A Cup of Joe for Your Heart: Small Habits That Can Make a Lifesaving Difference
This information is meant to help guide healthcare decisions. If you are experiencing life-threatening symptoms, seek emergency medical care immediately.
Heart disease does not always come with warning signs. Sometimes, it changes a family’s life in an instant.
That reality is why heart health matters and why it is something we should all be thinking about, not just during American Heart Month, but year round.
In our latest Cup of Joe episode, OakBend Medical Center CEO Joe Freudenberger reflects on the sudden loss of a friend’s brother to a heart attack and the impact that kind of loss can have on a family. It is a reminder that heart health is not something to put off for later.
So what does taking care of your heart actually look like in everyday life?
What Heart Experts Say Matters Most
Leading heart health organizations agree that protecting your heart does not require extreme changes. It is about consistency.
The American Heart Association emphasizes regular physical activity, maintaining a healthy weight, and eating a balanced diet as some of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of heart disease. The organization notes that even moderate activity, such as brisk walking, can significantly improve heart health when done consistently.
Similarly, the Mayo Clinic highlights that lifestyle choices including movement, nutrition, and stress management play a major role in preventing heart disease, especially when paired with routine health screenings.
These recommendations may sound familiar because they are the same habits Joe works to practice himself.
How Joe Freudenberger Keeps Heart Health Top of Mind
“I am not a marathon runner or anything like that,” Joe shares. “But I try and stay active as much as possible”.
For Joe, that does not mean hours in the gym. It means walking throughout the hospital, staying active in his neighborhood, and avoiding long stretches of inactivity, even on the weekends.
He also focuses on one of the most controllable risk factors for heart disease, weight.
“If you look at the factors that influence heart disease, weight is one of the biggest factors,” Joe explains. “So I try and eat a healthy diet and I watch those calories because calories count”.
And heart health is not just physical.
Joe also points to mindset as an important and often overlooked part of overall wellness. Maintaining a positive attitude, he notes, can have a meaningful impact on long term health.
These are realistic habits and they are exactly the kind OakBend is here to support.
How OakBend Supports Your Heart Health
Staying proactive about your heart also means understanding what is happening inside your body. OakBend offers a full range of cardiac services designed to detect heart disease early and guide next steps with clarity and confidence.
Non Invasive Heart Services
- EKG Electrocardiogram to evaluate heart rhythm and electrical activity
- Calcium CT Scan to identify calcium buildup in the arteries available for a ninety nine dollar cash pay rate
- Echocardiogram using ultrasound to assess heart structure and function
Advanced Cardiac Testing
- Transesophageal Echocardiogram TEE for detailed heart imaging when a closer look is needed
- Cardiac Catheterization Cath to definitively diagnose heart disease and determine treatment options
“These tests allow us to determine the proper course of action,” Joe explains, helping patients move from uncertainty to answers.
Heart Health Is a Year Round Commitment
Heart Month is a reminder, but heart health is built one choice at a time.
Staying active, eating with intention, managing stress, and getting the right screenings can help protect not just your heart, but your time with the people who matter most.
“I encourage you to stay as focused on your heart as I do,” Joe says, “because it is a key part of keeping us alive and part of our community and our family”.
At OakBend, we are here to support every heartbeat, this month and always
Take the Next Step for Your Heart
Whether you are focused on prevention or looking for answers, OakBend offers heart services designed to support every stage of your heart health journey. Talk with your doctor or learn more about our cardiac services.
Ready to schedule your appointment, call 281-341-4861 or 281-341-4817 today.
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