Heart Health Month

According to the Centers for Disease Control, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States.

What is a heart attack?
A heart attack, also known as a myocardial infarction, is the death of heart muscle tissue due to the loss of blood supply – usually caused by a blockage in one or more of the coronary arteries.

What are some heart attack risk factors?
Some of the risk factors for heart disease include: family history of heart disease; obesity; stress; lack of activity/exercise; diabetes; high cholesterol; high blood pressure; age (women over 55 and men over 45); and tobacco use

What causes a heart attack?
Underlying coronary artery disease is the most common condition that leads to a heart attack or sudden cardiac death. Coronary artery disease is caused by having a build up cholesterol and calcium along the walls of the coronary arteries.

What are the symptoms of a heart attack?
Symptoms may vary from person to person, but some common symptoms include: a shortness of breath; weakness; discomfort or numbness in the upper body (jaw, arms, neck, back, abdomen, etc.). If you are concerned about symptoms, be sure to call 911 for an ambulance immediately – do not drive yourself to the ER or wait for an office appointment with your primary care physician.

How is a heart attack treated?
The goal is to restore blood flow and oxygen to the heart as quickly as possible. A patient may go from the ER directly to a cardiac catheterization lab so that the clot that is blocking the artery may be removed through a procedure such as angioplasty, with a stent place in the artery to keep it open and the blood flowing. Prior to this, staff in an ER may give a patient aspirin or other drugs to prevent clotting, oxygen, and pain medication to alleviate chest pain.

What can I do to decrease my chance of having a heart attack?
Most important is having check-ups with a primary care physician to monitor your health and any symptoms - and manage them before it’s too late. Lifestyle change is the single most important thing. Eat a healthy, balanced diet, track your cholesterol level and blood pressure, perform regular exercise, find ways to alleviate stress, and quit smoking.

Life Line Vascular Screening
Did you know 80% of stroke victims had no apparent warning signs? Life Line Screenings is hosting a health screening at Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Hospital on Wed., Feb. 24 – by appointment only. All screenings are fast, painless and convenient. Screenings include: stroke/carotid artery screening; heart rhythm screening for atrial fibrillation; abdominal aortic aneurysm screening; peripheral arterial disease screening; and an osteoporosis screening. All five tests cost $149 as a package; or $139 for the first four screenings. Call Life Line Screening at 1-800-690-0289 to pre-register for the screening. Source code: HSC5928.

Mended Hearts Support Group
*Thursday, February 18 – 6:30 to 8 p.m. - Conference Center, Rms. A & B (Evening Session featuring guest speaker Mark Mettauer, M.D.)
Thursday, March 18 - 2:30 to 4 p.m. - Conference Center, Rms. A & B
Monthly meetings held at Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Hospital, 9250 Pinecroft
Hope for recovery. Hope for a rich, full life. For more than 50 years, Mended Hearts has been offering the gift of hope and encouragement to heart patients, their families and caregivers. Patients, spouses, family members, friends, medical professionals, Mended Hearts brings together all of us who are faced with the realities of heart disease to form a network of caring individuals.

Stroke Support Group
1st Wednesday of each month – 6 to 7 p.m., Conference Center Rooms A/B
Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Hospital, 9250 Pinecroft
A new stroke support group has been formed to complement the Certified Primary Stroke Center at Memorial Hermann The Woodlands. Please call 281-364-5959 to register or for more information.

Diabetes Support Group
Wednesday, March 10 - 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. – Conference Center, Rms. A & B
Meetings will be held every other month on the second Wednesday from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the Conference Center at Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Hospital, 9250 Pinecroft. 

Please call 281 364-2322 for more information.