Posted by North Ohio Heart Center and Ohio Medical Group on Fri, Jul 16, 2010
North Ohio Heart Center & Ohio Medical Group would like to invite you to join us on September 25th at Edgewater Park for the Cleveland Kidney Awareness 5k Run/Walk for Healthy Kidneys.
According to DaVita, kidney screenings are so important because about 31 million American adults, 1 out of 6, have chronic kidney disease (CKD), and most of them don't even know it yet. Another 20 million Americans are at increased risk for the disease. With most people, there are no symptoms of CKD until the disease reaches an advanced stage. If CKD is left undetected, it can progress to kidney failure with little or no warning, making this disease a "silent epidemic."
Since hypertension, or high blood pressure, accounts for a high percentage of kidney and heart related issues, consult with your Cleveland cardiologist about walking in this 5k, to lower your chance of kidney and cardiovascular related diseases.
The DaVita 5K activities include kick-off events, rapid kidney disease screenings, family-friendly activities, a kidney health expo and more! Get the whole family involved and your children will have fun in the Kid Zone with games, face-painting and bounce house. Registration begins at 9:00 am, with the Opening Ceremony kicking off at 10:00 am.
Register now or learn more at DaVita Kidney Awareness Run/Walk >>
Posted by North Ohio Heart Center and Ohio Medical Group on Mon, Dec 28, 2009
The holidays have a way of intensifying everything, so though people may want to avoid family gatherings, isolation can also be bad for the heart and mind.
One study concluded that men who survive heart attacks and live alone have twice the average death rate. Another study found that people who did not talk to their doctors and rarely contacted friends or family were more likely to die in the nine years after a heart attack, regardless of their physical condition.
It's not so much living alone, or the size of your social circle, as the absence of relatives and friends to provide solace, advice, and help, according to the article from the Harvard University Gazette. So see the family and friends, and then manage the stress by following these tips from The University of Alabama at Birmingham:
- Slip away from gatherings if you begin to feel stressed
- Take breaks to relax whenever possible.
- Exercise regularly, even if it's just a brisk walk.
- Avoid overeating and excessive drinking.
- Accept family members and friends for the way they are.
- Delegate chores and responsibility.
- Set a budget and stick to it.
- Remember that you're not alone.
Communication is essential. Every one wants a happy holiday season, but we need to stop and remind ourselves of our priorities. If the feeling of loneliness and depression don't go away with the holiday season, you may need help from a professional.
Research so far finds that talk therapy lifts depression and anxiety and along with follow-up care it helps people take better care of themselves, cutting down the damage depression does to the heart.
Doctors who see heart patients, say the experts, "should be better prepared to ask their patients about stress, low mood, and isolation." If the doctor does not do this, then patients who feel down and out should let the doctor know.
Posted by North Ohio Heart Center and Ohio Medical Group on Fri, Dec 18, 2009
The American Heart Association has a page of helpful tips for the holidays that includes heart-healthy recipes with a grocery list and tips for healthy twists on traditional favorites. You can even send your invitation using their website and offer friends an opportunity to donate to the AHA at the same time.
Here are some of their heart-warming, heart-friendly tips:
- Choose assorted unsalted nuts, fiber-rich crackers and raw vegetables with low-fat dressing or hummus for quick snacks or appetizers at a holiday party. These are great alternatives to a typical cheese platter that’s loaded with saturated fat.
- If you like eggnog, be sure you buy the low-fat or fat-free version to cut down on calories and fat. Mulled apple cider is an even better choice.
- Select fat-free evaporated milk to make mashed potatoes creamy.
- Use low-sodium chicken broth to get a little more flavor in your potatoes.
- Stuffing mixes are holiday classics. Make your own colorful and heart-healthy version by mixing in dried cranberries, raisins and apricots instead of meat.
- Skip the prepackaged gravy mixes and make your own! Low-sodium broth and skim milk make delicious and more heart-healthy gravy.
- Avoid pre-packaged pumpkin pies – the crusts are typically filled with transfats and saturated fats. Crustless pumpkin pies or angel food cakes with fresh or frozen berries are tasty alternatives. Skip pre-packaged cakes and cookies, too.
This holiday season, you might want to give the gift of information by sign up for one of their heart-health e-newsletters for yourself or for a friend. Every edition is packed with reliable, science-based news, tips and tools about managing your condition and improving your heart (and overall) health. And you’ll get a new recipe every month! Their e-newsletters cover caregivers, heart attack, arrhythmia, cholesterol, heart failure, high blood pressure and peripheral artery disease. Visit americanheart.org/myheartnews to sign up and send a gift to a friend.
Posted by Arash Rashidi, MD on Wed, Nov 18, 2009
The American Diabetes Association invites everyone to join them in the national movement to shine a spotlight on Diabetes, a serious disease that leads to potentially life-threatening complications such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness, and amputation. By raising everyone’s awareness about Diabetes, they hope to confront it, fight it, and most importantly, stop it.
Diabetes is one of the most common medical problems in the US. Twenty four million children and adults in the United States live with diabetes and 57 million Americans are at risk for type 2 diabetes. One out of every 3 children born today will face a future with diabetes, if current trends continues.
Diabetes is the leading cause of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the US. Uncontrolled diabetes puts the patient at much higher risk for chronic kidney disease. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the most common cause of death for people with diabetes, both type 1 and type 2.
Lipids and cholesterol can build up along the walls of blood vessels and lead to atherosclerosis, the narrowing, hardening, or clogging of blood vessels. Atherosclerosis is a common cause of CVD in people with diabetes and chronic kidney disease and can lead to a myocardial infarction, which is commonly known as a heart attack.
The risk of CVD can be reduced by careful monitoring and regulation of blood pressure and blood lipids, such as low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, triglycerides, and high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Diabetes control reduces the risk for cardiovascular disease directly and also indirectly through decreasing the risk for chronic kidney disease. Smoking also increases CVD risk. Lifestyle changes and blood pressure medications can help people with diabetes meet their CVD risk reduction goals.
Be sure to talk to your doctor to learn more about diabetes, chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular mortality, especially if you suspect this may be an issue for you or a family member. Visit our Ohio Medical Group website and search our site for the key word “Diabetes” to learn more and find a Primary Care Physician near you.
About the author:
Dr. Rashidi is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and also Nephrology and Hypertension. He received his medical degree from Urmia University of Medical Sciences in Urmia, Iran. He did his residency in Internal Medicine at Shahid Beheshty University of Medical Sciences in Tehran, Iran. Subsequently, he completed another residency in Internal Medicine at Fairview Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio. He then joined the fellowship program of the division of Nephrology and Hypertension at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Rashidi see patients in our Middleburg Heights (Southwest) and Westlake Offices.
More blogs from Dr. Rashidi...
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Posted by W. Scott Sheldon, DO, FACC on Mon, Oct 26, 2009
Has your doctor used the word "hypercholesterolemia" when talking to you about your health? He or she is telling you that your cholesterol levels are high. That means it's time for a change in your diet and lifestyle to lower cholesterol and your risk of heart disease and stroke.
Even if your doctor has prescribed a cholesterol drug to bring levels down, you'll still need to change your diet and become more active for cardiovascular health.
Your body needs a small amount of cholesterol to function properly. But there is good and bad cholesterol. LDL, or low-density lipoprotein is the bad cholesterol responsible for plaque build up in the arteries. But HDL, (the "H" stands for "high"), is good. The American Heart Association says "Medical experts think that HDL tends to carry cholesterol away from the arteries and back to the liver, where it's passed from the body. Some experts believe that HDL removes excess cholesterol from arterial plaque, slowing its buildup." HDL can be increased with exercise, moderate alcohol consumption, and certain statin medications (Niaspan, Lipitor, Zocor).
To lower LDL levels, load your meals with lots of fruits and vegetables - five to nine servings a day. Antioxidants in these foods may provide the benefit, or it may be that when we eat more fruits and veggies, we eat less fat. Either way, you'll also help lower blood pressure and maintain a healthy weight.
Unfortunately, there are no foods that really raise HDL, but some have been shown to have benefits for heart health. These include:
- Foods containing omega-3 fatty acids (such as fatty fish, soy products and dark, leafy greens)
- Walnuts
- Garlic
- Cook with Olive Oil (not margarine or butter)
These changes in diet, along with getting more exercise and giving up smoking and excessive drinking can go a long way to keeping your heart, and the rest of your body, healthy.
About the author:
Dr. Sheldon completed his Fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic
Foundation. He specializes in Interventional Cardiology including
Balloon Angioplasty, Laser, Directional Brachy Therapy, Atherectomy,
Stent Placement, Rotoblator, Perepheral Intervention, Renal Stenting,
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Stenting and Acute Myocardial Infarction. Dr.
Sheldon sees patients in our Elyria and Sandusky offices.
.
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