{"id":3701,"date":"2019-11-06T12:29:30","date_gmt":"2019-11-06T17:29:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/menshealth\/?p=3701"},"modified":"2025-10-17T13:12:45","modified_gmt":"2025-10-17T17:12:45","slug":"sidney-smith","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/urology\/mens-health\/2019\/11\/sidney-smith\/","title":{"rendered":"Dr. Sidney C. Smith, Jr."},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Dr. Sidney C. Smith, Jr. is a Clinical Cardiologist and past President of the American Heart Association and the World Heart Federation<\/p>\n<div class=\"large-quote\"><p>Heart disease is now the leading cause of death globally \u2014 but it\u2019s an epidemic that need not happen.\"<br\/>-Sidney C. Smith, Jr., MD<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"video-container\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"349\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/DyiajNnpGCA?html5=1\" title=\"\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<h2>Video Transcript<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Michael Washington:<\/strong><br \/>\nDr. Smith, you\u2019ve spent your career studying cardiovascular disease. Why is heart health such a pressing concern today?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Dr. Sidney C. Smith, Jr.:<\/strong><br \/>\nHeart disease is now the leading cause of death globally. It\u2019s truly an epidemic \u2014 but it\u2019s an epidemic that need not happen. The good news is that most of these diseases are preventable through healthy lifestyle choices.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re here in Carmichael Gym because physical activity is one of the best things you can do for your health. Leading an active life is crucial for preventing cardiovascular disease.<\/p>\n<p>When I talk with patients about exercise, I tell them: do it daily. If you make a commitment to exercise with another person, you\u2019re far more likely to stick with it \u2014 because you\u2019re not just committing to exercise, you\u2019re also committing to a friend. Whether it\u2019s biking, walking, playing basketball, or tennis \u2014 whatever form it takes, it should be part of your everyday life.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Michael Washington:<\/strong><br \/>\nSo regular activity is the foundation. What else do you emphasize for long-term heart health?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Dr. Smith:<\/strong><br \/>\nRight alongside physical activity, the next big one is don\u2019t use tobacco. Smoking is probably the worst thing you can do for your health. And we have to remember that secondhand smoke is also dangerous.<\/p>\n<p>Number three is a good diet. Eat the right foods \u2014 a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and fish. Lean meats are fine, but avoid saturated fats and trans fats. Combine that healthy diet with regular exercise, and you\u2019ve already made tremendous progress toward heart health.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Michael Washington:<\/strong><br \/>\nAnd beyond lifestyle, what key metrics should people be monitoring?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Dr. Smith:<\/strong><br \/>\nKnow your blood pressure. High blood pressure, along with smoking, is one of the top two risk factors for heart disease. It\u2019s also a leading cause of stroke \u2014 and here in the southeastern United States, we live in what\u2019s called the \u201cstroke belt.\u201d So check your blood pressure and manage it early.<\/p>\n<p>Next, understand your cholesterol levels \u2014 your blood lipids matter. And finally, make sure you\u2019re screened for diabetes. These are all pieces of the same puzzle.<\/p>\n<p>If we can make these lifestyle changes and stay on top of our health, we can truly prevent most heart disease. And honestly, as a cardiologist, one of my greatest joys would be to put myself out of business \u2014 because that would mean people are healthy and heart disease is no longer taking lives unnecessarily.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"btn btn-primary btn-lg btn-dark oscitas-bootstrap-container\" href=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/urology\/mens-health\/outreach\/champions\/#champions\">Other Champions<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dr. Sidney C. Smith, Jr. is a Clinical Cardiologist and past President of the American Heart Association and the World Heart Federation Video Transcript Michael Washington: Dr. Smith, you\u2019ve spent your career studying cardiovascular disease. Why is heart health such a pressing concern today? Dr. Sidney C. Smith, Jr.: Heart disease is now the leading &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/urology\/mens-health\/2019\/11\/sidney-smith\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Dr. Sidney C. Smith, Jr.\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":79967,"featured_media":3702,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"layout":"","cellInformation":"","apiCallInformation":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3701","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mens-health-champion","odd"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Dr. Sidney C. 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