Love Your Heart: Healthy Hints for Valentine's Day

As Americans prepare this month to give millions of heart-shaped tokens of affection to someone special, health professionals are hoping to convince more people to show some love for their own hearts.

Americans know what they should do – eat right, keep their weight in check, exercise and not smoke. Many people are trying to live a healthier lifestyle. Yet, obesity has become a national epidemic.

“If we could get the population to embrace a healthy lifestyle, we’d go a very long way in reducing the epidemic of heart disease. It would be more powerful than all the drugs we use today,” said Dr. Robert Superko, chairman of Molecular, Genetic and Preventive Cardiology at Piedmont Hospital. “The trick is getting people to do it. We’re going in the opposite direction in the whole concept of prevention.”

More than half of adults and an estimated 17 percent of children and teenagers in the United States are considered overweight or obese. The people who are getting fatter the fastest are children and teenagers, doctors say. Foods high in fat, calories and sugar, and lack of physical activity are the main culprits making children fat. In the next 10 to 15 years, doctors fear, they could become the new face of heart disease.

“Heart disease is higher in the United States than other countries because of our slothful lifestyle,” said Dr. Basil Margolis, medical director of the Preventive Cardiology Program at Saint Joseph’s Hospital. “It’s not just what we eat; it’s the portion sizes in the United States. We overeat.”

If all is this is causing your heart to beat a little faster, relax. There is good news.

High-tech innovations in medical procedures, advances in diagnostic testing and better drugs are helping to keep more people with heart disease alive.

Bypass surgery, angioplasty and stent procedures have improved. Statin drugs and niacin have been effective in reducing high cholesterol. Clot-busting drugs, given during a heart attack, are helping to save lives. More sophisticated testing, such as the thallium stress test, calcium score CT scan, 64-slice CT scan and genetic screening, are offering better detection. There’s also more emphasis on individualized health plans.

The bottom line: Information is power, health professionals say. Know your body. Get screenings to know where you stand. Whether the test results are good or bad, the more you know and the earlier you know, the better your chances of heading off a major problem.

Furthermore, people need to slow down their busy lifestyles and make their health and the health of their children a priority, said Hazel Steele, cardiovascular nurse educator at Atlanta Medical Center. “Just because things look good on the outside, it doesn’t mean things are fine on the inside,” Steele said. “You’ve got to decide you want to be healthier. You have to want to feel better.”

INTOWN HOSPITALS

Cardiac services at Atlanta’s Intown hospitals run the gamut — from smaller, comprehensive-care programs to more extensive, nationally known heart centers and research facilities. Here are description of some of the services these facilities offer:

Atlanta Medical Center’s cardiac care services provide emergent care of heart-attack patients, diagnostic testing and medical procedures, such as stents, angioplasty, open-heart surgery, valve replacement and laser surgery for peripheral arterial disease. The hospital also has a full cardiac rehabilitation center, where cardiovascular nurse educators teach patients and their families how to practice a heart-healthy lifestyle, including diet and individualized exercise plans. 303 Parkway Dr. N.E., Atlanta 30312. (404) 265-4000. www.atlantamedicalcenter.com.

DeKalb Medical Center’s Cardiac Intensive Care Unit provides a full range of cardiac services, including diagnostic cardiac catheterization, echocardiograms, cardiac stress testing, thrombolytic therapy and emergency care. A critical-care intensivist (doctor specializing in intensive care) is available for cardiac patients. The hospital has a state-of-the-art telemetry (electronic remote monitoring) unit, which can monitor up to 80 patients simultaneously. The hospital’s Stroke Center is certified by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of HealthCare Organizations. Cardiac rehabilitation program features a six- to 18-week program, including cardiac education and exercise rehabilitation. For long-term cardiac health, the on-site Wellness Center is an 18,000-square-foot facility with free weights, cardio exercise machines, indoor pool, indoor track and wellness classes, including aerobic dance, cardio kickboxing, water aerobics, nutrition consulting and more. 2701 North Decatur Rd., Decatur 30033, www.dekalbmedicalcenter.org or (404) 501-1000.

The Emory Heart Center encompasses all cardiology services and research at Emory University Hospital (EUH), Emory Crawford Long Hospital (ECLH), Carlyle Fraser Heart Center (at Crawford Long Hospital), the Andreas Gruentzig Cardiovascular Center of Emory University and the Emory Clinic. It is consistently recognized as one of the nation’s best cardiology centers. The center’s mission is to provide the most up-to-date clinical care to patients, research opportunities to scientists and teaching activities to future doctors. Services include heart disease prevention, cardiac imaging, invasive and noninvasive cardiology, interventional cardiology, including heart catheterizations, electrophysiology, heart failure therapy, adult cardiothoracic surgery, including heart bypass surgery and heart transplantation and congenital cardiothoracic surgery. Specialty services include an adult congenital cardiac program, atrial fibrillation program and innovative “off-pump” coronary artery bypass surgery. More than 80 percent of Emory patients who undergo open-heart surgery now do so with their heart beating, rather than the once conventional “on-pump” surgery, which requires a patient’s heart to be stopped during surgery and be placed on a heart-lung machine for blood and oxygen circulation. Emory’s Heart Transplant Center is the No. 1 heart transplant facility in Georgia and is among the top 10 percent nationally in adult heart transplant volumes. For information on all cardiac services, call the Emory HealthConnection at (404) 778-7777 or www.emoryhealthcare.org.  

Grady Memorial Hospital: Grady’s Cardiac Clinic offers the following services to Grady patients – cardiac consultations, stress testing, echocardiography and cardiac catherization. 80 Jesse Hill Jr. Drive SE, Atlanta 30303. www.gradyhealthsystem.org or (404) 616-1000

Northside Hospital: Cardiology Services offers a full range of diagnostic services , including echocardiograms, cardiac catherization labs, and a pacemaker clinic that specializes in implants, reprogramming and follow-up. Patients receive treatment from board-certified cardiologists and other specialized professionals and beds dedicated to the care and treatment of patients with cardiovascular problems. The cardiac rehabilitation program provides medically supervised exercise for people after surgery, heart attacks, unstable angina and other conditions. The hospital also sponsors corporate and civic group health screenings, and professionals speak to corporate and civic groups on various health-related topics. 1000 Johnson Ferry Rd., Atlanta 30342. (404) 851-8000. www.northside.com.

Piedmont Hospital: The Fuqua Heart Center houses one of the most integrated, comprehensive and dedicated programs for total heart care. The heart center provides advanced diagnostic testing, innovative treatment options, and individual recovery and rehabilitation services and education programs for patients, their families and the community. In addition, the heart center has been recognized for exemplary patient care, including high nurse-to-patient ratios and high satisfaction ratings from patients and staff. The hospital’s noninvasive imaging program is one of the most sophisticated in the nation. The Metabolic/Genetic Prevention Center, which does genetic testing of a heart patient’s family member to detect heart disease risk, is unique in the Southeast. To help heart patients maintain a healthier diet, the prevention center is incorporating Florida cardiologist Arthur Agatston’s “South Beach Diet” into its nutrition program. 1968 Peachtree Rd. N.W., Atlanta 30309. (404) 605-5000. www.piedmonthospital.org.  

Saint Joseph’s Hospital: Atlanta’s oldest hospital has one of the largest cardiac programs of its kind in the country and is the leading specialty referral hospital in the Southeast. It is one of only two heart transplant centers in Georgia. It is nationally recognized for patient safety initiatives, including an intensivist (physician who specializes in intensive-care patients) program for added safety and care of critical-care patients. It is the only hospital in the Southeast (except Florida) to provide electronic remote monitoring for critical-care patients in addition to low-ratio ICU nursing care. Well-known for its advanced medical services, early-adaptor physicians and compassionate care, the hospital decided last year to earmark $43 million to expand its Research Institute into a nationally recognized center. Cardiac and vascular services include more than 1,500 open heart (bypass) surgeries annually; 9,000 cardiac catheterizations and 4,100 angioplasties performed each year; more than 1,600 vascular procedures each year; robotic-assisted cardiac surgery. 5665 Peachtree-Dunwoody Rd. N.E. Atlanta 30342. (404) 851-7001. www.stjosephsatlanta.org.