Heart Disease

HAGERSTOWN -- Arm curls with bottles of water at the desk chair. Taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Dusting off that hula hoop in the attic. They are activities that can add up during the day to help establish a healthy heart, said Elisabeth Yeun, a clinical dietitian at Washington County Hospital. Yeun was one of the experts Thursday at Robinwood Medical Center hoping to help women understand the importance of heart health. The Women's Health Forum aimed to dispel the myth that men are more likely to suffer from heart disease, said Pam Peitz, head of cardiac rehabilitation at Washington County Hospital.

A drop of blood. A questionnaire. A scan of the foot. With these simple tests, offered free at Hager Park Professional Center Wednesday afternoon, participants received important clues about their risk for serious health problems like heart disease, diabetes and osteoporosis, organizers said. The tests were offered by Meritus Health as part of a health-screening event aimed at improving the health of the community, Meritus spokeswoman Nicole Jovel said. “We like to do our part to help people have access to health care who might not otherwise,” Jovel said.

chambersburg@herald-mail.com GREENCASTLE, Pa. - State Sen. Terry Punt and Ariana Geesaman were among those who donned red caps at Sunday's 10th annual American Heart Walk, signifying that the 54-year-old politician and the 4-year-old Fayetteville, Pa., girl both were survivors of heart disease. "Next month will be five years since I had a heart attack," Punt, R-Franklin, told the several hundred people who gathered at Tayamentasachta Environmental Center for the Heart Walk.

How to make your lifestyle heart-healthy February is Heart Health Month and a good time to consider what you're doing for the health of your heart. Heart disease doesn't develop overnight. You don't catch it like a cold or the flu. Nor is it likely to develop from a single cause. Rather, it's known as a "lifestyle disease," meaning that it develops, in part, because of certain habits or lifestyles. In the United States, we have plenty of lifestyles that contribute to heart disease.

When we think of heart disease, we often think of men, but heart disease also is the No. 1 killer of women in the U.S. In fact, one in every 2.5 American women will die of heart disease or stroke, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. By comparison, one in 30 women will die from breast cancer. Assess your heart disease risks Risk factors you can't change include: · Being age 55 or older for women (45 or older for men). · Having a family history of early heart disease - your father or a brother diagnosed before age 55, or your mother or a sister diagnosed before age 65. Risk factors you can change include: · Smoking · Having high blood pressure · Having high blood cholesterol · Being overweight or obese · Being physically inactive · Having diabetes February is American Heart Month and a good time to evaluate eating and lifestyle patterns that might help reduce your risk factors and improve your overall heart health.

GREENCASTLE, Pa. -- Sonya Dean was unable to talk or use her right side after suffering a stroke at age 35. Now, less than eight years later, the Greencastle woman is 80 pounds lighter and healthy enough to walk -- a lot. Dean said she walked around the community from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. almost every day for the past two months. She knocked on doors and asked for donations to benefit the Mason-Dixon Start! Heart Walk, which was held Sunday. Dean, who raised $5,608, was believed to be the walker who gathered the most donations in support of the American Heart Association, according to event organizer Sharon Strike.

Free information sessions about the coronary health improvement project (CHIP) for those who have, or wish to avoid heart disease, high blood pressure, adult onset diabetes, high cholesterol and obesity will be offered. Sessions will be from noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 31, or 6 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2, at Robinwood Professional Center Suite 122A, east of Hagerstown. A session will be from 7 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 16, at Hagerstown Seventh-day Adventist Church, 11507 Robinwood Drive, east of Hagerstown.

Tammy Cornman, LPN from Summit Health, appeared at Menno Village Chapel in Chambersburg, Pa., on Aug. 10 to discuss heart disease and its effects, especially on women. Cornman's message highlighted that heart disease is the number one killer of women and the most important facts women need to know are to become educated about your heart and talk to your doctor about your risks. "Many think breast cancer is the number one concern for women, but in actuality it is heart disease.

Middle-age tests: Cardiovascular disease It's the big one. Nearly 60 million Americans have one or more types of cardiovascular diseases, which include high blood pressure, coronary heart disease and stroke. Cardiovascular diseases are the No. 1 killer of women and men. Although heart disease often is considered "a man's disease," cardiovascular diseases claim the lives of more than half a million women every year - more deaths than the next 14 causes combined, according to American Heart Association.

By JENNYLYNN BROWN Staff Writer Two types of people will take strides during the fourth annual American Heart Walk - the "haves" and the "have nots. " During the Saturday event, some people will have special red caps on their heads - others will not. The ones wearing those caps have survived a stroke or heart disease. "If you're walking without a red cap, you know you've helped the person wearing one," said organizer Kay Hoffman, American Heart Association's western regional director.