Pro-active meetings starting Tuesday to support cardiac health

HEALTH MATTERS

By: Karen Flicker

"(The MCP’s) monthly support group’s mission is to provide a supportive atmosphere where people can learn coping strategies for cardiac disease."
Karen Flicker, MS, L.AC.C.A

Acupuncturist/occupational therapist

The Medical Center at Princeton

   The average heart expands and contacts 100,000 times a day and pumps about 2,000 gallons of blood through the circulatory system. While this hard-working muscle responds well to healthful routines, the typical American lifestyle does its best to overwork the heart and undermine its health.
   To help those who struggle with heart-related problems, such as heart attacks, bypass surgery and chronic angina, and those who are at high risk for developing heart disease, a new cardiac support group is forming at The Medical Center at Princeton.
   The statistics for heart disease are alarming. Coronary heart disease is the number one cause of death in America. One out of every seven American males has or will have a heart attack or heart disease before the age of 60. Forty percent of adults will have high blood pressure in their lifetimes.
   The warning signs of a heart attack include:
   • chest discomfort, which may be an uncomfortable pressure, squeezing or pain;
   • shortness of breath;
   • nausea or lightheadedness, and
   • possibly pain in other parts of the body including the arm, neck, or jaw.
   If any one of these symptoms are evident and last longer than five minutes, seek immediate medical assistance.
   When focusing on a heart-healthy lifestyle, it is important to note the link between heart disease and stress.
   When faced with stress, the body’s reaction is predictable: The hormone adrenaline surges, the heart beats faster, blood pressure increases and blood sugar rises. These instinctive survival techniques are the body’s "fight or flight" response.
   Adrenaline is responsible for a pounding heart, shallow breathing and profuse sweating. This powerful hormone makes you feel tense and apprehensive, suddenly alert and ready to react. After the body reacts in such a way to stress, it seeks a return to normalcy where tension is released and relaxation follows.
   Those who are effective at managing their stress are able to return to a baseline quickly. Those who are not, however, prolong stress and can contribute to a weakening of the heart, fatigue, soreness, digestive problems, sleep disorders, anger or depression.
   Both acute and chronic stress are believed to have a negative impact on other heart-related risk factors and behaviors, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, physical inactivity, poor diets and smoking.
   Researchers have found that smoking cigarettes raises a person’s heart beat an average of 14 beats per minute. When combined with stress, this can raise the heart rate an additional 38 beats a minute above normal. Caffeine has a similar effect.
   Those who find themselves in a chronically stressful state compromise the repair and healing systems of the body.
   According to the American Heart Association, the evidence suggesting a relationship between the risk of cardiovascular disease and environmental and psychosocial factors is mounting. Stress-filled jobs, social isolation and personality traits are factors that bear watching.
   While it is true that more research is needed on stress’s role in heart disease risk, the AHA notes that studies using psychosocial therapies to prevent second heart attacks are promising. It is quite common for people to feel depressed, anxious or overwhelmed by stress after a heart attack or stroke; participating in a cardiac support group may be a wonderful management technique.
   For the past two decades, Dr. Dean Ornish, clinical professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, has been at the forefront of mind-body medicine. Known for his belief that cardiac disease is controllable and can even be remediated, Dr. Ornish is recognized for noting that lifestyle, dietary habits and stress have a tremendous impact on coronary artery disease.
   Recognizing the validity of including stress management in your daily life, The MCP’s Cardiac Support Group will begin each meeting with 5 to 10 minutes of relaxation techniques. This monthly support group’s mission is to provide a supportive atmosphere where people can learn coping strategies for cardiac disease. The group will feature a professional speaker each month who will address many aspects of cardiac disease.
   The topics will vary from month to month and include subjects such as coping mechanisms; the latest technologies, and how to continue to eat healthfully with cardiac disease. There will always be time for questions as well as a social time to share experiences among the group. Group members are welcome to bring their family.
   The Cardiac Support Group kickoff session will take place Tuesday at 7 p.m. in Ground Floor Conference Room A/B located at Princeton hospital. For more information about this free group, please call (609) 497-4285.
Karen Flicker, MS, L.AC.C.A, is involved in alternative and holistic health as an acupuncturist/occupational therapist for The Medical Center at Princeton. She will discuss stress reduction and relaxation techniques at the Cardiac Support Group’s kickoff session on Tuesday. This article was prepared in collaboration with Lorraine Seabrook.