Maggie McKay (Host): Welcome to Stoughton Health Talk. I'm your host, Maggie McKay. Today, we're going to get to know cardiologist Dr. Michael Kreager. Thank you so much for being here today, Dr. Kreager.

Michael Kreager, MD: Thank you for inviting me.

Host: Yes. Well, let's start with learning a little bit more about your background, where you went to school, what led you to medicine.

Michael Kreager, MD: I went to Cal State University Long Beach in California. I majored in physiology and zoology. Then, I went to medical school at the Technologic University of Santiago, and then I did residency in St. Louis Internal Medicine. I did fellowship in cardiology and intervention in Columbia, Missouri, and in St. Louis.

Host: What's the best part of your job?

Michael Kreager, MD: I was thinking about this earlier. Really, I just liked science. And I liked helping people and becoming a doctor was a good mix. And in cardiology, we can fix a lot of things. It's very objective. We can do stress tests. We do echos, we do EKGs, blood pressures. So, we can really come up with objective evidence, what to fix, what not to fix, how we can help people that way.

Host: How far into medical school do you have to commit to what you're going to do? Like what department?

Michael Kreager, MD: Probably by third year, you should kind of have an idea, when you start doing rotations, what you like and what you're good at. I wasn't very good at OB-GYN, so I didn't major in that, or I didn't do a residency in that.

Host: How do you build trust and connection with your patients?

Michael Kreager, MD: I think just being honest with them upfront, what their problem is, and what our options to solve their problems are. And I think that if you're natural with patients, you don't have to think how to connect or be with them. It just seems to work out that way. Kind of like we're talking today, we would talk in the office, "What's your problem? How do you feel? How can we make that better? Would you like some medication for that? We recommend these medications. We recommend these procedures, these kind of labs."

Host: So, almost treating them like a family member, right?

Michael Kreager, MD: Well, I mean, you should treat them like a family member. So if you would not do something for your own family, then you should not do that for them.

Host: Is there something you wish more people knew about Heart Health?

Michael Kreager, MD: I think we've come a long way from having cholesterol medications, good control of blood pressure. But I think they should know that if you have symptoms or something changes, chest tightness and uncomfortable sensation in the chest, your arm starts aching, tooth, jaw pain, shortness of breath out of proportion to whatever you're doing, you can't keep up with your peers that you're age matched with, things like that should seek attention, certainly with their general doctors. Get some screening blood work, EKGs, things like that, and then they may refer you to the cardiologist.

Host: Is it true that there are different symptoms if you're having a heart attack for men than there are for women?

Michael Kreager, MD: So in the old days, about 20% of people had silent small heart attacks, and we only found out based on their EKGs and things. But women's symptoms can be different. Those are kind of the classic symptoms, pain, pressure in the chest, shortness of breath, squeezing sensation goes through to the back, up the shoulder into the neck jaw. Whereas women may just not feel good or have a very slight indigestion. So, I think if there's any kind of changes then it should be checked out. And certainly if you're diabetic, more risk factors, uncontrolled blood pressure, you've declined therapy with cholesterol medications, that does put you in a little more high risk group, because we're not modifying your risk factors.

Host: So at the end of the day, or the weekend if you ever have free time, what do you do to unwind or de-stress? What are your hobbies?

Michael Kreager, MD: So in the summer, I like to play outdoor tennis. I ride the bike. It's 20 degrees here in Wisconsin right now, so we have indoor tennis club. I hit the ball a couple times a week, and I have a stationary bike I can ride.

Host: Nice. Is there anything else you'd like people to know about you?

Michael Kreager, MD: I mean, I think it really comes down to the last question or two. You asked me that if I wouldn't recommend something to my family, then I'm probably not going to recommend it for you.

Host: That's very reassuring. And what would you say to people who kind of notice a difference, like you said, in their heart rhythm or whatever? Should you call the doctor right away, don't put it off? What?

Michael Kreager, MD: I mean, I don't think you should put things off, but it is important to keep regular follow-up visits with your general doctor. Get your yearly blood work done, check in with them what your symptoms are. Because sometimes people can be tired, fatigued, chest tightness, they're not breathing right, and it's because they have severe anemia that's really not cardiac. So, it's kind of helps to start with your general doctor, do some screening workup and catch something like that early instead of the cardiologist trying to work up the anemia and those kinds of things if they have that.

Host: In closing, is there anything else you'd like to add?

Michael Kreager, MD: No, it's just a pleasure to come to Stoughton, and wonderful patients I've already met here and it seems like we're doing pretty well

Host: Awesome. Well, thank you so much for sharing with us today. We appreciate your time.

Michael Kreager, MD: Thank you so much. I appreciate it.

Host: Again, that's Dr. Michael Kreager. To find out more, please visit stoughtonhealth.com. I'm Maggie McKay. Thanks for listening to Stoughton Health Talk, a podcast from Stoughton Health.