the heart of the matter in the middle

Congratulations, you’ve made it to the middle. Sandwiched between twin responsibilities of tending kids and assisting older parents as the mountain of stress grows. February is American Heart Month, an opportunity to remind yourself that you are your own best health advocate, and most likely the best advocate for your parents and loved ones as well.

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer in America—surpassing even cancer!

“It is a very treatable and preventable disease as long as it is identified in its early stages,” says Sanford interventional cardiologist, Thomas Haldis. “Early diagnosis and preventive therapy for heart disease is the best line of defense for our families and our community. Most people over the age of 40 have at least one risk factor and many have multiple risk factors. That’s why it is important to know your risk factors and have a heart screen.”

Sanford Health can help you determine your risk factors with the Heart Screening program. To facilitate early diagnosis and treatment, help yourself or your parents by getting screened.

A heart screen is recommended if you have:

• Early family history of heart disease [less than 50 years old]

• A history of smoking or are currently a smoker

• Hypertension

• High Cholesterol [Total cholesterol greater than 200 mg/dL]

• Obesity

• Diabetes, or are a postmenopausal Woman

The Heart Screen is available for $50 at the Sanford Center for Screening located at 1720 University Drive S., in Fargo. The screen takes less than an hour, requires no physician referral, and is scheduled in advance. Schedule a screen at: [701] 23-HEART [701.234.3278], or 800.821.2232.