Raise Awareness About What You Can Do to Support Your Heart Health

The month of February features Valentine’s Day, when we celebrate romantic love with heart-shaped boxes of chocolate and bouquets, but it’s also American Heart Month, a time when we need to think about what we’re doing to support our heart health.

Since heart disease is the number one killer of both men and women in the United States, it’s critical to learn what you can do to keep your heart in tiptop shape. Though there are risk factors that aren’t within our control when it comes to our hearts, like having a family history of heart disease, there are many things we can do to take control of our heart health that are quite impactful.

These habits not only help your heart, they also lower your risk for cancer, diabetes, and other serious conditions:

• Eating fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, lean proteins like fish, and healthy fats like olive oil.
• Avoiding ultra processed foods (UPFs), fast food, highly processed meats like hot dogs and bacon, and foods high in sugar and salt.
• Exercising at least 150 minutes per week, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Getting sufficient sleep for your age range.
• Managing stress effectively by spending time with friends and pursuing favorite hobbies, adopting a mindfulness practice like meditation or prayer, and spending time outside regularly.
• Quitting smoking if necessary.
• Assessing your use of alcohol and other recreational drugs.

These lifestyle choices are doable, if you put in a bit of effort and allow room in your schedule for things like cooking, getting enough sleep, and exercising. And remember, it’s worth it to help your heart, which keeps you going every day of your life.

It’s also important to know the signs of a heart attack. This is never a time to worry about whether symptoms are “real” or not. It’s better to take an ultimately unnecessary trip to the Emergency Department than risk irreversible heart damage or death that accompany a heart attack. 

Be aware too, that women’s symptoms can differ from men’s. Both men and women may experience shortness of breath, nausea or vomiting, jaw, neck, or back pain, and chest tightness or pressure. Women, however, can also experience back pain that’s concentrated in the upper back, upper abdomen or lower chest pain and pressure (though they don’t always notice chest pain), indigestion, severe fatigue, and even fainting.

Women’s heart health awareness is emphasized on Wear Red Day, which was Friday, February 6th. By wearing red, we recognize the need for ongoing research and education about heart attack and stroke in women.

I would also like to announce a new test we have added to our diagnostic arsenal that screens for cardiovascular artery disease (CAD). This problem develops when sticky, fatty plaque accumulates in the arteries and impairs blood flow to the heart, raising one’s risk for heart attack and other problems. Your doctor weighs your heart disease risk factors as they decide whether or not you need the test, called calcium scoring testing. 

Calcium scoring testing is quick, noninvasive and painless, and involves getting a computed tomography (CT) imaging scan, which involves a low dose of radiation, but no IV contrast, and is a type of imaging that reveals if there is any calcification in your coronary arteries. If there is, the test helps your doctor determine what preventive steps are necessary for you to take to lower your risk for a heart attack. These include adopting lifestyle choice changes like improving your diet or exercising more or taking statins (cholesterol-lowering medications).

We are happy to be able to offer this important test as yet another way you can access care close to home at Highlands-Cashiers Hospital (HCH).

Finally, I’d like to highlight a few important groups of caregivers here at HCH and Eckerd Living Center (ELC). In January, we recognize our Activities Coordinators. Our activities professionals provide a valuable service by assuring our residents in ELC have a life full of fun and meaningful activities. 

In February, we recognize our Outpatient Nurses and Cardiac Rehab Nurses. Our outpatient nurses provide services for patients who need infusions and injections without needing to be admitted to the hospital. You can learn more about them by calling (828) 526-1332. Our cardiac rehab nurses have a vital role in reducing the potential devastating effects of heart disease. You can learn more about our cardiac rehab program by calling (828) 526-1469. 

We are grateful to these three groups, who perform outstandingly and compassionately all year round. 

Tom Neal, RN, MBA, MHA, is the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) of Highlands-Cashiers Hospital. Neal is a proven leader with more than 30 years of progressive healthcare experience. Prior to his role at Highlands-Cashiers Hospital, he served as Chief Executive Officer of both Berwick Hospital Center in Berwick, Pennsylvania, and Greenbriar Valley Medical Center, Ronceverte, West Virginia, which are each part of Community Health Systems (CHS). Tom has an MBA from the University of Louisville, MHA from the California College of Health Sciences, BSN from Regents College of New York and an ADN from Jefferson Community College.