Heart Healthy

FEBRUARY 2016 | FUTUREOFPERSONALHEALTH.COM |

An Independent Supplement by Mediaplanet to USA Today

Heart Healthy Larry King describes the heart attack that changed his outlook on life, and how the memory helps him trust his gut today.

MEET

the cardiac specialist saving countless Syrian refugees STAY

healthier with Shaun T’s seven cardio-friendly tips for 2017

MITOCHONDRIAL SCIENCE FOR HEART HEALTH

Mary Byrnem, 57, had only been taking MitoQ to support normal blood pressure for four months before she began to notice a difference. “I could finally endure an entire exercise class without being wiped out for the next two days,” says Byrnem. “I had long since given up my love for dance when I could no longer maintain the stamina required for a high level dance class. I attributed it to getting old… I haven’t been this fit and healthy in a long time.”

2 | FUTUREOFPERSONALHEALTH.COM | IN THIS ISSUE

Athlete vs. AFib A career-threatening heart condition nearly cut Karsten Madsen’s promising ride short. Page 12

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Access for All? Go inside the prevailing health disparities for heart disease patients, and why raising awareness about it isn’t enough. Page 14

Healthy Shopping Check out our list of pointers for how to grocery shop like a cardiologist, and keep your 2017 goals in focus. Online

7 Steps That Can Keep You Ahead of Heart Disease Perhaps you know that heart disease and stroke are the top two killers in the world. But do you know that 80 percent of heart disease and stroke is preventable?

W

hile it’s true that genetics play a role, it’s often less than people think.

Research shows that the great majority of cardiovascular risks can be avoided by adjusting your lifestyle. In fact, taking a few steps is a great way to begin moving toward better health.

Physical activity is part of what we call “Life’s Simple 7.” These are the small changes than can have a big impact on improving and extending your life. You’re probably familiar with these recommendations, but seeing them all together could help them resonate in a new

way. After all, the best way to treat cardiovascular diseases is to help people avoid developing them.

1. Stop smoking Tobacco use is a leading preventable cause of death. If you smoke, stopping will be a gateway to a healthier life.

2. Get active While the AHA recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week for most adults, that may not be realistic right away. So start by setting a reachable goal that best fits your lifestyle and then ratchet your way up to the overall goal.

Nancy Brown Chief Executive Officer, American Heart Association

3. Eat better A heart-healthy diet will give you more fuel to get moving and will help you lose weight.

your numbers. A health care provider can help get your BP under control — just like the top three items on this list.

4. Lose weight If you eat better, move more and stop smoking, you’ll marvel at how you look and feel. You’ll actually look forward to stepping on the scale to count how many pounds you’ve shed.

6. Control cholesterol Once again, it’s about knowing your numbers, working with your health care provider to control them and following the top three items on this list.

5. Manage blood pressure Hypertension, more commonly referred to as high blood pressure, has no outward signs, but can do major damage, so it’s vital to know

7. Reduce blood sugar As you can probably guess, it’s still about knowing your numbers, working with your health care provider to control them and following the top three items on this list. n

Publisher Michael Gambardella Business Developer Jourdan Snyder Managing Director Luciana Olson Content and Production Manager Chad Hensley Senior Designer Kathleen Edison Designer Marie Coons Copy Editor Sean Ryan Contributors Andrea Baer, Nancy Brown, James Diabri, John Easton, Martha Gulati, Elizabeth Mission, Clyde Yancy Cover Photo JSquared Photography All photos are credited to Getty Images unless otherwise credited. This section was created by Mediaplanet and did not involve USA Today.

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4 | FUTUREOFPERSONALHEALTH.COM | FYI

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New Sources Empower Patients with Cardio Health Knowledge

Making informed heart health decisions can be overwhelming. Researching your care options empowers you to take control of your heart health.

H

eart disease, the leading cause of death for Americans, does not d i s c r i m i n a te .

The disease affects men and women of every ethnicity in all corners of the U.S. Since heart disease is so common, it’s important to live a heart healthy lifestyle and educate yourself about your heart care options so you’re prepared if something happens.

Proactive patients Being an informed patient or caregiver is even more essen-

tial in an increasingly complex health care environment. The U.S. health care delivery system is an ever-changing and growing industry that is often confusing for the everyday American.

Too often, people are forced to make a decision for themselves or a loved one without easy access to the credible health care information they both need and deserve. Unfortunately, this inability to make informed decisions can impact care efficiency, duration of care, health care costs and, most importantly, quality of care.

Inability to make informed decisions can impact care efficiency, duration of care, health care costs ...

As a patient or caregiver, you have a lot of responsibility resting on your shoulders when it comes to making informed decisions about heart care. With numerous

options for researching health care options in your community, it’s hard to know which information sources you can trust when you need to find a hospital.

Where you start Fortunately, some free websites supply patients the platform to search and compare hospitals in their immediate area, based on credible information that is available to the public for the first time.

Information comes directly from a database of heart conditions and procedures performed in thousands of hospitals nationwide.

Armed with this trusted information, you can compare hospitals in your community side-byside and select the right hospital for you or your loved one’s cardiac care needs. This can help before you receive a diagnosis, upon diagnosis or when you are in need of a service not available through your current provider. You turn to online search tools to help you make decisions about restaurants or hotels. Why not do the same for your heart care? n

By Martha Gulati, M.D., MS, EditorIn-Chief, CardioSmart.org

6 | FUTUREOFPERSONALHEALTH.COM | SPOTLIGHT

Larry King Combats Heart Disease Beat-By-Beat

By James Diabri

It’s been 30 years since Larry King suffered a heart attack in Washington, D.C.’s George Washington University Hospital. Despite leading a wildly unhealthy lifestyle, littered with cigarettes and fried foods, he was confounded by the experience.

“I shouldn’t have been surprised, since I had been a heavy smoker for many years,” King explains. “At first I thought it was something else because the pain was on my right side — the right shoulder, but as soon as I took tests at the hospital, they confirmed I had just experienced a heart attack.”

High blood pressure, smoking, and high cholesterol are key risk factors for heart disease. About half of Americans, 49 percent, have at least one of these three risk factors. King’s father died of cardiac arrest at 46, when King was only 9.

A fresh perspective After the heart attack and, months later, a quintuple bypass surgery,

the newsroom giant knew he had to change his habits.

“For a short time after the surgery, 10 months after the heart attack, I felt so good,” he recalls. “I had more energy than ever; no pain. I never smoked again.” He continues, “I had a new desire to live; much more awareness of my heart and overall physical well-being.”

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, someone in the U.S. has a heart attack every 42 seconds. America’s great interviewer has since written two books on the subject: “Mr. King, You’re Having a Heart Attack” and “Taking on Heart Disease.”

Giving back Today, King prioritizes exercise and healthy meals despite a hectic itinerary of interviews and work for his Larry King Cardiac Foundation, which provides financial assistance for patients who can’t afford heart procedures. His advice for patients who may be facing a recent heart health diagnosis?

“You know what to do,” he explains.

“If you think what you are doing is wrong, you’re right. Pay attention to pain — don’t dismiss it. Get checkups regularly. You only go around once.” n

PHOTO: JSQUARED PHOTOGRAPHY

“I had a new desire to live; much more awareness of my heart and overall physical well-being.”

About 610,000 Americans die each year from heart disease — that’s 1 of every 4 deaths. The iconic television and radio host shares his experience struggling with and overcoming heart disease.

HEALTH HACKS | MEDIAPLANET | 7

7 Cardio-Friendly Reminders from Shaun T The brains behind some of the world’s most iconic fitness programs shares a handful of questions and reminders that can keep you in shape in 2017.

S

By James Diabri

over a year,” Shaun says. “If you can see the food inside the package, that means it’s been freshly made and will expire soon.” Produce actually loses its nutritional value over time, so the quicker it’s eaten, the more nutrients that can be gained from it.

1. Say yes to greens Whether you serve them in a salad or slip them into a smoothie, leafy greens boast a wide array of health benefits. “I’m not saying you should become a vegetarian,” the fitness guru says. “There are so many things you can do with green foods that enhance your fitness and your heart.”

Greens are rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber — a key nutrient for weight loss. Fiber can also lower cholesterol and blood pressure, helping to moderate blood-sugar swings by slowing the absorption of carbohydrates into your bloodstream after eating.

6. Positivity is power Shaun T recommends looking for the positive side of every situation, even when surrounded by pure negativity. “Negativity is so easy to grasp onto,” he shares. “It’s so easy to shame yourself and to look in the mirror and focus directly on the things you don’t like. Even in your worst moments, you have to think positive. Positive thinking is going to help you achieve positive results.”

2. Exercise for more than endurance Most athletes agree — you’re only as good as you recover. This is a mantra that Shaun T supports whole-heartedly.

“Everyone is always focused on how long they can run and the endurance they have, but my workouts are about how fast you can recover,” he says. “If your heart can recover quickly, your day is going to be full of energy.

It’s about training your body, but more importantly it’s about training your heart.”

His workout recommendation?

“Twenty-five to 40 minutes of focused activity every day.”

PHOTO: SHAUN T / FITNESS.COM

haun Blokker, better known as Shaun T, is a world-renowned health and fitness expert. Here are seven things he wants you to take to heart for a healthier heart all year-long.

3. Just how sweet is a sweet potato?

Some studies suggest that sweet potatoes support the immune system and help ward off cancer, but that’s not all they’re good for.

“Before a workout, sweet potato gives you a natural energy boost that can help you sustain longer cardiovascular endurance during your workout,” Shaun T. outlines.

Starchy vegetables are also a great post-workout option, as they are rich in antioxidants and are a nutritionally dense carbohydrate.

4. Don’t obsess over the scale All too often, the path to a healthier you becomes a numbers game.

“Don’t look at the final number that you want, look at everyday success,” he suggests. “It’s what you did to be successful today that’s going to help you want to achieve that tomorrow.”

He continues, “No struggle is too hard to get through. Sometimes we have to face an obstacle to not just live, but to show your existence to the world and become the best person you can possibly be.”

5. Do expiration dates really matter?

There are a lot of misconceptions about expiration dates; the most common being that once the sell-by date on an item has passed, the food becomes inedible. While it varies by product, food packages are actually labeled with expiration dates to give consumers information about the food’s freshness.

“If you’re going into the airport, you’re typically buying things that are in a bag, which usually means that they’ve been in that bag for

7. Be realistic The man behind the “Insanity” program has launched an online community helping users around the world dig deeper. “You can tell your story and interact with other people,” he explains. The program lets users unlock workouts, weekly challenges, nutrition tips and more. He believes it will help people think about health in a new way. “It’s a realistic way of eating and still being able to achieve your goals,” Shaun explains. “Technically, a box of cookies is not the thing that is going to get you a sixpack. But you can have still have a cookie or two.”

He’s also working on a new book, “T IS FOR TRANSFORMATION,” due in Fall 2017. The project outlines his seven-principle path to wellness that blends psychology with fitness. n

8 | FUTUREOFPERSONALHEALTH.COM | INSPIRATION

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PHOTO: COURTESY OF BRENDA KAPP

A Heart Transplant Patient Shares Special Bond with Donor Family What started as shortness of breath quickly became a slippery, near-tragic slope for one woman. Today, she is fortunate to tell the tale, and pay homage to the family whose decision helped her survive.

B

renda Kapp was an ideal patient.

She ate right, exercised daily and was a non-smoker. So when she found herself in the ICU in September 2014 with a doctor telling her that she was in need of a heart transplant, she was quite surprised. “I had no idea that I was that sick,” she recalls. “The doctor said, ‘You’re dying right here in front of me.’”

Early symptoms It all started a couple of weeks earlier when Kapp began to develop shortness of breath and

wheezing. She went to see her doctor in her hometown thinking she had asthma. Instead doctors ran tests on her heart.

Weeks later, she was in congestive heart failure.

Kapp met with Maria Moutis, D.O., of Cleveland Clinic’s Heart and Vascular Institute. “On exam, there was something that wasn’t right,” offers Dr. Mountis.

“It was her heart. This was not a symptom of asthma; this was not a lung issue. I admitted her that same day.”

Dr. Moutis suspected that Kapp may have a rare and deadly disease, Idiopathic Giant Cell

Myocarditis, which results in rapid deterioration of the heart.

It is so rare that only a few hundred cases have ever been documented. Dr. Mountis made plans for a heart transplant.

A downward turn By the middle of the next week, Kapp’s temporary fix, a balloon pump, began to fail and doctors made plans for her to receive an LVAD. “I said, ‘This is my last day. I don’t want an LVAD; I want to have a heart and I want to have it before Friday morning,’” Kapp says. “And, Thursday night, my

“If you sense something isn’t right, even if you’re ‘healthy’ don’t ignore that inner voice.” heart came.” Kapp’s heart had belonged to a woman who lived in North Carolina, who had lived with cerebral palsy before passing away at the age of 48. Kapp eventually connected with her

donor’s family, via Lifebanc, and drove to Boone, NC to meet them.

Bonded by new blood The two families have since become good friends and Kapp said that after they met her donor’s family was able to find peace with their loved one’s death. Kapp wants others to learn from her story. “You really have to be an advocate for yourself,” she declares. “If you sense something isn’t right, even if you’re ‘healthy’ don’t ignore that inner voice.” n

By Elizabeth Misson, Multimedia Producer, Cleveland Clinic

Your heart is just one part of your total health.

Your heart health is linked to your risk for diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, kidney disease and other chronic conditions.

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Take control of your total health.

10 | FUTUREOFPERSONALHEALTH.COM | INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

What Are the Pressure Points Facing Cardiology?

How much has technology shifted our standards of cardiovascular health? What are the most pressing hurdles left to overcome? Experts get to the heart of the matter.

When it comes to long-term heart health why is prevention of the utmost importance?

T Zain Khalpey M.D., Director, Artificial Heart & ECMO Program, Banner University

here is a common misconception that prevention is all about longevity, but in truth, it’s about quality. Today we have the opportunity to focus on prevention, with screening tailored to individual patients. By using precision screening tools such as metabolomics, proteomics and genomics we can predict and treat heart failure before it even begins.

T Leslie Cho Director, Women’s Cardiovascular Center, Cleveland Clinic

he great news is that heart disease is preventable, and it is never too late to start prevention. Controlling your risk factors, like blood pressure, cholesterol and weight, not only decreases the chances that you will get heart disease, but it can lower your risk of dying and having another cardiovascular event — even if you already have heart disease.

Gerald Fletcher Cardiologist, Professor, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine

revention is very important. If you can control our risk factors you are not going to have heart failure, you’re not going to have horrible complications most likely. Things like healthy diet, exercise, watching your cholesterol, not smoking or drinking too much will provide benefits in the long run.

P

What are the biggest issues faced by health care professionals in cardiology?

How is technology changing the way cardiologists approach cardiovascular disease?

Health care costs associated with heart failure cost the United States over $300 billion a year. Unfortunately, the bulk of that annual spend is attributed more to readmissions and pharmacological treatment of the disease than towards providing these patients a better quality of life. We need a paradigm shift in order to contain these costs, before they become even more unmanageable.

You can apply the “Field of Dreams” adage to this: If you build it, they will come. If industry provides physicians with high quality, reasonably priced, easy to use devices that work, we will use them. The key here is partnership, we need industry to truly listen to us, to understand where the science is taking us, and help us to develop new treatments for the millions of people suffering from cardiac related illnesses.

There are several challenges currently facing physicians. Technological advancements, while beneficial to patient care, can also be overwhelming for physicians. The other challenge is the new relationship between physicians and patients that have emerged in the new era of information and communications. Patients want to engage and communicate in different ways and we need to adapt.

I am using apps and personal devices to engage patients in their care. For example, there are apps that allow patients to send me their EKG in real time via their phone.

Other devices let us track a patient’s activity to see how active they have been. These are all exciting ways to engage patients in their care.

I think again that prevention is a big issue.

We need to get the public to realize that cardiovascular disease and stroke can be prevented if they take the proper measures — watch the risk factors, have a good diet, take the medication that we have. That’s where family comes in; families need to work together at home when a family member is not doing well, too.

What we can do with catheterization and what we can do with valves is really changing things. We don’t have to do invasive surgeries anymore to repair aortic valves, which we had to do years ago by opening the chest and keeping somebody in the hospital for weeks. I feel that these types of advancements are just spectacular.

CHALLENGES | MEDIAPLANET | 11

The Syrian Refugee Crisis, Seen Up-Close For the tens of thousands of displaced refugees in Syria, charity is all there is to count on. Here’s how one doctor is answering the call.

In Damascus, Syria, she was a prominent lawyer who had heart trouble — but kept it under control. Then the war came.

Her house was bombed, two of her sons disappeared, and her husband was murdered. She had to flee in the night to save what was left of her family. Along with thousands of other refugees, they made it to Jordan. Then she

had a heart attack, and no access to treatment. Fortunately, help was nearby.

“I was part of a team of four interventional cardiologists,” Shah states. “We would alternate. One of us would evaluate patients at the camp. The rest performed procedures in Amman’s Gardens Hospital.”

These were “intense, 18-hour days,” he said. “A high-volume operation. Everyone we met had a tragic tale. This war has been brutal.”

A high-volume operation “Once our team arrived, we were able to bring her in, repair her clogged artery and get her back to near normal,” says Atman Shah, M.D., a heart specialist at the University of Chicago — and one of 65 caregivers from the United States, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia and Jordan. He spent eight days in January performing desperately needed medical procedures in one of Jordan’s leading hospitals.

Unique circumstances Shah’s prior volunteer efforts focused on countries wracked by poverty. But Syria wasn’t like that.

AT THE FOREFRONT OF TRANSPLANT CARE As a world leader in transplantation, the University of Chicago Medicine has seen its fair share of firsts, including: » The first successful heart-liver-kidney transplant in the world » The first successful living-donor liver transplant in the United States » The first segmental liver (“reduced size”) and split-liver transplants in the United States Now under the new leadership of John Fung, MD, PhD, FACS, the new University of Chicago Medicine Transplantation Institute continues the tradition of providing innovative and comprehensive patient treatments that are not widely available elsewhere.

To learn more visit: uchospitals.edu/specialties/transplant

AT

THE

FOREFRONT

OF

M E D I C I N E®

Not long ago, Syrians had good medical care, well-staffed hospitals — modern technology.

Since the war began in 2011, however, half of Syria’s pre-war population of 22 million people has been displaced or killed. More than 650,000 refugees fled to Jordan. Those with the greatest needs and the fewest resources live in camps. They have nothing: no home, no job, no savings, no safety net. They rely on charity.

“Every patient has a heart-rending, unending story,” says Shah.

“There are millions of Syrian refugees. Where can they go? Turkey

has political issues. Greece has financial problems.”

So patients must rely on outside help. Shah’s role was supported by donors to the Syrian American Medical Society. Medical device companies gave supplies. “No big grants,” Shah explains, “just a lot of small and mid-sized donors.”

“The patients, and their doctors, rely on help from these benevolent organizations,” he says. “The refugees need everything.” n

By John Easton, Senior Science Writer, University of Chicago Hospital

12 | FUTUREOFPERSONALHEALTH.COM | ADVOCACY

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For One Triathlete, Atrial Fibrillation Is Just Another Hurdle

By James Diabri

In 2010, a heart ailment nearly ended Karsten Madsen’s athletic career, but he refused to give up on his goals.

In his last year of high school, during a routine fitness test, Madsen could not complete a lap around the gym without panting.

Later that evening, he was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, otherwise known as AFib, a heart condition that results in a 30 percent loss of cardiac output.

“At that point, I was already competing in triathlons in the elite class,” Karsten recalls. “I remember lying in the hospital bed, stressed and crying. My heart was peaking at 220 beats per minutes, then dropping to 50.”

Pulse points According to the American Heart Association, more than 2.7 million suffer from atrial fibrillation in the U.S., which heightens risk of future heart disease, blood clots and stroke. The most common symp-

toms include irregular and rapid heartbeat, palpitations, dizziness and shortness of breath.

When seeking treatment, Madsen’s parents opted for a cardioversion, a procedure that uses electricity to jolt the heart out of fibrillation and into a normal rhythm.

It had worked for his father, who also lives with the condition, and Madsen was hopeful it could work for him too.

He was lucky. The cardioversion worked the first time. But it wasn’t an immediate return-to-form. “At

night, I’d listen to my heartbeat intently and I couldn’t fall asleep because I was worrying,” says Madsen. Without proper rest, his training suffered and he became depressed. But in a moment of clarity, Karsten changed his outlook and decided to not abandon his dreams.

A new perspective “There are people who have it far worse than I do all over the world,” he explains. “My worst-case scenario is kind of like breaking an arm, except when you break an arm, you need six weeks to recover. For me, I can go into the hospital and be cardioverted with a deliberator and I’m ready to go again with no lag.”

When training, the sportsman has to monitor his heart rhythms carefully. “I do a lot of counting beats, especially when the intensity is high,” Madsen outlines. “I truly believe that my AFib is triggered by large amounts of stress. I just have to make sure I’m taking

deep breaths and that I have a little bit of time each day to unplug and turn off.”

Staying the course In 2015, Madsen became the ITU National Xterra Champion. Today his sights are set on the ITU Multisport World Championship taking place in Penticton, Canada in 2017. In the meantime, he shares his experiences with AFib, hoping to inspire, support and encourage others.

Madsen lives in Ontario, where he works with community programs to help youth stay active.

His advice for patients who may have been recently diagnosed?

“Just keep plugging with it — don’t let it change what your goals are.

“You can still be an athlete; you just need to be mindful. Athletes like Mario Lemieux and Larry Bird also had that condition,” he offers. “It actually makes you more in tune with your body, and teaches you what to listen for.” ■

You may be at risk for a heart attack or stroke and not even know it.

50% of patients who have a heart attack 1 or stroke have normal cholesterol levels.

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1. Ridker PM et al. N Engl J Med. 2008; 359: 2195-2207.

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14 | FUTUREOFPERSONALHEALTH.COM | NEWS

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BIG IDEAS

What We Can Do About the Changing Nature of Heart Failure Heart failure, a condition in which the heart is too weak to pump blood sufficiently throughout the body, is on the rise in the U.S. But the reason for this may surprise you.

More than 8 million people will be living with heart failure by 2030. While that number may be alarming, the fact is, much of that increase can be attributed to medical advances that have improved survival rates of heart attacks and other conditions that can lead to heart failure.

What to watch for The ability to treat this condition, restore health and quality of life, extend life and, most importantly, prevent this condition is more robust now than ever. Prevention is a key consideration, as 1 of every 5 adults alive at age 40 will develop heart failure during their lifetime. Knowing the signs and symptoms of heart failure is critical.

Heart failure symptoms may include difficulty breathing, persistent coughing or wheezing, fatigue, nausea, confusion, increased heart rate or swelling of the feet, ankles and legs. People experiencing more than one of these symptoms should talk with their doctor and ask for an evaluation of their heart.

Ways to improve There is usually no cure for heart failure, but it can be managed with strategies to help improve symptoms — and, with increasing frequency, improvement in the heart as well. A patient’s treatment plan may include lifestyle changes. These changes could include quitting smoking, losing or maintaining weight, eating a heart healthy diet, being physically active, managing stress and getting adequate rest.

It is also very important for patients with heart failure to regularly monitor their symptoms and report any changes to their health care team. This may involve daily weigh-ins to track water retention, closely watching swelling and monitoring changes in ability to exercise. Heart failure patients often need multiple medications to treat different symptoms and contributing factors, and reduce the impact of adverse factors. Several devices to control the heart’s rhythm or measure pressures in the circulation are available as well, and provide important benefits. It’s important that patients and caregivers work with their health care team to understand the medications and how they should be taken, when and in what amounts. Understanding the devices is equally important and improves the treatment experience.

Surgery is an occasional option used to treat heart failure, but it is sometimes recommended when a doctor can identify a correctable problem that’s causing heart failure, such as a congenital defect, valve abnormality or blocked coronary artery.

When heart failure is advanced, the use of an artificial pump to sustain the circulation or heart transplantation can be done today with much less risk than ever before. The most important thing for patients to do is to work closely with a physician and follow their advice.

By Clyde W. Yancy, M.D., M.Sc., Past President, American Heart Association

Disparities in Cardiovascular Disease Remain Prevalent Cardiovascular disease does not discriminate, but the care and outcomes are very different depending on who you are and where you live.

W

hile heart disease prevalence has decreased over the past 20 years, disparities are very prevalent and continue to grow. Differences in the incidence and prevalence of health status between groups are commonly referred to as health disparities.

What’s to blame?

Most health disparities are due to socioeconomic status, race or ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, disability status, geographic location or some combination of these. People in these groups not only experience worse health but also tend to have less access to quality health care or other important things, such as healthy food options, social supports, education and housing.

African-American children who are born with a congenital heart defect are twice as likely to die than their white peers. This is a serious problem that needs to be

addressed through a multi-disciplined approach.

Changing the outlook It is important to focus on not only raising awareness that disparities in heart health exist, but to actively work to reduce them.

In rural communities, access to quality care may be due to geographic location. Individuals may not be able to travel long distances to a larger hospital, their insurance may not cover other facilities, or transportation to cardiac rehab center might be a barrier. Working within the community hospitals to expand their capabilities to treat complex heart disease and provide cardiac rehab in rural locations is important. While it is known that cardiac rehab after a heart event improves a patient’s outcomes and reduces the prevalence of another event, only 1 in 5 patients are referred to cardiac rehab, and a large percentage of those patients do not complete rehab.

Improving efficiency One barrier to cardiac rehab is the strict guidelines that are imposed that make centers have a physician on-site at all times. This cost is a barrier for small centers. One proposed change to that would allow for nurse practitioners and other medical personal able supervise these centers. This would reduce the costs and make it more readily available for rural areas.

This legislation is currently being worked on.

Focusing on the individual patient and providing them a social support network, education and resources can help them to feel empowered to make better health care choices. This happens with community-based programs that can be tailored to meet the needs of the individual community. Building awareness that disparities exist and that health care cannot be a “one size fits all” approach is vital to reducing the gap. ■

By Andrea Baer, M.S., Director, Patient Advocacy, Mended Hearts

Behind every heartbeat is a world-class team

The Heart Program at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital – a world leader in pediatric cardiology and cardiovascular surgery and the care of children with congenital heart disorders — serves as a beacon to families confronting the reality of a child or newborn with a heart condition.

The Heart Program offers the most innovative, least invasive approaches to the treatment of congenital heart disease, including many first-in-the-world procedures that were pioneered by The Heart Program’s own internationally renowned cardiologists and cardiovascular surgeons. As the largest and most comprehensive group in South Florida, the Heart Program’s team is comprised of: • Three pediatric cardiac surgeons • 16 pediatric cardiologists • Three dedicated pediatric cardiac anesthesiologists • Six cardiac intensivists • Three interventional cardiologists • Five cardiac imaging physicians • 16 cardiac-dedicated nurse practitioners

The Heart Program at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital 3100 SW 62 Avenue, Miami, FL 33155

nicklauschildrens.org/HeartProgram To schedule an appointment or second opinion, please call 844-624-3278 Nicklaus Children’s is proud to have more programs included within U.S.News & World Report’s 2016-17 “Best Children’s Hospitals” rankings than any other hospital in South Florida.

N U M B E R S TO L I V E BY Knowing your blood pressure can help reduce your risk of heart attacks or strokes, while putting you on the path to a heart-healthier life. This is the foundation of Generation Zero—our vision of a heart-healthier world. Together, we can make it a reality. Learn more at OmronHealthcare.com.

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