A Woman's Heart

What Every Woman Should Know about Heart Attack

February is all about hearts! This month not only the American Heart Association's Go Red Month for heart disease awareness, it is also Valentine's Day, too.  It won't come as a surprise to say that men and women are different. But, it may surprise you to learn that mean and women may experience heart attacks differently, too. We are all familiar with the classic picture of a man clutching his chest in pain which immediately alerts us to the possibility of a heart attack. However, this may not happen in women, and instead women may experience other symptoms not quickly associated with heart attacks, such as:

• Pain in the arm(s), back, neck, or jaw 
• Stomach pain 
• Shortness of breath, nausea, or lightheadedness 
• Sweating 
• Fatigue

While these symptoms may not be a heart attack by themselves, do not take a chance if you feel something isn't right. 

According to the CDC, women are "more likely to describe chest pain that is sharp, burning and more frequently have pain in the neck, jaw, throat, abdomen or back."

Statistics

You are not alone when it comes to cardiovascular diseases and stroke. According to the Go Red for Women website, 1 in 3 women's deaths are from heart disease and stroke, killing 1 women every 80 seconds!

* approximately 44 million women in the US are affected

* 90% of women have 1 or more risk factors

* 80% of heart disease and stroke events might be prevented by lifestyle changes

Learn more at www.goredforwomen.org

Are you at risk?

If you are Hispanic, you are likely to develop heart disease 10 years earlier than their Caucasian counterparts and it is the leading cause of death for Hispanic women. Sadly, only 34% are even aware that heart disease is their biggest health risk. 1 in 8 women report their doctor has brought up their risk.

African-American women also have increased risk, killing over 48,000 annually. 48.3% of African-American women ages 20 and older have cardiovascular disease yet only 14% believe it is a big health problem risk. Worse, only 50% of African-American women are aware of the signs and symptoms of a heart attack!

Chocolate

Now for some good news just in time for Valentines Day: chocolate may not be so bad for you after all!

Chocolate benefits may include:

* lowering cholesterol levels

* preventing cognitive decline

* reducing risk of cardiovascular issues

Keep in mind the key word is "may"--more studies need to be done to prove the health benefits of chocolate conclusively. So, don't despair if you get some chocolate for Valentines Day, researchers suggest that "consuming a small amount of chocolate every day could lower the risk of diabetes and heart disease." Take care of your health, heart and most of all be aware of what your body may be telling you--it could save your life!

www.webmd.com/heart-disease/features/womens-heart-attack-symptoms
www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/data_statistics/fs_women_heart.htm
www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/270272.php#health_benefits_chocolate

Why We Offer a Standing Computer Station: "Sitting is the New Smoking"

One Medical Library's Approach to Encourage Patron Wellness

    

            Thanks to a small grant from the Trinitas Health Foundation, the Medical Library was able to incorporate a new standing desk computer station in early June 2016. 

            There were several reasons why this type of desk station was introduced into the library: customer demand for an additional computer, space limitations, and health benefits.  Yes, health benefits!  

             Dr. James Levine, director of the Mayo Clinic-Arizona State University Obesity Solutions Initiative and inventor of the treadmill desk, who has been studying the adverse effects of increasingly sedentary lifestyles for years, concluded, “Sitting is more dangerous than smoking, kills more people than HIV and is more treacherous than parachuting. We are sitting ourselves to death.” In fact, Levine is credited with coining the phrase, “sitting is the new smoking.”  The reason this is so dangerous is because when you sit for long periods, sluggish blood flow can set the stage for a blood clot to form.  

              A recent study of more than 100,000 men and women also supported this conclusion.  It found those who sat for more than six hours a day were more likely to have died from cardiovascular disease over the course of the 14-year study than those who sat for less than three hours a day. This held true even among those who exercised regularly!

              "Overall, current evidence suggests that both standing and treadmill desks may be effective in improving overall health considering both physiological and mental health components," stated an article from Preventive Magazine.

              Digging deeper, there are a myriad of reasons why standing for a bit of time instead of sitting is better for you: 

1. A standing workstation could increase HDL cholesterol: the "good" cholesterol
2. 18 participants in one study who used a standing desk for three months lost some weight
3. Seven studies of standing desks, totaling 220 participants, found they had very little impact on typical work tasks (typing).  In one telling study, employees using a sit-stand workstation for four hours a day during on work week had no significant difference number of characters typed per minute or typing errors made when standing compared to sitting. 
4. In one seven-week study using a standing desk use, participants not only reported less fatigue, tension, confusion, and depression, but more vigor, energy, focus, and happiness. Even more significant, when they returned to their seated desks, their overall mood returned to baseline levels.

One of our hospital employees trying out the Library's new standing station.





             
             By the way, this idea isn't exactly new. While they may not have had studies backing up their preference to stand up while working, Leonardo da Vinci, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson Winston Churchill, Ernest Hemingway, and even Donald Rumsfeld all reportedly used stand-up desks.

            

             The win here is that standing more might help you live longer-- and also improve your mood in the process. At our Medical Library, we are excited to offer our new standing station, and knowing we are doing our part to contribute to wellness.

update: 7/25/16
"Sedentary time at very high levels is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease independent of other well-established risk factors, including low physical activity and high body-mass index." Dr Ambarish Pandey (University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas) and colleagues conducted a meta-analysis of nine prospective cohort studies published before July 6, 2015 covering 720,425 participants (mean age 54.5, 57.1% women) and 25,769 unique cardiovascular events. Median follow-up came to 11 years.

The meta-analysis was published online July 13, 2016 in JAMA Cardiology
 

references:

http://www.fastcodesign.com/3045217/evidence/everything-science-knows-right-now-about-standing-desks

 

https://hbr.org/2010/08/the-many-benefits-of-standing/

 

http://www.prevention.com/health/healthy-living/how-make-your-own-standing-desk

 

http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/172/4/419.abstract

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/866458
 

 

 

 





Heart Month

We're back! The Library's blog will still feature stories and news about getting well and staying healthy, especially with the help of #Trinitas.   

February is Heart Month!

Trinitas maintains a full-service cardiac facility as well as facilities for the intensive nursing care of patients with cardiac disease. These include a cardiac care unit, intermediate coronary care unit, cardiac catheterization lab, non-invasive cardiology services, full-service emergency department, and cardiac rehabilitation services. 
Trinitas Regional Medical Center provides elective angioplasty procedures following approval by the New Jersey Commissioner of Health & Senior Services. The Medical Center performs both elective and emergency angioplasty procedures in our state-of-the-art Cardiac Catheterization Lab.

The spacious and modern Diagnostic Center provides a convenient, all-in-one facility for inpatient and outpatient testing including echocardiograms, nuclear stress testing, electrocardiograms, electroencephlagrams, holter monitoring, pacemaker evaluations, vascular studies, muga scans and pulmonary function tests.

Did you know Trinitas Offers Non-Invasive Alternative To Heart Surgery?

A cutting edge procedure is now being offered at Trinitas Regional Medical Center for patients who suffer from coronary artery disease, angina or congestive heart failure. EECP - Enhanced External Counterpulsation - is the only non-surgical cardiac treatment that has been clinically proven in medical studies to be as effective as bypass surgery, stents or angioplasty without any of the risks or recovery time associated with surgery.

Enhanced External Counterpulsation opens or forms small blood vessels, thereby creating natural bypasses around narrowed or blocked arteries and improving the flow of healthy, oxygenated blood to the heart. These new blood vessels help reduce or eliminate angina, increase energy and stamina and return patients to activities they thought they had given up forever.

The FDA-approved procedure, which is covered by Medicare and most insurance, is a relatively simple treatment. Patients lie comfortably on a special bed while several blood pressure cuffs are wrapped around their legs. These cuffs inflate and deflate in sync with the patient's heart beat, pumping healthy blood throughout the body and pushing oxygen-rich blood toward the heart. Patients undergo a one-hour treatment every day for seven weeks, and are able to read, listen to music or sleep during the procedure.

"Many patients assume that their cardiac symptoms, including chest pain, pressure or lack of energy, are irreversible," says Arthur Millman, MD, Chief of Cardiology at Trinitas. "But studies show that the EECP procedure can significantly improve or completely eliminate symptoms, and greatly increase stamina, exercise tolerance and quality of life. It can also reduce or eliminate the use of nitroglycerin and other medications."

Nearly everyone with coronary artery disease, angina or congestive heart failure can benefit from EECP. It is particularly well-suited to people who have already had angioplasty, stents or bypass surgery and are experiencing a return of their heart disease symptoms. It is also ideal for patients who are not candidates for surgery due to other conditions, as well as diabetics and women with small blood vessels.

In addition to EECP, Trinitas Regional Medical Center offers the region's most comprehensive cardiac services, including a full-service cardiac facility as well as facilities for the intensive nursing care of patients with cardiac disease. These include an emergency angioplasty program, cardiac care unit, intermediate coronary care unit, cardiac catheterization lab, full service emergency department and cardiac rehabilitation services. These facilities are all staffed by the area's largest team of board-certified cardiologists, an experienced cardiovascular nursing staff, and specially-trained cardiac technicians.

For more information on EECP please call 908-994-5072