HeartSafe

Summary

Hosted by Martin Sheen, HeartSafe is designed as a home-study course to help patients understand lifestyle risks such as smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and inactivity. Priced specially for volume purchases.

Details

Heart disease is the leading cause of death.

• muscle made up of four chambers, the right and left atria and ventricles
• oxygen depleted blood returns to the heart through the veins and enters the right atrium, then right ventricle and is then pumped to your lungs
• oxygen rich blood returns to the heart through the left atrium, then the left ventricle and is pumped to the body
• heart muscle gets it's blood from the three coronary arteries

• Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common cause of a heart attack
• CAD is the buildup of plaque on the artery walls
• angina (pain or pressure in the chest) is cuased by restricted blood flow to the heart muscle
• angina usually triggered by heart working harder due to emotions, exertion, eating, cold temperatures
• angina does not cause tissue damage to heart muscle
• heart attack causes permanent tissue damage to the heart

• Risk factor quiz
• more risk factors greater chance of heart attack
• uncontrollable risk factors: family history, age and diabetes
• controllable risk factors: smoking, high blood pressure, stress, being overweight, physical inactivity, a high fat diet, and high blood cholesterol

Smoking:

• smokers have a 70% greater chance of dying of heart disease
• increases carbon monoxide in red blood cells, decreases oxygen uptake
• narrows coronary arteries
• makes it easier for plaque to develop

High Blood Pressure:

• called the silent killer because it has few symptoms
• makes heart work harder
• should not be more than 140/90

Stress and Anger:

• uncontrolled anger leads to overproduction of stress hormones which raise blood pressure

Excess Body Weight:

• makes heart pump extra blood
• increases risk for high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes

Lack of Physical Activity:

• lowers overall efficiency of heart and lungs
• contributes to excess weight, high blood pressure and high cholesterol

High Fat Diet and High Blood Cholesterol:

• leads to development of plaque in coronary arteries

• pain (may only be mild discomfort)
• nausea or vomiting
• shortness of breath
• perspiration
• faintness
• extreme weakness

• quit smoking and avoid secondhand smoke
• strategies to help you quit smoking
• suggestions for relaxation and stress management
• physical activity: warm up, exercise then cool down
• suggestions for increasing your physical activity level
• guidelines for heart healthy eating
• tips for sodium (salt) reduction
• learn to read food labels
• tips for dining out
• medications - information about nitroglycerine, aspirin, beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, ACE inhibitors, diuretics, cholesterol lowering drugs

Answers common questions of patients after an MI:

• what is my risk of dying?
• what about physical activity?
• what about sexual activity?
• what about depression?
• what about driving?
• what about work?