Heart Disease

It's common knowledge that smoking, high cholesterol and lack of exercise contribute to heart disease. However, there are people who have heart attacks who have never smoked, exercise regularly and have normal cholesterol levels. They find themselves asking, "Why did this happen to me?" Pam Peitz, manager of Washington County Hospital's Cardiac Rehab and Congestive Heart Failure programs, said this has led researchers to look at other factors that may contribute to heart disease.

In 2003, cardiovascular disease was listed as the reason for admission in more than 6 million hospitalizations. Many factors increase a person's risk for developing heart disease; some of them can be controlled. These are called modifiable risk factors. One in every five deaths due to heart disease is caused by smoking. According to Pam Peitz, manager of Washington County Hospital's Cardiac Rehab and Congestive Heart Failure programs, quitting smoking greatly reduces one's risk of heart disease.

Washington County Hospital's Cardiac Rehabilitation Program will host a seminar, "Is There Sex After Heart Disease?" at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 3, at Robinwood Medical Center, Conference Room No. 142, 11110 Medical Campus Road, Hagerstown. Use the blue of silver entrance. The seminar is being held in recognition of American Heart Month. The seminar is free. For information, call 301-790-8940.

Cardiovascular or heart disease is the leading cause of illness and death in the United States and accounts for more than 50 percent of all deaths. A multitude of factors that can increase a person's risk for cardiovascular disease. Some of those can be controlled by behavioral choices, such as smoking and eating habits. However, there are other factors that an individual cannot control. Heredity, age, gender and race are among the factors that increase the risk for heart disease.

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.

Unchecked diabetes may lead to coronary heart disease and stroke, but it can be modified, treated or controlled with care. Diabetes greatly increases the risk of getting heart disease. The disease can affect cholesterol and triglyceride levels, increasing the likelihood of high blood pressure. An estimated 382,000 people in Maryland have diabetes, and only half of these people have been diagnosed. According to the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, an additional 1.3 million Marylanders are at risk of developing diabetes depending on age, weight and daily activity.

A lack of physical activity can more than double your chances of developing heart disease. If you are 20 pounds over your ideal body weight - the definition of obesity - you'll be more likely to develop heart disease, even if you have no other risky habits, such as smoking. According to a 2002 survey completed by the Washington County Health Department, approximately 39 percent of 3,019 respondents were overweight, and 32 percent were considered obese. The excess weight can put a strain on your heart, increase your risk of diabetes, and raise your blood pressure and blood cholesterol.

katec@herald-mail.com Joel Goodman discovered the health benefits of humor at a very unfunny time in his life. In 1977 his father was diagnosed with an aortic aneurysm and traveled to Texas and famed heart surgeon Dr. Michael DeBakey. Goodman flew from Saratoga Springs, N.Y., to provide support. The proverbial funny thing happened on the way to the hospital, Goodman says. Alvin, the hotel shuttle bus driver, was a magician, Goodman says. His trick was to share his childlike, playful sense of humor with Goodman and his mother.

For many, the dawning of each new year commonly brings grandiose resolutions that too often are fleeting. March is Nutrition Month, a good time to re-evaluate and put into place some of those health and nutrition resolutions. It's never too late to get started on improving your health and well-being. To help you with those resolutions, here are several suggestions that can easily be incorporated into your dietary plan and that are sure to get you started on the road to good health.

kevinc@herald-mail.com It's 2 a.m. and Brian Miller can't sleep, a dull pain throbbing in his chest. The ache reminds him of a similar sensation he felt in December. Then, he took a shot of Nyquil and the discomfort disappeared. In the dark of this mid-March night, the pain lingers. He is unable to get back to sleep. It's not a sharp, stabbing throb. No, what bothers him more is a shortness of breath. Trying to fill his lungs sends an uncomfortable pulse through the center of his chest.