Heart Disease

Each year, 1.1 million Americans suffer heart attacks. For one-third of these people, their first and only warning sign is sudden death. The two-thirds who survive may experience congestive heart failure, abnormal heart rhythms and the emotional burden of being diagnosed with heart disease. By addressing risk factors and recognizing symptoms right away, you can help lower your chance of developing or dying from a heart attack. Heart attacks occur when the blood supply to part of the heart muscle is severely reduced or stopped.

Dear Editor, According to the Centers for Disease Control, Kentucky and West Virginia have the highest proportion of people with heart disease in the nation. The prevalence of obesity, smoking and diabetes are the primary causes. Recognizing the need for heart rehabilitation, Regain Inc. was formed in Danville to meet the growing health care needs of the 135,000 residents of Boyle County and surrounding rural communities of Casey, Garrard, Lincoln, Mercer, Marion and Washington counties.

Melissa Phillips has a heart for the heart. The Asbury College senior biochemistry major from Louisville has been accepted to the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy and plans to pursue a Ph.D. in pharmaceutical science. She wants to develop treatments for cardiovascular disease, especially for women. "I think even though the heart is so important, people don't think about it," she said. "There is a ton of money going into cancer and neurology research, but cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of men and women.

William Brooks started life with a heart defect that required two surgeries in his first year. On Sunday, the 6-year-old survivor started off the local fight against the affliction. Brooks led a group of about 300 people who gathered at the George Rogers Clark High School track for the annual American Heart Association Heart Walk - a fundraiser to battle Kentucky's top killer. Organizers were still receiving donations today, but Billy Edwards, chairman of the local Heart Association Board said, the group is close to its $30,000 goal.

What can we do to reduce the risk or heart disease? Coronary heart disease and stroke are the number one and number three killers of Americans. One reason for this is lack of dedication to a heart-healthy lifestyle. Your lifestyle is not only your best defense against heart disease and stroke, it's also your duty. According to the American Heart Association, by following these three simple steps you can reduce all of the modifiable risk factors for heart disease, heart attack and stroke (www.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death among adults in the United States. Individuals can reduce their risks of developing heart disease by paying attention to their cholesterol level. Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center is offering free cholesterol screenings 8:30-10:30 a.m. Feb. 14 at MedSource, 326 W. Walnut St. in Danville. Appointments are not necessary. Cholesterol is a substance that your body needs in small amounts to build cell walls and make certain hormones.

Secondhand smoke is the third leading cause of preventable death in the United States. It kills more Americans each year than murder, drugs and AIDS combined. In June 2006 the U.S. Surgeon General confirmed that secondhand smoke is not a mere annoyance but a serious health hazard that causes premature death and disease in children and non-smoking adults. Numerous scientific studies conducted by reputable health agencies also confirm the hazardous health effects of secondhand smoke. Secondhand smoke is the toxic waste from tobacco combustion: a combination of the smoke exhaled by smokers and the smoke that comes off the burning end of cigarettes, pipes and cigars.

February is American Heart Month, and Friday, Feb. 2, is National Wear Red Day. Heart disease is the number one killer of American women, killing one of every three American women. Everyone is encouraged to wear red on Feb. 2 to encourage women to take care of their hearts. Cardiovascular disease is mostly preventable, so understanding these serious health threats can make a lifesaving difference. Much research needs to be done on heart disease in women. But there is valuable information available to you now. It's also available for men and children.

In observance of February being American Heart Month, Fort Logan Hospital is offering lipid profiles from February 12-23. This test is available seven days a week beginning at 7 a.m. and will be provided to individuals throughout the day as long as 12-hour fasting has been observed. The test is valued at $70 but will be offered at a special rate of $15 paid at the time of service. This test gives total cholesterol levels, including HDL, LDL and triglycerides. Cholesterol is a leading risk factor for heart disease, which is the number one cause of death among adults in the United States.

Heart disease is now the No. 1 killer of women. That was the message delivered to more than 200 women Thursday at a luncheon hosted by auxiliaries at Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center and Fort Logan Hospital in Stanford and Novartis. Among the best medicines? Laughter. Most of the women dressed in red to show their support for the American Heart Association's "Go Red for Women" campaign organized to increase awareness of a healthy lifestyle. "Laughter can reduce the risk of heart disease," said Mary Begley, the director of the EMRMC's new Office of Customer Satisfaction, who gave an informative and amusing program on ways women can take better care of themselves.