Heart Disease

Portion sizes, sodium content, nutritional value: The road to a healthy lifestyle might seem overwhelming. But according to Rebecca Davis, health and nutrition educator with University of Maryland Extension in Washington County, it's all about baby steps. Strong Women, Healthy Hearts, a program targeted at inactive women older than 40 with a body mass index (BMI) of at least 24, aims to reduce the risk of heart disease while encouraging healthy living habits. "It's important anywhere, but particularly in the United States, obesity rates are rising, particularly among women and adults and we need to stop that," Davis said.

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.

On Feb. 19, students at My Dance Studio in Smithsburg participated in a fundraiser for women's heart disease. Through "Dancing Feet" and a bake sale, they were able to raise $1,000 to contribute to Cardiac Rehab at Meritus Medical Center.

March is National Nutrition Month, so the American Dietetic Association has chosen the theme of "Eat Right with Color" to help people choose more nutritious foods. An easy way to pile more color onto your plate is by incorporating brightly colored vegetables. Not only will a colorful meal be more appealing to the eye, but it will also increase nutrients essential to good health while providing minimal additional calories and fat.   Vegetables are a good source of dietary fiber, which is beneficial to the body in many ways.

Grandma called it roughage. Some nutritionists call it bulk. Whatever name is used, everyone agrees that fiber is a key ingredient to good health. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, fiber intake can play a role in preventing diabetes, heart disease, some cancers and digestive problems. It also can help you control your weight by curbing your appetite. Now, according to one of the largest studies of its kind, eating more fiber could mean a longer life.

Micro-CHIP (Coronary Health Improvement Project) will meet from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursday, March 1 through March 24 at Hagerstown Seventh-day Adventist Church, 11507 Robinwood Drive, east of Hagerstown. For those concerned about cancer, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, osteoporosis, arthritis, or stroke. The event includes eight meals, exercise training, handouts, two screening events, DVD presentations on how to prevent or reverse disease, and demonstrations.

West Virginia University Hospitals-East and the WVU Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center Eastern Division will sponsor a community mini-medical school program on heart disease. The seminar, titled Heart to Heart, will be held Tuesday, Feb. 15, in the WVU Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center on the City Hospital campus. The featured speakers are Dr. Neal Gaither, board-certified cardiologist and medical director of cardiovascular services at WVUH-East, and Dr. Cathy Funk, department of medicine chair at City Hospital and board-certified internist with Panhandle Medical Associates.

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.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Almost a year after studies showed the diet pill Meridia increases heart attack and stroke risk, U.S. health regulators announced they will consider pulling the Abbott Laboratories' drug off the market. Meridia has been sold since 1997, but data released in November showed patients with heart disease taking the drug had a more than 11 percent risk of cardiovascular risks compared with 10 percent of those taking a placebo. European regulators pulled the product off the market in January.

Editor's note: Lisa Prejean is on vacation. This column originally ran in February 2009. On a recent evening, my son was sitting in our kitchen quietly reading his health book while I was doing the dishes. "Listen to this, Mom: 'Some scientists believe that people who are always pushing themselves have a greater danger of heart disease than those who 'take it easy.' " I wasn't sure how to respond. Why did he pick that passage to read out loud to me? Does he think I'm driven?