Hospital program details risk factors for heart disease
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, and residents of Fayette County are at a higher risk for suffering a heart attack than individuals living in any other county in the state. It’s not the county’s southwestern location, but the unhealthy lifestyles and behavior of its people that contribute to this higher risk, according to statistics from the state Department of Health.
To combat the trend, Uniontown Hospital and the American Heart Association on Monday teamed to educate area residents on the risk factors associated with heart disease.
The team players gathered at the “Healthy Heart Fair” at the hospital, where residents were screened for high blood pressure, cholesterol and body fat, all to determine if they’re at risk for heart disease.
Dr. Raef Hajj-Ali, interventional cardiologist on staff at Uniontown Hospital, said there’s really no one problem attributed to the cause of heart disease and blockages; however, several risk factors – high blood pressure, high cholesterol, overweight, inactivity, diabetes and smoking – have been identified over the years, most of which can be changed.
Cigarette smoking is considered a strong risk factor for heart disease and stroke.
“Particularly important in Fayette County is to quit smoking,” said Hajj-Ali. “We are capable of changing that.”
Anita M. Hrutkay, director of the Fayette County Tobacco Control Coalition, agreed. She said smoking is one of the controllable risk factors, and quitting smoking can actually prevent heart disease.
Heart disease and diabetes go hand in hand, so people with diabetes need to be aggressive in controlling their condition, Hajj-Ali said.
Sue Shearer, diabetes educator for Fayette Home Care, explained that a diabetes patient can experience clogged arteries at an earlier age than those without the chronic disorder because it causes blood sugar to run high and blood cells to stick to the walls of the arteries.
“When you have diabetes, you’re always twice at risk (of heart disease) no matter your age,” Shearer added.
Hajj-Ali said cholesterol could contribute to artery plaque formation inside the heart.
Plaque rupturing can cause blood clots to form at the site of the rupture, and blood clots can lead to a heart attack, he said. Heart attacks weaken the heart muscle and can kill the muscle piece by piece.
Healthy eating habits, trying to lose weight as well as being active can help minimize bad cholesterol levels and maximize good, protective cholesterol levels.
“We are aiming to get the bad cholesterol as low as 70, which is something that was never even thought of before,” Hajj-Ali said.
Miss America 1999 Nicole Johnson-Baker, diagnosed with diabetes 10 years ago, served up two recipes from her newly published cookbook during her healthy hearts cooking demonstration.
Patrons sampled Parisian Pork Medallions and Nutty Green Beans as Johnson-Baker talked about the importance of healthy eating for diabetics and others at high risk for heart disease. Johnson-Baker explained that diabetes is an underlying cause of heart disease.
“Do you know that 65 percent of women don’t know they are at risk?” asked Johnson-Baker. “As a diabetic, I am considered as already having had a heart attack.”
Johnson-Baker said it’s the philosophy in her household to eat food that’s low in fat and carbohydrates, food that is healthy for diabetics and those with heart disease.
“So it’s a perfect combination,” Johnson-Baker said.
People cannot change non-modifiable risk factors, such as family history, but should remain aware of the risk factors and work to reduce the risk, Hajj-Ali said.
“When they have this risk inherited from their families, it’s very important they do what is modifiable so they can control it,” Hajj-Ali said.
Cindy Sterling with the American Heart Association (AHA) said educating the public is key to successfully lowering the numbers of people at risk.
“‘Learn and Live’ is our new slogan,” Sterling said. “We feel if people learn a lot, heart disease can be prevented.”
Sandy Thorpe, organizer of the healthy heart fair and patient care manager for Cardiac Care Services at Uniontown Hospital, expressed similar sentiments.
Thorpe said obesity, poor diet, smoking and lack of exercise can cause serious medical problems, including heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, blood pressure and many other related conditions.
“For people who know they have heart disease, it is important to know how to prevent or control it,” Thorpe said. “A lot of patients to the cath lab know they have heart disease, but are unsure of how to treat it.”
She added that patients with full blockages and multi-vessel heart disease are coming into the hospital at a much younger age – in their 20s or 30s.
Thorpe said only a small part of Fayette County resources were represented at the “Healthy Hearts Fair” on Monday. She said if people follow the advice they received at the fair from fitness centers, smoking cessation clinics, hospital aids, nutritionists and much more, they could reduce their risk of heart disease, tame obesity and reach a good nutrition level.