A video video posted by go red for Woman “Just a Little Heart Attack”
A SusanvilleStuff Feature
by Melissa Blosser, Assistant Editor
February is Heart awareness month and there are some things you can do right here at our local hospitals to prevent heart disease.
According Debbie Jones, Health Educator at North Eastern Rural Health (NRH) healthy adults are encouraged to schedule their annual checkup with blood work to monitor their cholesterol profile, blood glucose levels, kidney and liver function. At this exam the provider will monitor weight and blood pressure and review medications. Provider’s will evaluate risk factors for heart disease or vascular disease and advise the patient of how to reduce their risks.
“If lifestyle changes such as diet modification, weight loss, exercise or stress reduction would benefit the patient they will be referred to me or Barbara Byers RD, for assistance,” said Jones. “Patients with identified heart health risks may need more frequent monitoring as recommended by their provider.”
Other services offered through the Health Education Office at Northeastern are: free monthly diabetes support and education classes and individual smoking cessation sessions. Diabetes and smoking both pose great risks to the heart. NRHC also offers a weight loss program that requires meeting with Debbie Jones for an assessment of eating habits, then an individual meal plan is designed. Weight checks are done either weekly or biweekly for support and encouragement throughout the weight loss process.
“Eating lots of vegetables, fruits and whole grain foods will lower the LDL or “bad” cholesterol levels and avoiding saturated fats, the unhealthy fats found in fast food, fried foods and packaged processed prepared food will improve cholesterol,” said Jones. “Eating too much saturated fat from animal products such as whole milk, meat fat and chicken skin can also do harm to your vascular system and exercise and increased activity improves your HDL or healthy cholesterol.”
Smoking can also put you at risk for heart disease and cause your arteries to become stiff and narrows the passage way for blood to flow causing the heart to work harder to move the blood and can result in poor circulation. It also inflames the arteries making it easier for plaque to build and cause blockage which lead to heart attack or stroke. Quitting tobacco is a great first step to improving vascular health.
For patients who do not have insurance coverage or who are unable to afford this check up, NRHC offesr a low cost men’s health screen in April and the women’s health screen in Oct. These health screens include a full exam and lab work at a very low fee. Also NRHC offers their sliding scale all year long for those who income qualify
BannerLassen Medical center also offers stress tests. According to their website stress tests are one of the best tools for diagnosing heart disease, and some research suggest that they may also be useful in estimating disease risk in people who don’t have symptoms but do have risk factors such as high cholesterol.
Stress tests ordered by your physician are available at Banner Lassen Medical Center Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. A pre-authorization may be needed so be sure to check with your insurance. For more information call us at (530) 252-2000.
A stress test at Banner Lassen Medical Center may be recommended in patients over 40 with a risk for coronary artery disease because of smoking, high blood pressure or other risk factors.
