Heart Health

Phil Scanlon VIEWPOINT/February is Heart Health Month Phil Scanlan By Phil Scanlan/Amelia Island Association Valentine's Day is in February; maybe that is why it was selected to also be Heart Health Month. While flowers and chocolates are the usual gift of affection, the American Heart Association would like us to also show our love through behavior that would result in a healthy heart for each of us, and the ones we love. The American Heart Association reports that heart disease is the number one killer of both men and women in America. Ten times more women die of heart disease than of breast cancer. However, they also report that 80 percent of cardiac events may be prevented if the right choices concerning heart health are made. Right choices include a balanced diet with fruits and vegetables, regular physical exercise, abstinence from smoking and, if necessary, use of appropriate medications to deal with unhealthy cholesterol or high blood pressure. About one third of the U.S. population has either unhealthy cholesterol levels or high blood pressure; and two thirds of adults with high cholesterol and half of those with high blood pressure are not being treated effectively says the Centers for Disease Control. The American Heart Association projects the costs of treating heart disease in Americans will triple between now and 2030, to more than $800 billion per year. Countries like Japan, France and Spain have less than half the heart disease death rate than exists in the U.S., and therefore lower health care costs. A bit closer to home, St. Johns County had a heart disease death rate of 5 percent less than Nassau County in 2005. However, because St. Johns County has been improving over the past four years and Nassau has not, in 2009 St. Johns County had 36 percent fewer heart disease deaths. Both Nassau and St. Johns have the same percent of the population over 65, which is 16 percent. We need healthy hearts to save lives and to reduce health care costs - and we can do better. Each year about this time the Jacksonville Community Council, Inc. (JCCI) releases its Quality of Life Report, which focuses on Jacksonville (Duval County) but also includes results for the surrounding four counties, including Nassau County. Health is one of the areas reported on for all five counties. Based on the Florida Department of Health ranking for heart disease in 2009 (the latest year data is available) Nassau County was slightly better than the Florida average, however the worst in the five-county Northeast Florida area. Over the past four years Nassau deaths due to heart disease have increased by 20 percent, while the Florida average decreased by 15 percent. This increase in Nassau County is of some concern. Looking at a bit longer time frame from 2000 to 2009, the number of deaths in Nassau County due to heart disease declined from 192 in 2000 to a low of 164 in 2005, then climbed back again to 192 in 2009 (192 deaths per year is over 3 deaths per week). During this same longer time frame Florida has had a 17 percent reduction in heart disease deaths per year. The Health Department also reports deaths from all causes, and in 2000 Nassau had 521 total deaths; heart disease caused 37 percent. In 2009 Nassau County had 682 deaths from all causes and heart disease caused 28 percent. While other causes of death have grown, heart disease is still the number one cause of death in Nassau County at 28 percent, with cancer second at 22 percent — together accounting for half of the deaths in Nassau County in 2009. The total deaths in Nassau County have increased from 521 in 2000 to 682 in 2009, an increase of 31 percent, while the population has increased 22 percent over the same period. Florida total deaths have increased by 4.3 percent, while the population has increased by 16 percent over the same period. The Nassau death rate has increased significantly greater than the population increase, while the Florida death rate has increased significantly less than the population increase. In summary, our heart disease death rate is rising in Nassau County while the surrounding counties and the Florida average are decreasing. There is an opportunity for improvement here in Nassau. For Nassau to make improvements, we all have to take steps to keep our own heart healthy - and encourage those we love to do the same. Phil Scanlan is an Amelia Island Association (AIA) director. This article was developed with the help and collaboration of Dr. Eugenia Ngo-Seidel, director of the Nassau County Department of Health, and her staff. The AIA's goal is to help improve the quality of life on Amelia Island and in Nassau County. phillipscanlan@comcast.net Let's all get healthier There are four key areas we can work on for improvement: 1. If you are smoking: Stop, and discourage our youth from starting. There are free programs to help: Nassau Department of Health, 548-1860, ext. 5245. A 2007 survey found that 23 percent of Nassau residents were smokers. A 2008 survey found that 10 percent of Nassau middle and high school students were smokers. 2. We should all strive to eat healthy and maintain a healthy weight. Whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables along with low fat dairy products are essential to healthy eating. 3. We all need daily physical exercise. The Centers for Disease Control recommends 30 minutes per day of moderate intensity aerobic activity to maintain weight. Exercise is also important for heart health. 4. All residents should receive an annual exam and checkup with their primary care physician that includes blood pressure, blood tests for glucose and cholesterol levels and an annual flu vaccination. ~~ Diet: One approach to diet is to develop a rough estimate of the number of calories you can eat a day by multiplying your target weight by 10. For example, to reach and maintain a weight of 165 pounds you can eat 1,650 calories per day (10 x 165 lbs.). Of course a more accurate approach would to be use weight tables that consider personal characteristics, including age and gender. A recent newspaper article documented that the new food offerings for "meals" at fast-food restaurants have all been growing in calories. These new fast-food "meals" have between 1,100 and 1,500 calories. That is almost all the calories allowed for a diet of someone trying to get to, and maintain, 165 pounds. One way to cut calories in half, and get an extra free meal, is to eat only half when out and ask for a "doggie bag," - make that a "diet box." When eating at home portion sizes can be controlled by using smaller bowls and plates. We all need to know how many calories we should eat a day to achieve and maintain our weight goal, and we also need to know how many calories we actually eat in a day. If we take a bit of time to find out the calories in the usual foods we eat we can then adjust our usual diet to achieve our goal weight. A good book for calorie information is The Complete Book of Food Counts by Corinne T. Netzer. If you search for "calorie counts" on the Internet you will get several options for checking on the calories in the foods you usually eat, or for foods you might substitute for the foods you usually eat. After understanding both our goal and our actual calorie intake we must then make the difficult changes required, if we are regularly eating more than our calorie goal. ~~ Exercise: A highly recommended, and easy, exercise is simply walking at a brisk pace for at least 30 minutes per day. The beach and our parks are wonderful places to walk and the weather is getting better every day now. We also have a wonderful YMCA, multiple fitness clubs, yoga groups, and walking groups one can join. Good luck with your own program, and let's all get healthier in Nassau. Phillip Scanlan, Amelia Island Association Amelia Island Trail Team Sources of help The Nassau County Health Department's mission is to improve the health and safety of all residents of Nassau County. Check out: 1. Education Classes: 548-1853 ~~ Health Lifestyle Classes ~~ Healthy Cooking Classes ~~ Diabetes Self Management Classes 2. Tobacco Prevention Programs: 548-1860 ext. 5245 ~~ Florida Quitline: 1-877-822-2669 ~~ Nassau County Tobacco Free Partnership ~~ Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) ~~ Tobacco Citation Classes, for minors who smoked on school property. ~~ Partnership with Area Health Education Center (AHEC): AHEC Smoking Cessation Services: (904) 482- 0189 ~~ Partnership with Baptist Nassau Hospital: Hospital smoking cessation services: (904) 381-3892 for those admitted to the hospital for other illnesses. ~~ The Nassau County Health Improvement Coalition (NCHIC) is a coalition of community organizations and individuals that collaborate to improve the level of health in Nassau County through awareness, education, partnership, prevention, service delivery and policy development so that individuals in Nassau County can lead healthy and active lives. Community members are welcome to join this coalition: call 548- 1853. ~~ The Amelia Island Association (AIA) has a mission to help improve the quality of life on Amelia Island and in Nassau County. Visit ameliaislandassociation.com for information. ~~ The Amelia Island Trail (AIT) Team's mission is to help improve trails for safe walking, running and bicycling on Amelia Island and in Nassau County. Visit www.ameliaislandassociation.com/ameliaislandtrail.htm for information.