Winter 2012 vol 5, issue 1

Jennie Garth Shares Her Story To Educate Women and Save Lives

Beverly Hills 90210 and Go Red For Women’s

Straight From The Heart

Jennie Garth is all too familiar with the devastating effects

of heart disease.

The actress, director and producer, who starred in the

television show Beverly Hills 90210, is a spokesperson for

Go Red For Women, a campaign created by the American Heart

Association to educate women and empower them to take

care of their heart health. She recently spoke with Health-

Point to discuss her work and her passion to help prevent

heart disease.

What was your motivation for becoming involved with the

Go Red For Women campaign?

Heart disease has been a huge health issue on both sides

of my family. At the age of 37, my father had his first heart

attack and was diagnosed with arteriosclerosis (hardening

of the arteries). I was devastated by the thought of losing

my father, who was my big, strong hero growing up. He went

from having an active life pioneering the adult education

program and training horses to worrying that too much exer-

tion would cause another heart attack. For the next 25 years,

he had multiple heart surgeries until he finally lost his battle

with heart disease in 2008. Seeing how heart disease affected

my father’s life made me determined to take control of my own

health. At the age of 30, I started seeing a cardiologist. That’s

when I discovered that I have a leaky heart valve. It’s nothing

serious right now, but it is something I need to watch. So after

my father’s death, I decided I wanted to find a way to educate

women about heart disease.

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :

Heart Disease Awareness

Cardiac Rehab

Joint Replacement

New Orthopaedic Surgeon

Visit: www.wcchcares.com

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www.wcchcares.com

Find out more about your specific risk for heart disease, visit our website at:

What’s the key message you want women to know about heart disease?

Most women think heart disease is something that only an old man who smokes

and has a large belly has to worry about. But the fact of the matter is that heart

disease is the #1 killer of women in the United States.

What can women do to help prevent heart disease?

About 80 percent of cardiac events in women are linked to poor choices,

whether it’s smoking, a lack of exercise or an unhealthy diet. Yet too many women

are unaware of the risks. Fortunately, the heart is very forgiving. Even if it’s been

abused by smoking or lack of exercise, your heart can be healthy again. That’s the

reason it’s important for women to recommit themselves to healthy living at the

beginning of each day. If we can rally together as a family of women to fight heart

disease, we can really make a difference.

What do you do to stay heart healthy?

I read everything I can about healthy living. I don’t smoke. I try to avoid fried

foods and stay physically active. And I encourage all of my friends and family to do

the same.

Too Many Miss Out On The Benefits of Cardiac Rehab

For those who have heart disease or have experienced a heart attack, stroke or heart surgery, participating in a cardiac rehab program is vitally important. At WCCH, through a combination of exercise, diet, weight loss, education and emotional support, our cardiac rehab program helps people regain their health and return to their normal lives.

People who undergo cardiac rehab after a heart attack have a 50 percent greater survival rate after three years compared to people who do not. In addition, it’s been shown that cardiac rehab helps reduce the anger and depression that often follow a heart attack or stroke. Despite all this, a 2007 study published by the American Heart Association found that only 13.9 percent of patients hospital-ized for a heart attack and 31 percent who had undergone bypass surgery participated in a cardiac rehab program.

Make sure you or your loved ones don’t miss out on the many benefits of cardiac rehab. For more information or a tour of our cardiac rehab gym, contact Debbie Clark, PT, DPT, or Chelsea Johnson, LPTA, at 276-228-0473.

Are You at Risk?

According to the American Heart Association, certain risk factors for heart disease can be controlled through education, lifestyle, diet, exercise and medication (see below). Consult your physician for help in controlling:

Certain risk factors for heart disease are beyond your control. They include:Age: The risk increases as you become

older.Gender: Males are more at risk, but

heart disease is still the #1 cause of death among American women.Family History: You are more likely to

have heart disease if your parents did.

Smoking

High Blood Pressure

High Cholesterol

Diabetes

Overweight /Obesity

Physical Inactivity

James Dallis, M.D.Ridgeview

Orthopaedic

Richard Happel, M.D.Cardiologist

Campaign to Prevent Heart DiseaseTo prevent, detect and treat America’s #1 killer, physicians use a full range of technology and resources to provide comprehensive care at different levels.

The first step is to see your primary care physician for a complete physical exam. Your doctor will check your blood pressure, heart rate and cholesterol levels and ask important questions about your family’s medical history. In addition, your weight, exercise habits and smoking history, will also be considered to determine your overall risk for heart disease.

In many cases, additional tests may be recommended. Some of the screening and diagnostic tools that your physician may consider include:

Electrocardiogram: A rapid screening test, taking less than 5 minutes, to evaluate your heart rhythm and determine the possibility and extent of possible prior heart injury from a heart attack or electrical heart block.

Echocardiogram: A non-invasive imaging test using ultrasound to evaluate overall heart pump function, opening and closing of heart valves and blood flow across the valves. Also, this can be used to determine presence or absence of blood clot within the heart under some medical conditions.

Exercise Stress Test: Allows the cardiologist to evaluate the risk of heart attack and blood flow through your coronary arteries. This utilizes walking on a treadmill or giving medication to increase workload on the heart. It evaluates for possible chest pain (angina) and EKG changes (ischemia) if present.

Nuclear Myocardial Stress Test: Allows the cardiologist to evaluate with greater sensitivity the degree of blood flow through the coronary arteries using safe level radioactive techniques. This is often combined with the exercise stress test.

Coronary Calcium Scoring: A sensitive screening method to determine the presence or absence of calcium builds up in the coronary arteries.

Ultrasound Doppler of Carotid Arteries: Determines the degree of cholesterol calcium build up in the carotid arteries on both sides of your neck. These supply blood flow and oxygen to the brain and determine the risk of stroke.

Cholesterol Screening: A fasting blood test that can be done in your doctor’s office to determine the total amount of cholesterol and degree of good and bad cholesterol. This can predict the risk of heart attack and stroke along with other risk factors.

Cardiac Catheterization: Sometimes a screening or non-invasive diagnostic test may prompt further evaluation with invasive procedure such as cardiac cath. This allows the cardiologist to directly look into the coronary arteries to determine where and how narrow a coronary blockage may be. If needed, balloon angioplasty or stent may have to be placed through a blood vessel in the groin leading up to the heart to correct the blood flow to the heart and reduce the risk of heart attack.

Is It Time To Replace That Aching Joint?Are you experiencing pain in your knees, hips or shoulders? Are you

having difficulty walking? Is it painful to climb a set of steps or take a bath? If so, you probably need to ask your physician if you are a candidate for joint replacement surgery.

A joint is the part of your body where two bones come together, con-nected by cartilage. Over time, joints can wear out, or be severely damaged by arthritis. The resulting pain, swelling, and stiffness can cause a lack of mobility and a decline in a person’s quality of life.

Every year, more than 400,000 Americans have joint replacement surgery. This is a surgical procedure in which a knee, hip or shoulder is replaced with a prosthetic joint, made of plastic, metal or a composite of those two materials.

Many people are understandably anxious about having joint replacement surgery. But remember this: the overwhelming majority of people enjoy greater mobility and live more active lives within a few weeks after their joint replacement surgery.

For more information contact Wythe County Community Hospital at 276-228-0200 or visit our website at www.wcchcares.com.

WCCH Welcomes Orthopaedic Surgeon

James Dallis, M.D.Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine

Wythe County Community Hospital welcomes Board Certified orthopaedic surgeon, James Dallis, M.D. Dr. Dallis’ office, Ridgeview Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine, is located at 590 West Ridge Road, Suite K in Wytheville. He specializes in sports medicine, total joint reconstruction and trauma.

Dr. Dallis received his medical degree from Stonybrook School of Medicine in Stony Brook, Long Island. He completed his general surgical internship and ortho-paedic residency at University of Medicine and Dentistry New Jersey Medical School in Newark, New Jersey.

Dr. Dallis is married to Elizabeth K. Dallis, and they have eight children.

590 West Ridge Road, Suite KWytheville, VA 24382

276-228-0566

Wythe County Community Hospital600 West Ridge Road Wytheville, VA 24382

WYTHE COUNTY COMMUNITY HOSPITAL

HealthPoint is published as a community service by Wythe County Community Hospital. It in no way seeks to diagnose or treat illness or to serve as a substitute for professional medical care. For individual guidance, consult your physician. For more information about Wythe County Community Hospital or anything found in this publication, please call 276-228-0200.

Winter 2012 vol 5, issue 1

Heart Disease Awareness

Cardiac Rehab

Joint Replacement

New Orthopaedic Surgeon

Important News and Helpful Advice for a Healthier Life inside:

www.wcchcares.com