The WATCHMAN™ device offers several benefits. It reduces the risk of stroke associated with atrial fibrillation while minimizing the long-term use of blood thinners, which can have side effects and require frequent monitoring. Additionally, the device can improve quality of life by eliminating the need for daily medication and reducing the risk of bleeding complications. Listen to Dr. Katikaneni in this episode of “Heart to Heart” to learn more.

We all know that gravity is essential for life on Earth. Did you know that gravity also plays a role in your vascular health and affects varicose veins? In this episode of “Heart to Heart,” Dr. Baucum talks about all things varicose veins, venous disease and procedures that the Vein Center at ACS offers patients.

Spring has sprung! With that, allergy season has also returned. In this episode of “Heart to Heart,” Dr. Baucum discusses if seasonal allergies affect your heart or your cardiovascular endurance. He also describes the reasons why you should be cautious when taking allergy medications. Listen to learn how you can best take care of your heart health this allergy season.

In this podcast episode, Dr. Baucum discusses how post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects the heart. PTSD can negatively impact heart health because of the immense strain that it puts on the heart. We also learn about how a new field of science called epigenetics reveals that traits from PTSD can be passed to your children, furthering the importance of seeking professional treatment for PTSD.

Lifestyle choices have a major impact on your heart health. Genetics also play a large role in heart health. You can’t alter your genes, but you can change your lifestyle. In this episode of “Heart to Heart,” Dr. Baucum gives examples of small steps that you can take to start living a healthier lifestyle this year.

Your heart and kidneys work closely together. When one organ isn’t working well, it puts a huge strain on the other one. It is important to keep your heart healthy to also keep your kidneys healthy. Listen as Dr. Baucum explains more about the correlation between the heart and the kidneys.

The holiday season is here! With the holidays comes an increase in cardiac events. In this episode of “Heart to Heart,” Dr. Smith answers frequently asked questions about heart health and the holidays. He covers topics related to travel, stress and diets. He also shares tips about how you should care for your heart during the holiday season and what you can do to prevent a cardiac event.

One of the leading risk factors for heart disease is diabetes. People with diabetes are more likely to have heart disease, and at a younger age, than people who do not have diabetes. Dr. Ray Smith discusses diabetes’ correlation with heart health and things you can do to help lower your risk of heart disease in this episode of “Heart to Heart.” 

Halloween is top-of-mind in this episode of “Heart to Heart.” Dr. Baucum dives into topics about how to make Halloween a heart-healthy and safe holiday. Listen to learn if a scary movie can trigger a heart attack, which Halloween treats are heart-healthy, which fall activities promote heart health and what to be mindful of as you enjoy the Halloween festivities.

ACS is excited to partner with Baylor to bring greater access to advanced heart care to the Shreveport area. In this episode of “Heart to Heart,” Dr. Baucum shares that a physician from Baylor will be spending one or two days per month at ACS in Shreveport. This will increase access to care for conditions that patients would usually have to travel outside of Shreveport to receive treatment, such as for advanced congestive heart failure. Listen as Dr. Baucum explains more about what the partnership with Baylor will entail in this new episode of “Heart to Heart.”