Decreased Heart Rate among Physicians Who Used Encardia Wellness App

Specializing in emotional stress and cardiovascular disease, John M. Kennedy, MD, functions as the medical director of an interdisciplinary team at Kindred Health Systems, where he oversees the daily, evidenced-based care of patients. Outside of the hospital, John M. Kennedy, MD, serves as the CEO of Encardia Wellness, which operates under the goal of lowering stress among medical professionals.

In an effort to highlight the effectiveness of Encardia’s seven-step BREATHE methodology, Dr. Kennedy and his colleague Dr. Lyssette Cardona conducted a study that included 29 physicians at the Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. These physicians, representing 10 medical disciplines, were encouraged to use the app-based program during breaks at work and record their heart rate before and after use.

Each of the physicians who participated in the study experienced a decrease in heart rate after using the app, while the average decline was 5 beats per minute from 70 to 65. The use of guided imagery and controlled breathing was the reason attributed to an increase in parasympathetic tone, which, in turn, lowers heart rate. A similar study among registered nurses proved to be equally effective at reducing stress in the workplace.

BREATHE Technique Helps Make Stress Reduction Attainable

The author of well-received books on heart disease and stress, board-certified cardiologist John M. Kennedy, MD, works with Los Angeles-based Kindred Health Systems as medical director of its interdisciplinary team. John M. Kennedy, MD, a technology-focused innovator, developed the Encardia Wellness app and a simple but effective technique called BREATHE.

The average person takes 600 breaths every hour. Yet, as Dr. Kennedy demonstrated in a segment of television’s informational series The Doctors, we often breathe in ways that contribute to stress.

In the episode, a busy single mother of two young children shared her hectic daily routine. Dr. Kennedy arranged a real-life simulation stress test for her. The woman’s heart rate soared to 170, a level typically only reached after sustained vigorous exercise. Additionally, her levels of the stress hormone cortisol soared.

Dr. Kennedy then trained her in the BREATHE technique. In this method, “B” stands for “beginning”, in which a person places themselves in a receptive state. “R” means “relaxation,” and reminds the person to consciously let go of tensions while taking seven deep nasal breaths then breathing out through the mouth. 

“E” asks a person to “envision” a peaceful environment. “A” means “apply.” In this component, a person pictures, for example, her heart pumping as regularly and calmly as a waterfall in a guided visualization. “T” means to think of the experience as a “treat,” “H” puts the focus on “healing,” and “E” brings the patient back to the real world, more relaxed, at the “end.”

Does Mindfulness Actually Reduce Stress?

An author and cardiologist with decades of experience, John M. Kennedy, MD, is the medical director at Kindred Health Systems in Los Angeles, California. John M. Kennedy, MD is also the founder of Encardia Wellness, an app-based service that helps businesses effectively manage workplace stress among their employees.

Mindfulness-based techniques like observational breathing and meditation aren’t just a passing fad in stress management. Research suggests that these practices have demonstrable positive effects on stress levels and other areas of a person’s life. Some of the benefits of mindfulness are a greater ability to empathize with others as well as an improved capacity for self-compassion.

Research trials have shown that mindfulness techniques are on par with other relaxation methods in terms of reducing stress. In addition to facilitating the growth of empathy and compassion, mindfulness techniques can also help people develop strong comping mechanisms. This will allow them to better handle stressful situations as they arise and/or manage chronic mental health conditions they may be experiencing.

Basic Hand Signals Every Cyclist Should Know

A board certified cardiologist, John M. Kennedy, MD, splits his time between leading the interdisciplinary team at Kindred Health Systems as medical director and overseeing Encardia Wellness as chief medical officer and founder. Outside of work, John M. Kennedy, MD, enjoys an active lifestyle and regularly rides his bike along the beaches of Los Angeles.

One of the basic ways to stay safe when riding a bike is by using hand signals to let drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians know where you plan on going. These hand signals are used to denote where you intend to turn and whether you are slowing or stopping.

To signal that you are making a left turn, extend your left arm straight out to the side. When your arm is extended, use your index finger or all your fingers to point left. Then, before you move, look to the left to ensure there are no vehicles or pedestrians present or approaching. As long as everything is clear, you can safely proceed with either your lane change or left turn.

Meanwhile, a right turn is signified by extending your left arm out and bending it up at a 90-degree angle at the elbow. Your hand should be pointing upwards with the palm facing in front of you. Alternatively, you can also extend you right arm fully to the right and point with all your fingers or with your index finger. As with a left turn or lane change, make sure you check whether it’s clear to your right before moving.

The signal you need for slowing is similar to that used for a left hand turn. For this, extend your left arm out to the side, bend it at the elbow, and point the forearm down toward the ground. Then, open your hand to display your palm to the people behind you.

The BREATHE Technique for Increased Cardiovascular Protection

An experienced cardiologist, John M. Kennedy, MD, teaches his patients about the clear link between stress and cardiovascular health. John M. Kennedy, MD, encourages individuals to manage their stress as a means of reducing risk and offers a framework for doing so in his book The 15-Minute Heart Cure. The method is known as the BREATHE technique.

Controlling daily stress does not require a lot of time or money, but failing to do so puts individuals at risk of cardiac valve disease, congestive heart failure, a heart attack, and arrhythmia. The BREATHE technique is a simple and proven strategy for reducing stress. The acronym stands for beginning, relaxation, envision, apply, treatment, heal, and end. Dr. Kennedy’s book covers each of these steps with specific breathing and guided imagery exercises that people can employ anywhere.

In the book, individuals will find real-life case examples taken directly from the clinic, so that individuals understand how to employee the technique in their daily lives to reduce their stress and lower their risk of damage to their cardiovascular system. Only a few minutes each day are needed to take control of stress and improve overall health.

Data Analytics and Cardiac Disease Risk Factors

Cardiovascular health specialist John M. Kennedy, MD, a recipient of the America’s Top Doctor designation, serves as the medical director of Kindred Health Systems in Los Angeles. As the founder of the mobile app-based Encardia Wellness, John M. Kennedy, MD, is at the forefront of health care technology and medical applications for advanced data analytics.

Scientists and researchers are continuously studying how big data, machine learning, and analytics can be applied to improve cardiac patient outcomes and make preventive medicine more effective.

In 2014, the Harvard School of Public Health entered lifestyle data and the long-term health status of more than 95,000 individuals to pinpoint the most significant indicators for developing cardiovascular disease. The results informed the creation of a predictive analytic tool, the Healthy Heart Score, used by physicians to rate an individual’s risk of heart disease.

Four years later, a team of researchers from Yale University utilized similar methods to create prediction models for people with a recent diagnosis of heart failure. This data will help both clinicians and patients understand the factors that contribute to increasing the lifespan of individuals living with heart disease.

ACC Study Examines CHF in Women with Prior Cardiotoxicity

A board-certified cardiologist with more than 20 years of experience, John M. Kennedy, MD, serves as the medical director of a multidisciplinary team at Kindred Health Systems in Los Angeles. Actively engaged in his profession, John M. Kennedy, MD, is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology (ACC).

Recent research highlighted in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology shows that young women who have undergone cancer treatments such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy in the thorax area that are associated with a risk of damaging the hear are at a greater risk of developing congestive heart failure (CHF) while they are pregnant or afterward. Researchers looked at data from 78 women who have survived cancer after having received such treatments to determine if there was any correlation to negative heart outcomes either in response to becoming pregnant or postpregnancy.

In examining the data, researchers found a total of 55 patients who had been exposed to anthracycline chemotherapy, while the others were treated with non-anthracycline chemotherapy or had undergone radiation therapy. Of those who received anthracycline treatment, 13 had been diagnosed with cardiotoxicity, and 31 percent of them developed CHF either while they were pregnant or shortly after giving birth.

A Guide to Properly Gripping a Golf Club

The creator of the BREATHE relaxation technique, John M. Kennedy, MD, is a renowned cardiologist who has written dozens of publications and earned several awards for his work. Outside of his role as the CEO of Encardia Wellness, John M. Kennedy, MD, loves playing golf with friends.

During a round of golf, most players grip their club between 70 and 100 times. For this reason, the grip is often the first thing instructors teach their students.

To hold a golf club properly, take the club in your right hand, and hold it out in front of you at a 45-degree angle. Place the grip between the top of the palm and the first knuckles of your left hand, and curl your pinkie, ring finger, and middle finger around the grip. Finally, roll the thumb onto the right side of the grip so that the fleshy part under the thumb presses directly on the handle, and the index finger is curled around under the grip.

At this point, you can check that the positioning is correct. There should be an inch between the end of the club and the top of the grip. Further, the grip should run diagonally along the top of the palm to ensure you have freedom to move your wrist.

Now, it’s time to get your right hand into position. Rest the grip between the palm and first knuckle, and move your right hand toward your left hand. Curl the right pinkie around the index and middle fingers of the left hand, while the right middle and ring fingers curve around the grip. Again, the thumb should be rolled over the left thumb. Both hands should place a comfortable amount of pressure on the club such that there is no tension in the forearms.

The South Bay Bicycle Trail

A graduate of Brown University Medical School, John M. Kennedy, MD, completed his internship and residency at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center before embarking on a medical career that has spanned more than two decades. During his free time, John M. Kennedy, MD, pursues a range of hobbies, including bicycling in the South Bay of Los Angeles.

The temperate climate and beautiful landscape of Southern California offers outdoors lovers and fitness enthusiasts numerous opportunities. Cyclists have no shortage of options for exploring the region by bike. The South Bay Bicycle Trail stands out as one of the most popular routes in the city. 

A paved bicycle path, the South Bay Bicycle Trail spans 22 miles from Will Rogers State Beach at its north end to the Torrance County Beach at its southern terminus. The trail is especially popular because it traverses well-known beaches, including Santa Monica State Beach and Venice City Beach, and allows for easy access to the piers and other attractions of the area. 

The South Bay Bicycle Trail also offers numerous amenities along the route, including access to public restrooms and multiple stands that rent out bicycles, roller skates, and other equipment. However, the trail is one of the most popular in the city and can often get crowded on weekends and later in the day. Those who want to avoid the crowds should consider exploring it in the early morning.

How Stress Impacts the Heart

Renowned heart health specialist and founder of the BREATHE stress reduction technique, John M. Kennedy, MD, has administered care to cardiovascular patients in medical centers across California. An accomplished author and researcher, John M. Kennedy, MD, has spent the majority of his career exploring the links between heart disease and stress.

Stressful situations cause the body to enter the fight or flight response, which can take a toll on the heart. High stress levels have been associated with cardiovascular problems such as hypertension and heart attacks. 

Whether stress is caused by sudden change, chronically difficult circumstances, or an anxiety-related condition, the body responds by producing adrenaline. This triggers the fight or flight response, resulting in increased heart rates and blood pressure. If the stress response is maintained long periods of time, it puts a strain on the cardiovascular system.

During stressful periods, individuals can protect their heart by following a healthy diet, starting an appropriate exercise routine, and engaging in stress-relieving techniques. People with chronic or episodic stress may benefit from more comprehensive lifestyle changes and therapy.