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Last week’s presentation on heart disease sponsored by Community Health Education and Resources began with the somber report that some 460,000 Americans die each year from heart attacks or related cardiovascular problems.
Then came the good news.
Speakers at the Feb. 19 seminar in the Providence Auditorium at Sacred Heart Medical Center outlined a series of positive steps – from eating healthy food to exercise to regular screenings – that have been proven to dramatically improve heart health. By the end of the evening, attendees like Eric Clifford of Millwood said they felt more knowledgeable about staving off cardiovascular problems.
“This was very helpful,” Clifford said. “I learned a lot about what I can do.”
Debbie Belknap, a certified diabetes educator and registered nurse who specializes in nutrition, told attendees how an active lifestyle reduces what she called “one of the biggest risk factors for a stroke” – high blood pressure.
“In addition to walking, biking and jogging, think of things you do in everyday life and make them active,” Belknap said. “Exercise doesn’t have to be painful.”
A healthy diet is vital in maintaining heart health, Belknap said. Along with five to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, salt intake should be limited to “the equivalent of a teaspoon a day.”
“Really go light on the salt,” Belknap advised. “We get enough of it in our food already.”
Belknap described how weight control is a major factor in maintaining cholesterol and blood pressure, thereby reducing the chance of heart disease and other problems such as diabetes.
While the sources of stress may be unpredictable, how we deal with it can be a benefit to our hearts, Belknap said. Researchers have identified stress as a leading cause of chronic disease, including cardiovascular problems.
“Many of the ways we deal with stress are not good for us, whether it’s drinking, smoking or watching TV,” Belknap said. “The only thing we can control is how we respond to stress.”
Tobacco in any form, including second-hand smoke, is acknowledged as “the single most preventable cause of death,” Belknap added.
CHER continues to be a key sponsor of community programs like “Quit to Win” that help smokers kick the habit. The agency also coordinates tobacco cessation support groups and educational efforts that bring attention to the dangers of smoking. In recent years, Washington state has launched a free support line – 1-800-QUIT-NOW – that includes nicotine patches and gum at no charge.
Ann Marie Keck, a clinical outreach coordinator with Inland Northwest Health Services, highlighted another important phone number in the battle against heart disease – 9-1-1. In collaboration with local hospitals, INHS has established the Level 1 Cardiac program which underscores the lifesaving benefits of responding immediately to the first signs of a heart attack.
Working with the Med Star helicopter team, the program ensures that patients receive treatment without delay, clearing artery blockages before they become deadly. From chest pain to nausea, heart attack symptoms can be extreme or subtle Keck said, although none should be taken lightly. She added that while medical professionals are always on call to deal with such emergencies, the process begins with “people understanding the need to get to the hospital as soon as possible.”
“The quicker you respond, the better your chance at survival and a better quality of life,” Keck said. “There can be permanent damage done if you wait too long.”
Keeping an eye on cholesterol levels, blood pressure and triglycerides through regular screenings can help people to identify concerns and make critical adjustments. Last Saturday, CHER sponsored a free heart health screening at Deaconess Hospital attended by over 200 people. A similar event for stroke risk will be held May 16 at Sacred Heart.
Belknap recommended that people check food labels as part of a healthy heart agenda, avoiding ingredients like saturated fats and transfats.
“You see saturated fat in a lot of animal products and things like palm oil and coconut oil,” Belknap said. “Transfat is found in commercial baked goods and increases.”
Belknap provided an unsettling example of the dangers associated with transfat – also identified as fully or partially hydrogenated oil – by pointing to a popular snack product, the Hostess Twinkie, that relies on the substance to increase its shelf life by up to a dozen years.
“Just think of that sitting in your arteries and veins for 12 years,” she said.
On the flip side of nutrition, Belknap recommended six servings of grains or whole grains a day along with 25-30 grams of fiber. Omega 3 fatty acids, found in food like fish, flax seed and walnuts, is also beneficial for the heart.
“Don’t eat anything your grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food,” Belknap said.
Want to find out more?
To learn more about heart health, visit the American Heart Association Web site at www.americanheart.org, or call, toll-free, 1-800-242-8721. To find out more about upcoming events sponsored by Community Health Education and Resources, call 232-8138 or visit www.cherspokane.org.
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By
Craig Howard
