|
January 19, 2010
by Naples Florida Weekly
News Stories
January 19, 2010 --- You'll always be in my heart. My heart beats only for you. You must be brokenhearted. My heart fills with joy. Have a heart. Affairs of the heart. It's time for a heart-to-heart. The heart figures prominently in hundreds of sayings that describe life's every emotion.
But how well do we take care of the organ that's referred to with such abandon?
The heart is the most important organ in the body. Nothing else can function without it. Even the mighty brain is helpless when the heart stops beating. Yet heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases are the nation's No. 1 and No. 3 killers, claiming more than 865,000 lives each year.
The American Heart Association is on a mission to prevent, treat and defeat heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases. One of the most visible signs of the campaign is the annual Start! Heart Walk that takes place in town and cities across the country.
"The Heart Walk is more than just a walk, it's about changing your lifestyle," says Geoff Moebius, former CEO of Physicians Regional Healthcare System and chairman of the Collier County AHA Start! Heart Walk, which took place in November 2009. More than 4,000 walkers stepped out, and a record $342,000 was raised; the Lee County walk in December 2009 raised about $250,000. The AHA's Southwest Florida Heart Ball, a joint gala for Collier and Lee Counties, happens in April.
"I've been so pleased working with the American Heart Association, not just with the Heart Walk and raising funds, but also with what they have done for the community in setting up walking paths and working with the city and different companies to encourage healthier diets to combat obesity," Mr. Moebius says.
"From our cause sponsors - Arthrex and an anonymous donor in memory of Kyle Ferstrom - everyone has been stepping up to help the community with healthy diets, anti-smoking and walking, all of which fight heart disease," he adds.
After shaping up for the Start! Heart Walk, Mr. Moebius still hits the pavement for his main form of exercise. "I strive to get in my 10,000 steps a day," he says. "I also ride a bike and swim."
Heart disease risks can include conditions and lifestyle factors. Everyone can take steps to tackle risk factors, and this is especially important if someone already has heart disease. Deposits of cholesterol in the arteries of the heart can lead to a narrowing of the arteries and heart disease.
Another chief risk factor for heart disease is high blood pressure, which can be treated with lifestyle changes or in many cases by medication. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, three-quarters of people with diabetes, which is another culprit in raising a person's risk for heart disease, die of a form of heart or blood vessel disease.
Where there's smoke, there's fire
The most important preventable cause of premature death in the United States, cigarette smoking accounts for nearly 500,000 deaths every year. It's such a major risk factor for death in America that the surgeon general has called it "the leading preventable cause of disease and deaths in the United States." The AHA devotes an entire section of its Web site to the link between cigarette smoking and cardiovascular diseases.
In addition to the damage smokers do to themselves every time they light up, the damage their smoke does to others is catastrophic. As many as 69,000 premature deaths annually can be attributed to heart and blood vessel disease caused by secondhand smoke.
Health care head honchos like Mr. Moebius have banned smoking on their medical campuses, with overwhelming support of patients, hospital visitors and organizations like the American Heart Association.
"We have worked with NCH and Lee Memorial Health System to make all campuses non-smoking," he says, adding, "It's largely due to the American Heart Association that we were able to pull of these great successes."
Opponents have long fought against a blanket ban on smoking in public places and restaurants, decrying them unconstitutional. Medical professionals recognize that trying to reason with many smokers is a losing battle, and the evidence of secondhand smoke fatality is often lost in translation rendering behavior unchanged. In nicotine addiction, a glaring absence of reason thrives, which means an outright ban on smoking is often the only way businesses and health care providers can keep workers and patrons safe from secondhand smoke.
Because statistics show that nearly all smokers start the habit before the age of 18, smoking bans are more important than ever if positive anti-smoking messages are to reach children in time to prevent them from picking up that first cigarette, the AHA maintains.
Know the signs
Every year nearly 1 million Americans have their first heart attack. Another 470,000 who have already had one or more heart attacks have another attack.
The AHA lists discomfort in the chest or other areas of the upper body, shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort and other signs like breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness as heart attack warning signs. Although heart attacks that seem obvious, as often portrayed on television or in movies, can happen, most begin slowly with discomfort. And all too often, people wait too long before getting help.
What is your heart telling you? And more importantly, will you listen?
For more information on healthy heart habits or to participate in an AHA event, visit www.AmericanHeart.org.
American Heart Association initiatives
Among the AHA's programs to promote heart health are:
- Go Red for Women: A national movement to wipe out heart disease in women
- Start! Heart Walk: A call to action for all Americans to walk and incorporate heart-healthy habits into their everyday lives
- Power to End Stroke: A campaign to raise awareness about and prevent stroke
- Alliance for a Healthier Generation: A partnership between the William J. Clinton Foundation and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to encourage a healthier generation of young people
- Heart Ready Awareness: Designates cities, counties and communities as Heart Ready
- American Heart Heroes: An enrichment program for children who have cardiovascular disease
- Jump Rope for Heart: A program that encourages elementary students to raise research and education funds
- Hoops for Heart: A way to engage middle-school students in basketball and to raise funds for heart and stroke research and education
|