Latest news with #AmericanHeartMonth
Health Line
23-05-2025
- Health
- Health Line
Letter from the Editor: Habits for a Healthy Heart
February is American Heart Health Month, but caring for your heart is important any time of year. That's why, in addition to maintaining our existing heart health articles with updates to include new research, we're also bringing new content your way to share accessible tips for things you can do today or any day to show your heart some love. Small changes for big impact Preventive care can help reduce long-term healthcare costs. And maintaining health in midlife can have long-term positive effects on health status later in life, too. While there's always the possibility that you may develop conditions you can't prevent, like cancer or Alzheimer's disease, and genetics also play a role in overall health, there are steps you can take to improve your general well-being. Many small or micro lifestyle changes have the potential to have a big impact on your heart health. You may be familiar with some, like increased exercise or increased vegetable intake. Even improvements to oral hygiene may make a difference. A year of heart-healthy habits I've been fortunate to have mostly good health, but as I get older, I'm more aware of my own mortality, especially after losing several family members over the past 3 years. Developing healthy habits, including ones that support heart health, is one action I can take to help increase the chances that I'll be here long enough to witness important moments in my children's lives. This year, I'm focusing on small changes that I can manage on top of my busy life as a working mom to two young, energetic boys. I don't have a lot of time in my day for long workouts, and by the time I get home, I'm too tired to make involved dinners. Stress is a regular part of my life, and sleep is something that has eluded me since I was pregnant with my first child. He's 9 years old and counting. Instead of taking an all-or-nothing approach, I'm embracing the idea that any positive change is better than no change. If you're also looking for ways to adopt healthier habits but have found big changes hard to make or maintain, I encourage you to join me and take a similar approach, assuming you have the OK from your doctor.
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Childhood Trauma in Black Women Can Hurt Their Heart, Emory Study Finds
This story was originally published by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The heart remembers, at least when it comes to Black women who experience trauma or abuse as children, according to newly released research by Emory University. Childhood exposure to trauma, emotional, sexual, and physical abuse may lead to heart disease in Black women, the new study showed. Meanwhile, such trauma and abuse didn't affect men's cardiovascular health in the same way, which may indicate women have more chronic stress, the research found. The study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association last month, shows that being exposed to trauma as a child can hurt a Black woman's vascular system — the arteries that circulate blood and fluids through the body — leading to heart disease. The stressors of childhood trauma may cause stiffness or hardening of the arteries, or otherwise impair how they function, contributing to heart attacks and strokes, according to the study conducted through the Morehouse-Emory Cardiovascular (MECA) Center for Health Equity and released at the tail end of American Heart Month. The study analyzed previous MECA clinical research involving slightly more than 400 Black adults in Atlanta ages 30 to 70 with a mean age of 53. About 60% of the study participants were women. That research explored the impact of individual, environmental, and biological factors that predispose Black Americans to either increased risk or resilience from cardiovascular disease. The new research, which began in late 2023, focused on Black women to learn: Does early life trauma in childhood have any relationship to arterial stiffness and vascular dysfunction, considered preliminary indicators for cardiovascular disease? Arterial stiffness is believed to lead to hypertension, or high blood pressure, because when the arteries don't expand and contract as they are supposed to, this results in increased pressure which the heart must pump against to move blood throughout the body, explained Telisa Spikes, lead author of the new study and a nurse and professor in Emory's nursing school. Her research primarily focuses on cardiovascular health in reproductive-age and early midlife Black women. 'This particular group of women has an increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, and we don't know why,' said Spikes. 'Diet and activity does not fully account for the growing disparity in this particular group with increased hypertension in Black women compared to Black men. A precursor for hypertension might be related to psychosocial stressors,' such as childhood trauma, she said. Participants in the original MECA study, recruited from 2016 to 2019, were considered healthy without a known history of preexisting cardiovascular or other chronic diseases, among other limitations. As part of that research, participants reported to clinical researchers at Emory and Morehouse about experiencing childhood trauma, defined as distressing incidents that threaten the body, family, or social safety or security of someone under 18. The experiences were emotionally painful or distressful, often resulting in negative mental and physical health consequences. The trauma might include the divorce of a parent or death of a close contact, Spikes said. While men and women in the study reported similar levels of trauma, the men didn't experience vascular complications. Women tend to be exposed to different forms of trauma, so their reactions may be more chronic, the new research revealed. 'Evidence shows that girls are more likely to be exposed to sexual abuse, whereas boys are more likely to report physical abuse,' according to the study. 'Findings suggest that men and women have disparate clinical CVD (cardiovascular disease) outcomes such that men have an earlier age onset of CVD whereas women experience higher CVD mortality in adulthood.' The study also found that 'women experience a greater burden of cumulative stress than men,' and it's possible that exposure to traumatic childhood events 'may prove more consequential for cardiovascular risk for women than men.' Spikes attributed the increased stress of Black women to their tendency to be single moms supporting their families with wage disparities from their male and white counterparts. 'It places them in a prone position to be disproportionately impacted by various stresses.' For balanced comparisons, the men and women in the study had the same marital status, education, and income levels, with almost half the participants making less than $25,000 annually. Participants from both sexes also had similar levels of blood pressure, glucose, triglycerides, diabetes, and hypertension. Spikes worked with researchers from MECA, including cardiologists and psychologists, some of whom were involved in the original study. Among them, MECA Director Herman Taylor said the new research is another example of how the intense challenges Black people tend to face, including childhood trauma and deprivation, have health consequences. 'In general, it suggests that it's so important for people, especially women, to focus on their lifestyle and make adjustments now so they can reduce their risks,' said Taylor, a cardiologist, professor at Morehouse School of Medicine and director of its Cardiovascular Research Institute. Among the findings of the new study, the higher proportion of mistreated children in Black communities, compounded by negative social stressors, may increase their risks for resorting to unhealthy coping mechanisms that can lead to cardiovascular disease. Researchers hope the results of the latest study will convince clinicians to consider childhood trauma and other psychosocial stressors among more typical clinical assessments such as checking blood pressure, lipid levels, and lifestyle behaviors when determining a patient's risk of heart disease and how to help reduce it. Clinicians, particularly primary care providers, should better understand the cardiovascular risks of African American women who come to their practice, especially if their blood pressure is borderline, Spikes said. She added that clinicians should refer such patients to mental health therapists. Taylor agreed. 'I think it's important, and research and clinical experience repeatedly show the close relationship between state of mind and heart health. So much of mental health is communicated into the heart and the vascular systems. Life stressors and mental health challenges … can have important implications for your overall health, including heart health.' He explained that doctors ask their patients about their 'medical, family, and what we call 'social history,'' to help judge disease risk. 'Telisa's work suggests knowing about a history of adverse childhood events — trauma, personal loss, even abuse — could be just as important to the prediction of disease.' Taylor believes that one of the lessons learned from the latest research should be that all patients, even young ones who seem healthy, may have experienced a trauma earlier in life that affects their health later on. Roni Robbins has been a journalist for 37 years. This is her second stint as a freelance reporter for the AJC. She also freelances for Medscape, where she was an editor. Her writing has appeared in WebMD, HuffPost, Forbes, NY Daily News, BioPharma Dive, MNN, Adweek, Healthline and others. She's also the author of the award-winning Hands of Gold: One Man's Quest to Find the Silver Lining in Misfortune. The post Childhood Trauma in Black Women Can Hurt Their Heart, Emory Study Finds appeared first on Capital B News - Atlanta.
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
How and when to use CPR or an AED
WACO, Texas (FOX 44) – February 28th is the last day of American Heart Month, and we want to talk about the importance of knowing how to help someone who is having a sudden cardiac arrest. About 1,000 people per day have a sudden cardiac arrest, and immediate CPR and use of an AED can double, or even triple, their chance of survival. Rich Fuentes with Baylor Scott & White joined us to answer a few questions about how and when to use CPR or an AED. You can watch our interview in the video above. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Stonewall Library builds heart wall for Heart Month
STONEWALL, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – The Stonewall Branch of the Desoto Parish Library recently invited the community to take part in a Heart Wall project in honor of Healthy Heart Month. The initiative, led by children's librarian Ms. Tonette Sott, encouraged residents of all ages to sign red hearts and display them on the library's wall—showing their support for heart health awareness. With 124 hearts on display, participants also had the chance to enter a special raffle, thanks to the generosity of local businesses that donated gift cards and coupons. Trainer shares tips to stick to your health goals for American Heart Month Eight businesses, including LealV's Café, Cousins Cajun Market, Simmons Landscaping Service, Pizza Hut, Subway, Sonic, Dollar General, and Walmart, contributed to the effort, making the event a memorable success. Winners were chosen through a drawing held multiple times a week, with 89 adults and 35 children receiving prizes. The event not only raised awareness for heart health but also brought the community together in a meaningful way. The Stonewall Library continues to provide engaging programs for all ages, including craft classes, computer sessions, exercise programs, and children's activities. The library is now gearing up for a Dr. Seuss Birthday Celebration on March 6th at 2 p.m., where children can decorate cupcakes, enjoy a story time, and participate in fun crafts. For more information about upcoming events, call the Stonewall Library at (318) 925-9191. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
CHRISTUS Health awards more than $10K in local scholarships
SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – CHRISTUS Health awarded a total of $10,500 in scholarships to six area high school seniors as part of the 2025 'Women with Heart' scholarship contest. The winners were recognized during a ceremony at CHRISTUS Shreveport-Bossier Heart & Vascular Institute. The students created and submitted videos focusing on American Heart Month with the goal ofraising awareness for heart disease, specifically in women. Early education key to building strong communities: United Way NWLA 'We wanted them to learn about heart health and specifically the impact heart disease has onwomen,' said Deb Chelette, regional vice president of cardiovascular services with CHRISTUSHealth. 'All of the participants had great submissions showing they took the time to learn aboutheart disease, and hopefully, gained some valuable knowledge.' 'Women with Heart' Scholarship Winners: Reagan Thompson, Parkway High School, $5,000 Jhori George, North Desoto High School, $2,500 Diana Gaeta, Bossier High School, $1,500 Arjun Desai, Caddo Parish Magnet High School, $500 Morganne Downey, Haughton High School, $500 Seth Logan, C.E. Byrd High School, $500 'We want to thank each participant for their submission,' Chelette said. 'We are blessed to beable to provide this opportunity to our area students. We look forward to how we might be ableto continue this very positive program again in the future.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
