Gems
(or pertinent facts)
01
To curb high rates of heart disease and stroke, experts urge prevention and innovation
Laura Williamson, American Heart Association News, January 24, 2024
"Nearly half of U.S. adults – more than 122 million – have high blood pressure, also known as hypertension."
02
"Chronic stress is when you experience stress for a long period of time and your body is in high gear off and on for days or weeks at a time. Chronic stress may lead to high blood pressure, which can increase risk for heart attack and stroke."
03
Heart disease and stroke could affect at least 60% of adults in U.S. by 2050
American Heart Association News, June 4, 2024
"According to the projections, the biggest rise in the total number of people with cardiovascular disease will be among Hispanic adults, with Asian adults also seeing a large increase. Black adults are projected to have the highest rates of high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity, as well as the highest rates of inadequate sleep and poor diets. Asian adults are projected to have the highest rates of inadequate physical activity, with rates also high among Asian and Hispanic children."
01
Family History, Heart Disease and Stroke
American Heart Association, last reviewed January 11, 2024
"Our genetics are powerful influencers of our health — you can’t counteract them. However, if you have a family history of heart disease, you can help offset them by having as healthy of a lifestyle as possible. That means lowering your risk by changing health behaviors that can increase your chances of having heart disease or a stroke. This includes getting routine checkups with your health care team."
02
Shaking the Salt Habit to Lower High Blood Pressure
American Heart Association, last reviewed May 8, 2024
"When buying prepared and packaged foods, read the labels. Adults in the United States consume up to 70% of their sodium from processed foods such as soups, tomato sauce, condiments and canned goods. Watch for the words “soda” and “sodium” and the symbol “Na” on labels. These terms warn that products contain sodium compounds. Many canned and frozen food labels print “low salt” or “low sodium” on the packaging."
03
Stressful, low-reward work may double heart disease risk for men
American Heart Association News, September 19, 2023
"Men who worked in stressful jobs that they felt required high effort but provided low reward had twice the risk of heart disease as men who were free of such stressors, a study has found. The combined effect of job strain and effort-reward imbalance was similar to the magnitude of the effect obesity has on the risk of coronary heart disease, according to the study, which was published Tuesday in the American Heart Association journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes."
01
What's the Link Between Physical Activity and Health?
American Heart Association, last reviewed April 24, 2024
"Any type of physical activity is good if it makes your muscles work more than usual. The heart is a muscle and benefits from a workout just like other muscles in your body."
02
Paging friends and family: Caregivers crucial to in-hospital cardiac arrest survivors
​Laura Williamson, American Heart Association News, September 6, 2024
"The positive aspects of caregiving don't get enough attention, said Ranak Trivedi, a clinical health psychologist and assistant professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University in California. 'People do it because they care about the people they are taking care of and they often do feel a stronger sense of connection, a sense of purpose and meaning,' she said."
03
Social isolation, loneliness can damage heart and brain health, report says
American Heart Association News, August 4, 2022
"Social isolation and loneliness may increase the risk of having or dying from a heart attack or stroke, according to a new report summarizing research on the topic."
Recall!
The author wishes to continually express gratitude to the "kind strangers" who give him much needed and appreciated care during the post-operation phase.
​
Thus, a portion of every sale will be donated to the American Nurses Association annually on the anniversary of the author's open heart surgery in the month of July.
Our
Heroes:
