The Mended Hearts, Inc.
Hearts of Jersey Chapter #179
Hearts of Jersey Chapter #179
May 2009
When I was in the process of planning the president’s message for April 2009 I determined to identify and specifically thank our heart patient visitors, I had no idea that wheels were already in motion. I should mention that in order to be a Mended Hearts patient visitor a person must be an active member of the organization and a trained hospital volunteer. It is necessary to keep this in mind to protect patient security and follow HIPAA regulations.
It came as a complete surprise to learn that Nurse Mary Henderson and Volunteer Director Dennis Broschart had nominated chapter 179 Mended Hearts visitors and several volunteer support staff to be considered for the prestigious JSUMC Orion award. The details you will find here. I am proud to be in the company of these people. Thank you JSUMC Family for this recognition.
In late April a heat wave brought a lot of people to the beach and to a casual observer it looks like the round bellies of the world are taking over. Mind you, I say casual observer, the short walk on the boardwalk in the sun was enough for me to go running back to a study reported April 21 in The New York Times. The article was direct and to the point because the study was 27 pages long and titled “Risks: Waist Size Strongly Tied to Heart Disease.” The Times reporter in a five paragraph summary described the results of a seven-year study of 80,360 men and women ages 45 to 83 that ended in 2004. The researchers measured waist size, waist-to-hip ratio, waist-to-height ratio and BMI or body mass index. The bottom line is a 4-inch increase in waist size was associated with about 15% increase in risk for heart disease. The lead author Emily B. Levitan, ScD, is quoted as saying “But what we really found is that excess weight no matter how you measure it is associated with increased risk.”
So now you’re saying to yourself “but I’m trying to lose weight and it’s not an easy thing to do.” I agree but I have an idea for you. I read a column in USA weekend (April 24-26) that suggests that sometimes we eat because it feels good not because we need food. A good way to overcome the urge to be an emotional eater is to keep a Food Journal. Start the record keeping with breakfast and record everything you eat during the day both at meals and snacking times. You might find you’re eating out of habit and snacking out of this world. I’ve lost 15 pounds in the last two years and kept it off. You can do it for your heart.
While were talking about things that are good for your heart - how long has it been since you took your pulse both resting and exercising? I think I can hear some of you saying, “you want me to take my own pulse” or perhaps “that’s for the doctor to do” and the answer is yes on both counts. It’s easy to do, sit quietly for about five minutes, turn your right hand with the palm up. Slide your left hand index and middle fingers down the along the thumb to a point about an inch from your wrist. You will find a little hollow and feel a little thump. Count the number of thumps for 15 seconds and multiplying by four will give you the resting heart rate for one minute. The most common question at this point is how many should there be. Something between 40 and 80 is nice particularly if it is a nice smooth, consistent thump. When you’re exercising the American Heart Association recommends approximately 20 beats above resting. Naturally medications and other conditions may affect the pulse rate, and if you think you’re having a problem, when you talk to your doctor and can describe the rate and regularity you’re giving the doctor some information that may be helpful.
Finally some words of wisdom from Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader (20th anniversary edition):
