Tag Archives: Cardiovascular health

February is National Heart Month: American Medical Response shares heart attack warning signs

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People are encouraged to focus on their cardiovascular health during February (Courtesy, pxhere.com)


By WKTV Staff

deborah@wktv.org



Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and is a major cause of disability.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), coronary heart disease is the most common form of heart disease and often can lead to heart attacks.

February is National Heart Month, and American Medical Response (AMR) is providing tips to help you know the risks and signs of a heart attack and what to do if you witness these signs.

“Heart attacks can be sudden, but most start slowly with mild pain and discomfort,” stated John Robben, AMR Regional Director for Western Michigan. “Often, people who are having a heart attack aren’t sure what’s wrong and therefore delay seeking help.”


(Courtesy, pxhere.com)

Warning signs of a heart attack

Robben says to look out for these signs of a heart attack:

Chest Pain – Most heart attacks cause discomfort or pain in the center of the chest that can last for several minutes. The pain may go away and then return. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.

Discomfort in Other Areas of the Upper Body – This can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.

Shortness of Breath – May occur with or without chest discomfort.

Other signs – Other symptoms might include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.

Warning Signs can be Different for Women – The most common symptom for both women and men is chest discomfort, but one can have a heart attack and not experience chest pain or pressure. Women are more likely to have symptoms such as back pain, jaw pain, shortness of breath, indigestion and nausea or vomiting.


(Courtesy, American Medical Response)

What to do

If you or someone you are with has chest discomfort, especially with one or more of the signs of a heart attack, call 911 immediately.

Calling 911 is the fastest way to get lifesaving treatment. Emergency medical services can begin treatment when they arrive. EMTs and paramedics are also trained to revive someone whose heart has stopped.

If a person’s heart stops before the ambulance arrives, you should begin CPR and send someone to find an Automated External Defibrillator (AED).

Be Prepared: It only takes a few minutes to learn compression-only CPR. Call Guardian Flight to find out where you can learn this life-saving skill.

For more information on heart attacks, visit heart.org.

Cardiovascular Network of West Michigan surpasses expectations with 100 life-saving surgeries

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The Cardiovascular Network of West Michigan completed its 100th surgery at University of Michigan Health-West (Courtesy, UMHW)

By WKTV Staff

deborah@wktv.org


Ten months since launching the state’s newest open-heart surgery program, the Cardiovascular Network of West Michigan completed its 100th surgery at University of Michigan Health-West, surpassing its first-year goal of 50 operations.

The program gives West Michigan patients greater choice and access to top-rated care close to home while also reducing costs. The Grand Rapids market was previously the largest in the state with a single open-heart program.

The UMHW cardiovascular operating room has state-of-the-art equipment (Courtesy, UMHW)

UM Health-West CEO Dr. Peter Hahn said the milestone is a testament to the collaboration and meticulous preparation that led to the program launch last October.

“Before we saw a single patient, we built and equipped a state-of-the-art operating room. We assembled a team of leading heart surgeons and cardiovascular experts, and we designed protocols to ensure our first patient could have the same expectation of excellence as our 100th patient,” Hahn said. “We intend to continue building on that success.”

Dr. Alphonse DeLucia III, who leads the UM Health-West cardiac surgery team, said the program’s success shows the genius of the model established by the Cardiovascular Network of West Michigan. The joint operating agreement leverages the expertise of Trinity Health Muskegon, Trinity Health Grand Rapids, UM Health-West, and more than 125 years of cardiovascular leadership from University of Michigan Health in Ann Arbor.

“Patients no longer have to wonder if they are getting the best option for care,” DeLucia said. “Patients go through their own cardiologist. If advanced cardiovascular care becomes necessary, the Network provides the collective expertise from all four programs to evaluate each case and ensure the best possible treatment.”

Trinity Health provides access to some of the most accomplished surgeons in the state (Courtesy, UMHW)

Whether surgery takes place at Trinity Health Muskegon or at UM Health-West in Wyoming, the Network provides access to some of the most accomplished surgeons in the state. These surgeons have decades of experience and have performed thousands of operations.

Another aspect that sets the program apart, said Dr. Theodore Boeve, a cardiothoracic surgeon based at Trinity Health Muskegon, is that it draws on the renowned cardiovascular expertise of University of Michigan.

“Some of the greatest advances in cardiovascular medicine and surgery got their start in Ann Arbor, and Michigan Medicine continues to be a leader in improving outcomes for patients with heart disease,” Boeve said, noting patients benefit from the latest research and clinical trials. “This opens an entirely new scope of treatment options.”

UM Health-West Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ronald Grifka said the early success confirms that the cardiac surgery program and the Network are addressing a critical necessity for the fastest-growing region of the state.

The overwhelming success of the cardiovascular program has encouraged plans for further expansion (Courtesy, UMHW)

“The fact that we expect to perform close to 125 surgeries in our first 12 months – and possibly 200 in our second year – shows West Michigan needed more options in the fight against heart disease, the No. 1 cause of death,” Grifka said. “We are making a direct impact on the quality of life for our patients across the region.”

Dr. Himanshu Patel, Executive Director of the Cardiovascular Network of West Michigan says the overwhelming success of the program has encouraged plans for further expansion and advancements.

“Expansion in the next decade is not a matter of if, but when,” Patel said. “We are confident of this, just as we fully expect to continue delivering more breakthroughs and sophisticated treatments for our patients.”

The sooner you quit smoking, the better

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Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat

 By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay

 

Despite the well-known dangers of smoking, the sizable benefits of quitting may be overlooked, a new study suggests.

 

“These findings underscore the benefits of quitting smoking within five years, which is a 38 percent lower risk of a heart attack, stroke or other forms of cardiovascular disease,” said study author Meredith Duncan, from Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville.

 

“The bottom line is if you smoke, now is a very good time to quit,” Duncan said in an American Heart Association news release.

 

Her team also found that it takes more than 15 years from the time you quit until your cardiovascular disease risk returns to the level of those who never smoked—so the sooner you quit, the better.

 

Cigarette smoking in America is declining and leaving a growing population of former smokers. Earlier studies have hinted that the risk for heart disease lessens within a few years after quitting, but these studies haven’t looked closely at smoking history, including changes in smoking habits.

 

In this study, Duncan and her colleagues analyzed data on the lifetime smoking histories of nearly 8,700 people who took part in the Framingham Heart Study.

 

At the beginning of the study, none of the participants suffered from cardiovascular disease. Over 27 years, researchers compared the risk for heart disease among people who never smoked with those who quit.

 

They found that more than 70 percent of heart disease occurred in current or former smokers who smoked at least 20 pack-years—smoking one pack a day for 20 years.

 

But smokers who quit within the last five years cut their risk for cardiovascular disease by 38 percent, compared with people who continued to smoke. Moreover, it took 16 years after quitting for the risk of cardiovascular disease to return to the level of never smokers, the researchers found.

 

The findings were presented at the American Heart Association’s annual meeting, in Chicago. Such research is considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

 

Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.