About Dr. Kennedy

John M. Kennedy, MD, FACC, is a board-certified cardiologist, author, educator, and Medical Director of Inpatient Cardiology at College Medical Center in Long Beach, California. With more than three decades of experience in cardiovascular medicine, Dr. Kennedy has dedicated his career to the prevention and treatment of heart disease and to understanding the powerful connection between emotional stress, behavior, and cardiovascular health.

Dr. Kennedy is the author of The Heart Health Bible and The 15-Minute Heart Cure and has appeared on national television and media outlets including ABC, CNN, PBS, The Doctors, and The Dr. Oz Show. He has also lectured internationally on cardiovascular health, stress, and workplace well-being.

A particular focus of Dr. Kennedy's work is behavioral cardiology, the study of how stress, emotions, and behavior affect the cardiovascular system. This work led him to develop B.R.E.A.T.H.E.™, a structured seven-step stress-reduction technique designed to help people recognize and reduce the physiologic effects of stress. The technique is now being studied in healthcare professionals and incorporated into BREAVA™, a digital stress-reduction platform designed to make evidence-based stress management practical and accessible.

In his signature presentation, “Follow Your Heart: The 5-Step Plan to Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease,” Dr. Kennedy translates complex cardiovascular science into practical strategies people can use in everyday life. Although heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States, many of its major risk factors can be addressed through prevention, early detection, lifestyle modification, stress management, and appropriate medical care.

Dr. Kennedy believes there is no single “magic bullet” for heart health. Lasting cardiovascular wellness comes from a sustainable approach that combines the best of modern medicine with nutrition, physical activity, restorative sleep, stress reduction, and positive behavioral change.

His goal is simple: to give people practical tools to better understand their hearts, manage stress, and take an active role in living longer, healthier lives.