2021 Love Your Heart

JANUARY 31, 2021

A special supplement to the

2 LOVE YOUR HEART

The Messenger-Inquirer Sunday, January 31, 2021

LOVE YOUR

H E A R T O ur hearts are our most vital organ, pumping out the blood necessary to run every part of our bodies.

Such a workhorse deserves the utmost care, but because of genetic defects or poor lifestyle choices, the heart is often under strain; even little bad behaviors can add up over time.

Heart disease is often the No. 1 cause of death globally; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says

that 655,000 Americans die from heart disease annually.

And while many deaths can be attributed to a heart attack, with cardiovascular disease, damage occurs gradually over time and for numerous reasons.

How can we care for our hearts? We can start by eating better, exercising and avoiding destructive behavior. In this section, you’ll find valuable tips on leading a healthy

lifestyle, as well as information on heart-related conditions, emergency procedures and area heart specialists.

This February, we encourage you to observe American Heart Month by getting your heart checked and engaging in healthful decisions. With life itself tied to such a precious organ, today isn’t too soon to start loving your heart.

— Messenger-Inquirer

Avoid these behaviors that can lead to chronic illness, including heart disease

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hronic diseases pose a significant threat to the general public. It can be easy for adults in the prime of their lives to overlook the danger of chronic diseases, especially if they feel good and aren’t exhibiting any symptoms to suggest their health is in jeopardy. But overlooking the potential dangers of chronic disease can prove deadly.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer and diabetes are the leading causes of death and disability in the United States. Chronic diseases are costly as well, as recent reports from the Rand Corp. and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services indicate that 90 percent of annual health care expenditures in the United States are for people with

frequent and severe asthma attacks. chronic and mental health conditions.

While there’s no way to guarantee a person won’t develop a chronic disease, POOR NUTRITION avoiding certain risky behaviors can The value of fruits and vegetables is help adults greatly reduce their risk for well-documented. In spite of that, the various chronic diseases.

CDC reports that fewer than 10 percent of adults and adolescents eat enough TOBACCO USE fruits and vegetables. In addition, the The CDC notes that tobacco is the CDC reports that 60 percent of young leading cause of preventable disease, people between the ages of two and like stroke, lung cancer and coronar y 19 and half of all adults consume a heart disease. And that’s not just sugary drink on any given day. Such among smokers: While 34 million beverages, as well as processed foods, adults in the United States smoke add unnecessary sodium, saturated fats cigarettes, 58 million nonsmokers, and sugar to people’s diets, increasing including children, are exposed their risk for chronic disease as a to secondhand smoke. Children result. exposed to secondhand smoke are at increased risk of impaired lung LACK OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY function, acute respirator y infections, The Department of Health and middle ear disease, and more Human Services has issued physical

activity guidelines designed to help people improve their overall health and reduce their risk for various diseases. But the CDC reports that just 25 percent of adults and 20 percent of adolescents meet the recommended physical activity guidelines. Low levels of physical activity can contribute to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, certain types of cancer, and obesity.

EXCESSIVE ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION

The CDC notes that excessive alcohol consumption can cause heart disease, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, and stroke. In addition, the CDC reports that the less alcohol a person drinks, the lower his or her risk of cancer becomes.

Sunday, January 31, 2021 The Messenger-Inquirer

KNOW THE SIGNS OF A HEART ATTACK A heart attack occurs when blood movement slows or stops into a part of the heart.

According to the CDC, built-up disease in the heart is most often the cause, but sometimes a severe spasm or sudden contraction of a coronary artery can be the culprit.

Without regular physicals and medical screenings, damage from heart disease can go undetected until the heart experiences sudden distress, so it’s important to know and understand the signs of a heart attack: • chest pain or discomfort • pain or discomfort in your jaw, neck or back • pain or discomfort in one or both of your arms or shoulders • feeling week, light-headed or faint, or breaking into a cold sweat • shortness of breath Other symptoms, which occur more often in women, include vomiting or unusual fatigue and nausea.

During a heart attack, it is imperative to call 911 and get emergency care as quickly as possible; the more time that blood doesn’t reach the heart, the more damage is done.

CPR or use of an AED can help get blood pumping again; see guidelines on page 3.

Read more about the causes and recovery related to a heart attack at www.cdc.gov/ heartdisease/.

LOVE YOUR HEART

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STEPS FOR ADMINISTERING CPR FROM THE AMERICAN RED CROSS

BEFORE GIVING CPR STEP 1

deep and delivered at a rate of at least 100 compressions per minute.

Make sure the scene is safe, then tap the person on the shoulder and ask “Are you OK?” in an amplifi ed voice to ensure that the person needs help.

STEP 2

If it’s evident that the person needs help, call (or ask a bystander to call) 911, then send someone to get an AED. (If an AED is unavailable, or a there is no bystander to access it, stay with the victim, call 911 and begin administering assistance.)

STEP 3

With the person lying on his or her back, tilt the head back slightly to lift the chin to open their airway.

STEP 2

With the person’s head tilted back slightly and the chin lifted, pinch the nose shut and place your mouth over the person’s mouth to make a complete seal. Blow into the person’s mouth to make the chest rise.

Deliver two rescue breaths, then continue compressions. NOTE: If the chest does not rise with the initial rescue breath, re-tilt the head before delivering the second breath. If the chest doesn’t rise with the second breath, the person may be choking.

After each subsequent set of 30 chest compressions, and before attempting breaths, look in their throat for an object and, if seen, remove it.

STEP 3

STEP 4

Listen carefully, for no more than 10 seconds, for sounds of breathing. (Occasional gasping sounds do not equate to breathing.)

If there is no breathing, begin CPR.

STEPS FOR GIVING CPR STEP 1

Place your hands, one on top of the other, in the middle of the chest. Use your body weight to help you administer compressions that are at least two inches

Keep performing cycles of chest compressions and breathing until the person exhibits signs of life, such as breathing, an AED becomes available, or EMS or a trained medical responder arrives on scene. End the cycles if the scene becomes unsafe or you cannot continue performing CPR due to exhaustion.

Concerning the latter, it’s helpful to partner with another person and take turns administering CPR to avoid exhaustion from rendering assistance. More information about performing CPR is available at redcross.org.

STEPS FOR USING AN AED FROM THE AMERICAN RED CROSS

Automated external defibrillators (AED) can help save lives during sudden cardiac arrest. The following AED steps should be used when caring for a nonbreathing child at least eight years old who weighs more than 55 pounds, or an adult.

After checking the scene and ensuring that the person needs help, ask a bystander to call 911 for help and then:

STEP 1

Turn on the AED and follow the visual and/or audio prompts.

STEP 2

Open the person’s shirt and wipe his or her bare chest dr y. If the

person is wearing any medication patches, you should use a hand (gloved, if possible) to remove the patches before wiping the person’s chest.

STEP 3

Attach the AED pads and plug in the connector (if necessary).

STEP 4

Make sure no one, including you, is touching the person. Tell everyone to “stand clear.”

STEP 5

Push the “analyze” button (if necessary) and allow the AED to analyze the person’s heart rhythm.

STEP 6

If the AED recommends that you deliver a shock to the person, make sure that no one, including you, is touching the person and again tell everyone to “stand clear.” Once clear, press the “shock” button.

STEP 7

Begin CPR after delivering the shock. If a shock is not advised, begin CPR. Perform two minutes (about five cycles) of CPR and continue to follow the AED’s prompts. If you notice obvious signs of life, discontinue CPR and monitor breathing for any changes in condition. More information about using AEDs can be found at redcross. org.

4 LOVE YOUR HEART

The Messenger-Inquirer Sunday, January 31, 2021

AREA CARDIOLOGY SPECIALISTS Advanced Cardiology of Owensboro

Roshan K. Mathew, MD, PSC 3110 Fair view Drive Owensboro, KY 42303 Phone: (270) 240-2129 Phone: (844) 940-2129 Fax: (270) 240-1227 www.advancedcardiologyofowensboro. com

The Muhlenberg Clinic

Kishor Vora, MD, FACC, FSCAI, CCDS 1100 West Everly Brothers Blvd.

Central City, KY 42330 Phone: (270) 757-9991 Fax: (270) 757-9943 www.OwensboroMedical.com

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1301 Pleasant Valley Road, Suite 201 Owensboro, KY 42303 Phone: (270) 417-7510 www.owensborohealth.org

Owensboro Heart & Vascular Clinic

Kishor Vora, MD, FACC, FSCAI, CCDS Lior Shamai, DO, MPH, FACC, FSCAI 1200 Breckenridge St., Suite 101 Owensboro, KY 42303 Phone: (270) 683-8672 Fax: (270) 685-8223 www.OwensboroMedical.com

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Sunday, January 31, 2021 The Messenger-Inquirer

LOVE YOUR HEART

FOR A HEALTHY HEART, EAT THIS, NOT THAT FROM GENE’S HEALTH FOOD EAT THIS …

• walnuts and pecans on salads, instead of croutons • olive, avocado and nut oils, instead of canola oil • vinaigrettes, instead of salad dressings • beets and berries in smoothies • foods high in Omega-3s, like salmon and cold water fish • supplements of magnesium, which helps regulate your heartbeat, and the antioxidant coenzyme Q10 (also knows as CoQ10), which can improve congestive heart failure symptoms

… NOT THAT • carbs alone — always balance a carb with protein • pre-packaged meals, which are often high in sodium

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6 LOVE YOUR HEART

The Messenger-Inquirer Sunday, January 31, 2021

Kentucky Cancer Program hosting sessions to assist in quitting tobacco

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BY CHRISTIE NETHERTON MESSENGER-INQUIRER

he Kentucky Cancer Program will be offering virtual “Plan to be Tobacco Free” classes to the community free of charge.

The sessions were developed to assist thousands of Kentuckians who are interested in quitting tobacco by providing resources and guidance, according to the Kentucky Cancer Program.

Jaime Rafferty, a cancer control specialist with the Kentucky Cancer Program, said while the sessions are not a cessation program, they will help provide resources to assist individuals in planning and setting goals, as well

as building a support system.

“Our goal is to navigate them to resources that will help them to become nonsmokers, and most importantly, as the title says, to plan, to give them the opportunity to make and develop a plan that’s individualized to them, that gives them guidance to help them be successful,” she said.

Rafferty said Kentucky goes back and forth with West Virginia on which state has the highest smoking rates nationwide. She said in Kentucky, approximately 8,000 individuals die annually from illnesses caused by smoking.

“We’re not a densely populated

state — 8,000 is a lot of people,” she said. “If you look at one county being wiped off the map, that is frightening.”

Dying from smoking-related illnesses is an entirely preventable cause of death, Rafferty said “If we can tackle that as a state and as a district, then the best way to do that is to give people the tools that they need to become successful nonsmokers when they’re ready,” she said.

Plan to be Tobacco Free sessions will take place the third Thursday of every month via Zoom.

Rafferty said sessions were formerly held in-person but have since been moved to Zoom and by phone

due to COVID-19.

“As horrible as COVID is, it’s actually helped us to reach more people via Zoom,” she said. “With this platform, we have been able to reach people that may not have come to a meeting or an event, but they will sign onto a computer.”

Rafferty said anyone interested should register in advance to receive a resource packet that will provide guidance to quitting tobacco.

Anyone wishing to register can do so by emailing jaime.smith.3@ louisville.edu or call 270-442-1310.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story appeared in the Jan. 18 edition of the Messenger-Inquirer.

HOW DOES THE BODY HEAL AFTER QUITTING SMOKING? Few habits are as harmful to the human body as smoking tobacco products, especially cigarettes.

The American Heart Association states that smoking is the most preventable cause of death in the United States. It’s linked to heart disease and stroke, and it can increase the risk for cancers of the bladder, throat, cervix, pancreas and mouth. Smoking is linked to roughly 90 percent of lung cancer cases in the United States as well.

Even though smoking can ravage the body and cause significant damage to the lungs, which worsens the longer one smokes, people who quit may be able to restore a good portion of their lung health. The Lung Health Institute says there are a number of ways the lungs can heal once a person stops smoking. While it may not be possible to undo the structural damage to the lungs, lung function can be significantly restored when people quit smoking. Here’s a look at some ways the lungs and other parts of the body may recover.

RISK OF HEART ATTACK DECREASES

After day one of quitting smokers’ risk of heart attack begins to decrease.

RATE OF COPD DECLINE IMPROVES

of symptoms like shortness of breath. Similarly, chemicals in cigarette smoke can inflame the lining of the airways.

REACTIVATION OF CILIA

Cilia are the small hair-like structures that Research published in the journal Respiratory Medicine found that people with mild to moderate move mucus and bacteria to the back of the throat.

They fail to work properly when a person smokes, COPD can expect to experience normalization of lung function decline within a year of quitting. This but can resume function after quitting. means that the rate of decline considered normal IMPROVED CIRCULATION with age is the same as someone who had never When lung function improves, oxygen can smoked before. more effectively reach cells through the body and circulation improves. Within 24 hours of REDUCED LUNG CANCER RISK quitting, constriction of blood vessels also will The risk of getting lung cancer reduces by occur, resulting in lower blood pressure and 50 percent after 10 years of being smoke-free, improved pulse rate. Body temperature will start according to the Centers for Disease Control & to normalize within 24 hours as well.

Prevention.

CARBON MONOXIDE LEVELS GO DOWN

Orlando Health says carbon monoxide gradually leaves the bloodstream after people quit smoking, which helps reduce the severity

IMPROVED TASTE AND SMELL

Within 48 hours of quitting, taste and smell receptors start to heal, and damaged nerve cells also will begin to self-repair.

Sunday, January 31, 2021 The Messenger-Inquirer

SUPPORT GROUPS FOR HEART DISEASE PATIENTS AND SURVIVORS AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION The American Heart Association offers online support networks for anyone who has experienced cardiac arrest, cardiac arrhythmia, cardiomyopathy, heart attack, heart failure, heart transplant, heart value disease, peripheral artery disease (PAD) and venous thromboembolism. www. heart.org WOMENHEART HEARTSISTERS ONLINE HeartSisters is a support program led

by WomenHeart Champions, women heart disease survivors who have committed to becoming leaders in their communities and providers of support for other women with heart disease.

Online support meetings are conducted using web-conferencing instead of chat rooms or forums. Two monthly online meetings are offered: heart disease and women; and heart disease, AFib and women. hwww.womenheart.org/page/ virtualsupportsgc HEART SUPPORT GROUP AT NORTON HEALTHCARE Norton Healthcare also offers monthly WomenHeart support group meetings on the first Wednesday of every month. Each session is free and covers a different topic to help women better their heart health. nortonhealthcare.com/services- andconditions/heart-and-vascular- care/ patient-resources/heart-support- group

LOVE YOUR HEART

BE MINDFUL OF ATRIAL FIBRILLATION Atrial fibrillation, commonly known as AFib, is a heart condition characterized by a quivering or irregular heartbeat, called arrhythmia.

Millions of people across the globe currently live with AFib. When a person has AFib, the heart’s two upper chambers, known as the atria, beat chaotically and do not coordinate with the two lower chambers. AFib can cause heart palpitations, shortness of breath and weakness. AFib is not often life-threatening, and symptoms may come and go.

However, side effects of the condition can be dangerous.

AFib often results in poor blood fl ow, which can cause pooling of blood in the atria. The American Heart Association notes that the risks of clotting increase as blood pool. If a clots forms in the atria, it can be pumped out of the heart and reach the brain, potentially blocking off the blood supply to an arter y in the brain.

This is known as an embolic stroke.

AFib also can reduce the heart’s pumping capacity. An other wise healthy heart may be able to compensate for this reduction in efficiency. But those with damaged heart muscle or valves cannot. AFib can trigger breathlessness and exercise intolerance and potentially coronar y arter y disease, offers

Har vard Medical School. Other problems from poor pumping can cause blood to back up into the pulmonar y veins, the vessels that return oxygen-rich blood from the lungs to the heart.

This can cause fl uid in the lungs. Fluid also can build up in the feet, ankles and legs.

There are various potential causes for AFib, such as: • high blood pressure • abnormal heart valves • previous heart attack • congenital heart defects • overactive thyroid • exposure to stimulants • previous heart surger y • lung disease Some people with AFib do not have any heart defects or damage, and the cause is unclear.

The Mayo Clinic says treatment goals for AFib include resetting the rhythm or controlling the rate of the atrial valves, known as cardioversion. This can be done electrically or through the use of drugs.

Sometimes, other therapies to control atrial fibrillation do not work. In these cases, a doctor may recommend a procedure to destroy the area of heart tissue that’s causing the erratic electrical signals and restore the heart to a normal rhythm. Medication to prevent blood clots and reduce the risk for stroke often are prescribed.

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8 LOVE YOUR HEART

The Messenger-Inquirer Sunday, January 31, 2021

The region’s heartbeat is growing stronger.

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