):
also to help keep that hearthealthy.
So you find little things to doto help keep that heart healthy
.
So you find little things to doto help keep your heart healthy
, okay.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
So all of what you said has been amazing.
I think it's definitelybeneficial and helpful.
I want to kind of change upwhere we're going just for a
second, because I want to talkabout the Live to the Beat
campaign.
Oh yeah, so I am an ambassador.
I'm trying my best.
(06:13):
I'm still new to the program,but I wanted you to kind of
educate everyone just a littlebit on exactly what that
campaign is all about.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
It's a wonderful campaign.
It's called Live to the Beatcampaign.
It is led by the CDC Foundation, the Million Hearts Initiative,
along with CMS, which is theCenter for Medicare and Medicaid
Services, and their goal, theirprimary goal, is to see if they
can prevent one million heartattacks and strokes over a
(06:47):
period of five years, and sothey've got all this wonderful
literature that's out here.
They are recruiting ambassadorsso that the ambassadors can get
out into their community andeducate the community about
heart disease and ways toprevent your risk to developing
(07:08):
heart disease.
So it's an excellent, wonderfulcampaign.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
And how does the campaign encourage people to
improve their quality of life?
Speaker 2 (07:17):
Well it is.
You know, if you can get agroup of folks at your church,
your synagogue, your communitycenter to be dancing, it is a
healthy way for your heart.
Everybody's dancing, having agreat time, you're socializing
and that heart is loving everybit of it.
(07:39):
And so if you can get folks outinto the community to do those
small steps to improve hearthealth, I say let's do it.
So these ambassadors are out inthe communities educating, but
you're doing it in a fun way.
We had some folks at an event.
They were jumping rope, theywere doing an old-fashioned
(08:01):
dance called the twist, buteverybody was having a good time
, they were burning calories,they had cooking demonstrations,
healthy ways to cook, and so itwas a great time.
But the message or the purposeof it was to show folks you can
enjoy yourself and you can helpreduce heart disease in your
(08:25):
community.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
Okay, I love that.
I love that.
I definitely think it is a verygood campaign and it's it gives
you kind of a different look onheart health.
I feel like, Absolutely.
Do you have any final words forus before we wrap up?
Speaker 2 (08:40):
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, thinkabout what are ways that I can
improve my heart health, be ittaking walks, be it just having
(09:04):
conversations with folks thatare in their 20s, in their 30s,
in their 40s, talking to themabout good heart health.
So there are wonderful ways todo it.
Make it a family affair, makeit a community affair.
It is so important.
(09:25):
But what's startling to me isthat well over 80% of heart
disease is preventable, and soonce we get that message out in
our community and give folkstools on how to reduce those
risk factors, how to reduceheart disease in their
communities, I think it makes ita healthier community for all
(09:49):
of us.
And so I tell everybody takecare of that heart, think about
it.
Ways that you can do it Everysingle day.
You can take those little babysteps to help you reduce heart
disease in your family, in yourcommunities even, and at your
jobs.
So salute to good heart health.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
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 doingthis with me.
I have really enjoyedeverything 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
(10:32):
American Heart Month, and thankyou so much for providing some
insights for us.
All right, I hope this helps.
Yes, ma'am, it does so much.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
All right.
Thank you.
Thank you for even for askingme.
Yes, ma'am, it does so much,all right, thank you, thank you
for even for asking me.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
Yes, ma'am, thank you so much for doing it for us.
It's amazing.
Speaker 2 (10:50):
All right, great, and you can have a absolutely
fabulous Valentine's Day, hearthealth month.
Enjoy yourself and thanks.
Thanks again for the invite.
Thank you so much.
Bye-bye.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
Bye.
Thank you for tuning in to theMedLink Health Connections
podcast.
We hope you found today'sepisode informative and
inspiring.
If you enjoyed the show, pleasesubscribe, rate and leave a
review on your favorite podcastplatform.
Please subscribe, rate andleave a review on your favorite
(11:26):
podcast platform.
Remember the information sharedin this podcast is for
educational purposes only andshould not replace professional
medical advice.
Always consult with yourhealthcare provider for any
medical concerns.
Stay connected with us onsocial media and visit our
website at medlinkgaorg for moreresources and updates.
Until next time, stay healthyand take care.
Popular Podcasts
New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce
Football’s funniest family duo — Jason Kelce of the Philadelphia Eagles and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs — team up to provide next-level access to life in the league as it unfolds. The two brothers and Super Bowl champions drop weekly insights about the weekly slate of games and share their INSIDE perspectives on trending NFL news and sports headlines. They also endlessly rag on each other as brothers do, chat the latest in pop culture and welcome some very popular and well-known friends to chat with them. Check out new episodes every Wednesday. Follow New Heights on the Wondery App, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to new episodes early and ad-free, and get exclusive content on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And join our new membership for a unique fan experience by going to the New Heights YouTube channel now!
The Breakfast Club
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!
Fudd Around And Find Out
UConn basketball star Azzi Fudd brings her championship swag to iHeart Women’s Sports with Fudd Around and Find Out, a weekly podcast that takes fans along for the ride as Azzi spends her final year of college trying to reclaim the National Championship and prepare to be a first round WNBA draft pick. Ever wonder what it’s like to be a world-class athlete in the public spotlight while still managing schoolwork, friendships and family time? It’s time to Fudd Around and Find Out!