Herald&Review
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Healthy lessons for a long life It’s not too late to adopt good habits By ANNIE GETSINGER H&R Staff Writer
watching their cholesterol and weight and checking their blood pressure, Nelson said. Grant funding ended in December, but many of the community members involved with the programs will carry on their efforts. Amber Taylor, 29, a local fitness instructor, was one of the fitness professionals who worked with local health officials to provide free exercise groups and events. Taylor’s own story of self-transformation and her desire to lead a healthier lifestyle are inspirations in themselves, Nelson said. Last spring, Taylor went on a trip with some friends. They were headed out for an evening in Chicago, but Taylor couldn’t find anything to wear because she had gained so much weight. She weighed 207 pounds — the heaviest she had ever
DECATUR — Local cardiologists said heart health is a topic everyone should endeavor to understand, and it’s never too early to start. It’s important to develop heart-healthy habits early on, said Dr. Jeanne Marie Kairouz, a cardiologist with Prairie Cardiovascular Consultants at St. Mary’s Hospital. Awareness needs to begin in childhood. Young children are dependent on their family environments in the process of learning and modeling good behaviors, she said. “It becomes a family effort,” she said. For children, in particular, it’s very important to instill healthy eating habits from the outset, said Kairouz. It’s important to eliminate unnecessary fats, sugars and other unhealthy substances from children’s diets and instill an appreciation of the concept of moderation. In terms of an active lifestyle, “life was meant to be in motion,” Kairouz said. “Children should be moving, children should be exercising.” Dr. Marvin Derrick, a cardiothoracic surgeon with Illinois Heart Specialists at Decatur Memorial Hospital, said people need to recognize that heart disease is the nation’s No. 1 killer. People are twice as likely to die from heart disease than they are from cancer, Derrick said. “I believe a lot of it has to do with our lifestyle,” he said. “Our children have to lead an active lifestyle, and we need to start feeding them properly right from the get-go,” he said. In adults, the habits of healthy eating and regular exercise remain the foundation of good cardiovascular health, but it can be difficult to exercise and make other healthy lifestyle choices because of a lack of time, Kairouz said. Lifestyle modification plays a large part in treating and preventing heart disease, said Dr. Madhu Jyothinagaram, a cardiologist with Illinois Heart Specialists. “It may be a disease of the elderly, because that’s when it manifests, but the disease process starts in your 20s and 30s.” It’s important for people to learn the basics of their system in young adulthood, maintain awareness about health habits and issues and engage in regular conversations with their physicians about cardiovascular health and risk factors, the doctors said. Starting at age 20, young adults should begin keeping tabs on their blood pressure and cholesterol levels and ask their doctors about other screenings that might be appropriate, the physicians advised. Know your numbers, said Dr. Theodore Addai, a cardiologist with Prairie Cardiovascular Consultants. “A lot of the times, it’s kind of silent,” he said of high blood pressure. Get those particular risk factors treated into the target range recommended by a physician. Know if you are overweight or obese, the doctors advised. There is no perfect calculation to measure for obesity, said Kairouz, but Body Mass Index, or BMI, is a calculation based on height and weight that can offer some insight.
OBESITY/PAGE 2
HABITS/PAGE 3
Herald & Review photos/Jim Bowling
From left, exercise physiologist Hannah Carlson shares a laugh with Larry Taylor and Jodi Pierceall while checking on Pierceall’s well being during a cardio rehab session at St. Mary’s Hospital.
Don’t be caught off guard Decatur woman knows debilitating effects of cardiovascular disease By ANNIE GETSINGER H&R Staff Writer
DECATUR — Jodi Pierceall was walking from her car into Wal-Mart in May of 2011 when she started feeling a pain she had never experienced before — a deep burn at the top of her chest. “I got this ‘burst’ when I went for my cart,” she said. Pierceall sat down and started sweating, something she attributed to the fear of the unfamiliar sensation. “I sat down there next to the Redbox,” she remembered. “That’s probably when I had the heart attack.”
Women at risk Dr. Anuradha Kolluru, a Decatur Memorial Hospital cardiologist, said awareness is increasing about cardiovascular disease in women, but many still don’t realize the prevalence, symptoms and risk factors of the disease. Campaigns such as the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women have increased awareness. Still, a lot of women don’t know that heart disease can be a problem in females, and some tend to underplay their symptoms, which can even lead physicians to miss the diagnosis, said Dr. Theodore Addai, a cardiologist with Prairie Cardiovascular.
Women’s heart disease risk goes up after menopause, said Dr. Jeanne Marie Kairouz, a cardiologist with Prairie Cardiovascular. On average, heart disease in women starts about a decade later than it does in men. Classic symptoms of a heart attack consist of pain and a sensation of pressure in the center of the chest. This can be brought on by physical activity but not always, said Kairouz. It’s important to be aware that not everyone who experiences a heart attack will experience these classic symptoms, she said. Atypical symptoms such as throat discomfort, jaw pain, unusual shortness of breath, or fatigue that is out of proportion to the situation, can occur in anyone, but women are more likely than men to experience them, she said. For any of these symptoms, or if heart trouble is suspected, seek medical attention promptly by calling 911. Don’t ignore any symptoms, said Kolluru. The process by which cardiovascular disease happens is a gradual one, and sometimes early symptoms can be more subtle and easier to miss.
The waiting game Pierceall, now 55, waited three weeks before seeking medical attention. She said she didn’t connect the burning sensation in her throat and chest to a heart attack. She said she thought it could be heartburn, which she had never had before. She took antacids, but the pain was like nothing she had ever felt
Heart attack survivor Jodi Pierceall receives a blood pressure check from Carlson while starting a cardio rehab session on a treadmill next to Taylor. before. Local cardiologists said Pierceall’s experience of initially waiting to seek medical attention for her heart problems is not that uncommon among women. Unfortunately, many women don’t realize that heart disease is the No. 1 killer of both men and women in the United States. According to statistics from the American Heart Association, heart disease affects more than 43 million women in the United States and kills one woman every minute. In the past 28 years, more women than men have lost their lives to cardiovascular disease.
When Pierceall eventually ended up in St. Mary’s Hospital emergency room, doctors told her she had had a heart attack sometime within the three weeks she had been experiencing the pain. During a heart catheterization, doctors determined that she needed a triple bypass. “They immediately sent me over to Springfield, to St. John’s,” she said. After her surgery, Pierceall went back to work at the day care job she loved. About seven months after her surgery, she remembered leaning over
WOMEN/PAGE 3
Macon County makes strides in fighting obesity Health Department takes wellness measures into the community
Herald & Review/Jim Bowling
Licensed zumba instructor Amber Taylor leads a fitness class in her garage at her Decatur residence.
By ANNIE GETSINGER H&R Staff Writer
DECATUR — Last year, the Macon County Health Department partnered with the American Heart Association to bring a variety of cardiovascular health programs to the community. Health educator Tayisha Nelson has been largely responsible for implementing grant funding from the association to offer a host of community programs and activities focused on heart health and awareness. Many of the programs worked in conjunction with the health department’s ongoing efforts to promote the overall health of the community. The department organized cooking demonstrations to provide people with tips on methods for healthy cooking using heart healthy ingredients. She contracted with fitness instructors to provide Zumba and other classes. The heart association also
funded a site for its Teaching Gardens program at Garfield Montessori School, which offered students a hands-on lesson about where fruits and vegetables come from. “You can grow something in your garden that’s really healthy for you, that can really benefit you,” Nelson said of the students’ lesson. “They were more apt to eat it and try it.” In addition to these programs, the department offered association-approved hands-only CPR instruction materials to residents. The health department also was active in bringing the Heart Association’s Power to End Stroke campaign into the community, partnering with local churches to provide information to congregations about how to reduce risk factors for stroke and heart disease. Community members were trained to talk to people about exercise, eating healthy,