World News Displaying items by tag: american heart association
Nashville, TN – It will be a colorful, musical garden party of sorts as Gower Elementary School plants their Teaching Garden this Thursday, March 29 from 8:30-9:30 a.m. at the school located at 650 Old Hickory Blvd. in Nashville.
Students, assisted by teachers and local United Parcel Service employees, will plant raised garden beds at the school with edibles which can thrive in all U.S. plant zones. The choir will perform a planting song they wrote especially for the occasion. Facepainters will add color to the kids as the kids are adding color to the garden areas, and there will be other activities for the students while they plant.
Each class at Gower has already been practicing their planting skills to learn more about gardening, and they have received classroom lessons on the importance of fresh food and its role in healthy eating. The students will plant the best seedlings they’ve raised into the gardens, to complete their growth cycle.
UPS is working with the American Heart Association on the Teaching Gardens program here in Middle Tennessee as a measure to better children’s health and to combat childhood obesity.
In this area, Teaching Gardens have already been planted at Franklin Elementary School and Hickman Elementary School. Others are in the works. Harvest days will occur before the end of the school year.
What is the Teaching Gardens program?
The American Heart Association Teaching Gardens program provides hands-on learning experience rooted in offering nutritional choices. It is a real-life laboratory in which students learn how to plant seeds, nurture the growing plants, harvest the food, and ultimately understand the connection between the environment and their health. For many children, Teaching Gardens provide them with the only interaction they have between nature and fresh produce.
The program is a new approach in the fight against childhood obesity. One-third of U.S. children are overweight or obese, putting them at higher risk of heart disease and stroke. Aimed at first graders through fifth, the Teaching Gardens program shows children how to plant seeds, nurture growing plants, harvest produce and ultimately understand the value of good eating habits. Garden-themed lessons teach nutrition, math, science and other subjects, all while having fun in the fresh air and working with your hands. The goal is to dramatically change the way Americans think about and consume food, emphasizing the importance of fresh vegetables, starting at a young age.
Recent studies indicate that eating vegetables three to six times per week decreased heart failure risk by 26 percent in men and 27 percent in women compared to those who ate vegetables less than once per week.
Others involved:
The Teaching Gardens program, recently created by the American Heart Association, has seen actors from CBS’ Hawaii Five-O (Scott Caan, Daniel Dae Kim, Alex O’Laughlin, and Masi Oka) and world-famous athletes Laird Hamilton and Gabrielle Reece help plant Teaching Gardens and lead physical activities in a number of schools. The Los Angeles world premiere of Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax featured the creation of a Teaching Garden which was then given to a L.A.-area school. Teaching Gardens are being planted and students are receiving healthy eating lessons in schools around the U.S.
For more on Teaching Gardens, visit www.heart.org/teachinggarden.
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Country artist Julie Roberts will be the special musical guest at the Go Red For Women Men’s Event on March 28 from 5:30 to 7:30 at Belle Meade Country Club.
More than 100 community, business and medical leaders will gather to pledge support for the heart health of the women in their lives and for the Go Red For Women movement. Funds raised at the event go to support the mission of the American Heart Association.
Julie has received Top New Artist and Top New Female Vocalist nominations from the Academy of Country Music, as well as a Breakthrough Artist nomination from the CMT Awards. She has performed on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, was chosen to sing the “Good To Go” theme song for ABC’s Good Morning America and joined pop superstar Rihanna in a Clinique HAPPY campaign. Her dress is currently on display at the Country Music Hall of Fame as part of their “Something in Red” red dress exhibit in honor of Go Red For Women. She is on tour to support her new album and single, “Whiskey and You.”
Go Red For Women is sponsored nationally by Macy’s and Merck, and sponsored locally by Saint Thomas Heart. Men’s Event presenting sponsors are Iasis and Vanderbilt Heart. Men’s Event sponsor is Pinnacle.
Children living in a neighborhood designed with a special bike trail were three times as likely as those in a traditional neighborhood to engage in vigorous physical activity, according to new research presented at the American Heart Association’s Epidemiology and Prevention/Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism 2012 Scientific Sessions.
Researchers compared two low-income neighborhoods in Chattanooga, Tenn. One had a “new urbanist construction” that features a specially-designed, two-mile, extra-wide trail/sidewalk for biking and walking that winds from new public housing and single-family residences to a school, library, recreational facility, park and retail shops. The other area has traditional homes, public housing, a new school, park and an older, regular-width sidewalk.
“There was more vigorous activity in the park and along the trail,” said Gregory W. Heath, D.H.Sc., M.P.H., the study’s lead author and assistant provost for research and engagement at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and the UT College of Medicine. “There was more jogging or bike riding, which makes sense because the urban trail was made for that.”
In previous studies on this type of community feature, researchers focused mostly on suburban or upper-income neighborhoods, Heath said.
“Infrastructural changes like these are expensive,” said Heath, who is also professor of health and human performance and medicine. “But quite frankly in the long run, they’re worth it.”
Co-author is S. White-Woerner, B.S. Author disclosures are on the abstracts. The Middle Tennessee State University Center for Physical Activity and Health in Youth funded the study.
Study Highlights:
- Overweight and obese adults using an electronic device that provided daily messages did better at staying on diet and exercise programs.
- Those using the device were more successful in adhering to five treatment factors for weight loss.
Overweight and obese adults who used an electronic diary program on a personal digital assistant did better at staying on diet and physical activity programs, researchers reported at the American Heart Association’s Epidemiology and Prevention/Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism 2012 Scientific Sessions.
People using the device, which provided tailored dietary and exercise feedback messages, were more successful in adhering to five treatment factors for weight loss:
- attending group sessions;
- meeting daily calorie goals;
- meeting daily fat intake goals;
- reaching weekly exercise goals; and
- monitoring eating and exercise.
The SMART (Self-Monitoring and Recording with Technology) study included 210 overweight or obese adults, 84 percent women, 79 percent white, who used a paper diary, a handheld electronic device without feedback, or a handheld device that provided daily messages.
Those using the electronic devices did significantly better than those using a paper diary for attendance, self-monitoring and energy and exercise goals.
At six months, the group that received the daily feedback messages from their device had more than a 5 percent weight loss, but over time adherence declined and weight gain occurred.
At 24 months, weight loss was similar across the three groups, but was slightly better in the group receiving feedback.
“The results suggest that using an electronic diary improves treatment adherence,” said Lora E. Burke, Ph.D., study author and professor of nursing and epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania. “Over time, participants’ adherence declined, particularly in the later phase as contact frequency declined and subsequently ended. Adherence in the paper diary group declined more than in the device groups.”
Study participants recorded their exercise levels and daily food and beverage intakes. Devices displayed the consumed daily calories and fat grams next to targeted amounts. Users with devices providing feedback received messages on diet once a day and exercise every other day.
Thirty-nine group sessions were offered in the first 18 months, followed by one “maintenance” session in the last six months.
More frequent contact during the last half of the trial would have resulted in better adherence, Burke said. The study confirmed that reducing or withdrawing contact leads to weight regain.
The technology used in the study has since been upgraded, but the concept is the same for smartphones and self-monitoring applications, said Burke, who is conducting a study using smartphones to monitor the triggers for relapses.
Co-authors are Mindi Styn, Ph.D.; Molly Conroy, M.D.; Le Ye, Ph.D.; Karen Glanz, Ph.D.; Susan Sereika, Ph.D.; Mary Ann Sevick, Ph.D.; and Linda Ewing, Ph.D. Author disclosures are on the abstract. The National Institutes of Health funded the study.
Dawn M. Rudolph has been named chair and Nancy Peterson Hearn has been named honorary chair of this year’s Go Red For Women® movement in Nashville. They will work with the American Heart Association on raising awareness of women’s heart health, and serve as volunteer leaders of the Go Red for Women Luncheon, one of the largest in the nation, which will take place on April 27, 2012 at the Franklin Cool Springs Marriott.
“I am pleased to be working closely with Go Red For Women to help educate women in Middle Tennessee about their number one health risk and what they can do about it,” said Rudolph. “It is important that we make every effort possible to communicate this message. Go Red For Women plays a big role in educating women, and I am grateful to have the opportunity to be part of it.”
“Go Red For Women reminds women to take care of their hearts so they can care for their families and the lives given to them,” said Hearn. “We have to listen to our bodies and make sure they’re as healthy as they can be.”
Rudolph is President and CEO of Saint Thomas Hospital. Hearn is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Peterson Tool Co.
Go Red For Women® is a national movement which encourages awareness of the issue of women and heart disease. The movement challenges women to know their risk for heart disease and take action to reduce their personal risk. It also gives them the tools they need to lead a heart-healthy life. The movement was created because cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 killer of women, taking one in three lives, yet only 55 percent of women realize this and less than half know what are considered healthy levels for cardiovascular risk factors like blood pressure and cholesterol.
Go Red For Women is sponsored nationally by Macy’s and Merck, and locally by Saint Thomas Heart.
For information on the Go Red For Women Luncheon on April 27, visit www.heart.org\NashvilleGoRed.
The sold-out Rutherford Heart Ball, held last night at Stones River Country Club in Murfreesboro, raised a total of $188,000 net. 370 Ball guests and nearly 100 Late Party guests packed the ballroom until midnight, following an evening of dining, auction bidding and presentations on the lifesaving work being done by the American Heart Association in Rutherford County and throughout Tennessee.
Presenting sponsor of the Heart Ball was Saint Thomas Heart at Middle Tennessee Medical Center. Chairs were Lori and James Smith, and the Heart Ball Honoree was Kim Brogli.
Funds raised at the Heart Gala will go to research, education and community health initiatives to fight cardiovascular disease, the No. 1 killer of men and women and a leading killer of children. The American Heart Association is helping to support CPR training in Murfreesboro schools.
A compound in citrus fruits may reduce your stroke risk, according to research reported in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.
This prospective study is one of the first in which researchers examine how consuming flavonoid subclasses affects the risk of stroke. Flavonoids are a class of compounds present in fruits, vegetables, dark chocolate and red wine.
“Studies have shown higher fruit, vegetable and specifically vitamin C intake is associated with reduced stroke risk,” said Aedín Cassidy, Ph.D., the study’s lead author and professor of nutrition at Norwich Medical School in the University of East Anglia in Norwich, United Kingdom. “Flavonoids are thought to provide some of that protection through several mechanisms, including improved blood vessel function and an anti-inflammatory effect.”
Cassidy and colleagues used 14-years of follow-up data from the Nurse’s Health Study, which included 69,622 women who reported their food intake, including details on fruit and vegetable consumption every four years. Researchers examined the relationship of the six main subclasses of flavonoids commonly consumed in the U.S. diet — flavanones, anthocyanins, flavan-3-ols, flavonoid polymers, flavonols and flavones — with risk of ischemic, hemorrhagic and total stroke.
As expected, the researchers didn’t find a beneficial association between total flavonoid consumption and stroke risk, as the biological activity of the sub-classes differ. However, they found that women who ate high amounts of flavanones in citrus had a 19 percent lower risk of blood clot-related (ischemic) stroke than women who consumed the least amounts.
In the study, flavanones came primarily from oranges and orange juice (82 percent) and grapefruit and grapefruit juice (14 percent). However, researchers recommended that consumers increase their citrus fruit intake, rather than juice, due to the high sugar content of commercial fruit juices.
A previous study found that citrus fruit and juice intake, but not intake of other fruits, protected against risk of ischemic stroke and intracerebral hemorrhage. Another study found no association between yellow and orange fruits and stroke risk, but did link increased consumption of white fruits like apples and pears with lower stroke risk. An additional study found that Swedish women who ate the highest levels of antioxidants – about 50 percent from fruits and vegetables – had fewer strokes than those with lower antioxidant levels.
More studies are needed to confirm the association between flavanone consumption and stroke risk, and to gain a better understanding about why the association occurs, the authors said.
The National Institutes of Health funded the research.
Co-authors are: Eric B. Rimm, Sc.D.; Éilis J. O’Reilly, Sc.D.; Giancarlo Logroscino, M.D., Ph.D.; Colin Kay, Ph.D.; Stephanie E. Chiuve, Sc.D.; and Kathryn M. Rexrode, M.D., M.P.H. Author disclosures are on the manuscript.
Initial studies focus on stroke, peripheral artery disease, heart failure and diabetes
The American Heart Association has launched the online-only open-access Journal of the American Heart Association: Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Disease (JAHA) — packed with free peer-reviewed research on heart disease and stroke. The journal can be found at http://jaha.ahajournals.org/.
“We envision JAHA as a forum for high quality original articles that cover the full range of cardiovascular science, including basic science, translational science, clinical trials and epidemiological and outcomes research,” said Joseph A. Vita, M.D., JAHA editor in chief.
As with the association’s 11 print journals, articles will undergo rigorous peer review prior to publication. The online format won’t have limits on the length of articles, the number of photos and illustrations, or the use of color or video. Thus, “authors will be able to present all aspects of their work,” Vita said. Also, open-access means content will be rapidly and widely accessible, accelerating the translation of science into practice.
Highlights of the first science published in the new journal include:
Severity of stroke predicts death risk
People with strokes caused by the most severe blockages were more than 12 times likely to die within 30 days of their stroke than people with the least severe strokes as categorized by the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS).
The NIHSS ranks stroke severity on a 0-42 scale, with 0-7 being the least severe and 22-42 the most severe.
Thirty-day death rates were:
- 4.2 percent for mild stroke (0-7)
- 13.9 percent for moderate stroke (8-13)
- 31.6 percent for severe stroke (14-21)
- 53.5 percent for extremely severe stroke (22-42)
Researchers collected data from 33,102 fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries treated at 404 Get With The Guidelines-Stroke hospitals between April 2003 and December 2006. Average age was 79, and 58 percent were women. Get With The Guidelines-Stroke is the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s hospital-based quality improvement program that helps healthcare providers to consistently treat stroke patients according to the most up-to-date evidence-based guidelines.
No matter what other clinical information is available, stroke severity is a very strong predictor of death risk after stroke, the researchers said. Categorizing patients by risk levels can better target treatments and resources.
The data could help evaluate the performance of centers that treat stroke patients, researchers wrote in an accompanying editorial.
Gregg C. Fonarow, M.D., Ahmanson-UCLA Cardiomyopathy Center, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, Calif.; (310) 206-9112; This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
- For warning signs and general information about stroke visit www.strokeassociation.org.
Aspirin therapy pairs well with walking rehab in patients with blocked leg arteries
Despite previous concerns, aspirin works as well as clopidogrel in conjunction with walking rehabilitation for people with blocked leg arteries, or peripheral artery disease (PAD), according to new research.
People with PAD often have a condition called intermittent claudication, which causes pain while walking due to decreased blood supply to the legs.
During rehabilitation, patients are put on a walking program to help increase blood flow to their legs and spur the growth of tiny collateral blood vessels that help supply leg tissues with blood and oxygen. Improved blood flow should increase pain-free walking time. Previously, experts believed aspirin was a poor choice for these patients because its anti-inflammatory properties might block the development of collateral blood vessels that form to get around the blockage.
In the study, researchers for the first time examined whether the type of antiplatelet drug prescribed impacted PAD patients’ ability to increase walking distance during exercise training.
Patients from 21 centers in Germany and Switzerland were randomly chosen to take low-dose aspirin (116) or clopidogrel (113) during a one hour/day walking program. Average age was 66, and 24.5 percent were women.
After 12 weeks, patients on low-dose aspirin could walk pain-free 33.9 percent farther and 35.3 percent longer before it was too painful to continue. Similarly, patients on clopidogrel could walk 33.3 percent farther before pain began and 34.9 percent longer before being unable to continue.
The researchers concluded that low-dose aspirin doesn’t diminish the improvement of pain-free walking gained during a three-month exercise program.
Kurt A. Jaeger, M.D., University Hospital Basel, Department of Angiology, Basel, Switzerland; 011-41-6- 265-5157; This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
- To learn the signs and symptoms of peripheral artery disease visit www.heart.org/PAD.
More evidence-based treatments mean better heart failure survival
Chance of survival for heart failure patients with weakened pumping ability improves if they use at least four or five of the treatments suggested in American Heart Association guidelines, according to new research.
The combination of several key guideline-recommended therapies for heart failure provided up to an 81 to 90 percent improvement in the odds of survival over two years.
In an analysis of data from the large prospective study IMPROVE HF, researchers evaluated how much each treatment contributes to two-year survival ― individually and in addition to other treatments.
Individually, the greatest improvement in survival was gained by treatment with beta-blockers and cardiac resynchronization therapy (a specialized pacemaker that helps coordinate the pumping of the right and left chambers of the heart). Significant gains were also achieved with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers, drugs to reduce blood clotting, implantable cardioverter/defibrillators and heart failure education.
The use of aldosterone antagonists didn’t increase two-year survival, a finding which requires further study according to the authors.
In combination, every added treatment boosted survival until patients were taking four to five treatments, with benefits potentially leveling off (but not diminishing) with additional treatments.
Gregg C. Fonarow, M.D., Ahmanson-UCLA Cardiomyopathy Center, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, Calif. (310) 206-9112; This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
- For information on heart failure prevention and treatment visit www.heart.org/HF.
Kidney problems create highest risk of death for patients with diabetes
Kidney impairment is the strongest predictor of death for diabetic patients, according to a study of heart and stroke risk factors in diabetic patients participating in clinical trials.
Having type 2 diabetes adds to the danger posed by other cardiovascular risk factors, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and impaired kidney function.
By examining data from clinical trials, researchers assessed the death risk posed by individual factors in people with diabetes. The researchers compared age, gender, body mass index, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), duration of diabetes, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, serum creatinine, smoking status, rate of retinopathy, hypertension , history of cardiovascular disease and the presence of proteinuria (defined by any abnormal excretion of protein in the urine).
The researchers evaluated data on 91,842 patients and 6,837 deaths occurring in 22 clinical trials. They concluded that mortality rates varied substantially across these trials.
They also found that decline in kidney function, with or without presence of protein in the urine, was associated with a higher risk of death.
Ebrahim Barkoudah, M.D., Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Mass.; (617) 525-6467; This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
- For more about the symptoms, diagnosis & monitoring of diabetes go to www.heart.org/diabetes.
Student show to benefit Go Red For Women
Young aspiring designers have put together a fabulous fashion event with a heart – and a touch of red – to wrap up American Heart Month in style.
Thirty-five students at the International Academy of Design and Technology have teamed with the American Heart Association for the “Imagine Red” Fashion Show on February 25 at the Gaylord Springs Golf Links Clubhouse. The show features nearly 100 garments created by the students during their coursework this past year, and a special red fashion segment, where models will don 18 student-designed red garments created especially to honor Go Red For Women.
Students are working toward a two-year Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree or a four-year Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) in Fashion Design and Merchandising. One student, Danielle Beasley, won a $5,000 scholarship this year through Project Runway’s Scholarship Competition. Her winning design will be in the show.
25% of ticket sales will be donated to Go Red For Women. Artwork created by the students will also be on display, and 100% of the proceeds of artwork sales will be donated to the movement, which raises awareness about the No. 1 killer of women, heart disease.
The show will be emcee’d by Go Red For Women supporter Amy Marsalis. Show judges include Molly Bedell, owner of Two Old Hippies; Austin Hiday, stylist at Nordstrom; and Olia Zavozina, couture bridal dressmaker.
The event is cocktail attire, and begins at 6 p.m. with a reception/art gallery viewing and live music by renowned acoustic guitarist Keith Medley. The fashion show begins at 7.
Tickets are $30. For reservations, call 615.232.7384.
Event expecting nearly 500 guests total; Late Party tickets still available
The American Heart Association’s 2012 Rutherford Heart Ball will take place this Saturday, February 25, at Stones River Country Club, Murfreesboro. The annual black-tie event, one of the highlights on the Rutherford County social calendar, raises funds to support the association’s mission of fighting cardiovascular disease, the No. 1 killer of men and women and a leading killer of children.
The evening will welcome about 370 guests for the sold-out Heart Ball (about 100 more than last year) and more than 100 guests for the Late Party for young area professionals. Festivities begin at 6 p.m. with cocktail hour and a silent auction. The Heart Ball program starts at 7:30, and will include presentations, a live auction, dinner, live music by Skyline Drive Band and dancing.
Lori and James Smith are chairs of this year’s Heart Ball, and Kim Brogli of Murfreesboro has been designated as the 2012 Heart Ball honoree.
Speakers will include Gordon Ferguson, President & CEO of Middle Tennessee Medical Center; Britt Mioton, M.D.; Kim Brogli; Lori and James Smith and Phil Holt. Mimi Genet will conduct the live auction. The Open Your Heart Special Appeal will support CPR Anytime Kits for area schools so that Murfreesboro-area children can continue to learn this lifesaving technique.
The Hearts of Gold décor was designed by Lori Sain Smith. Production will be supplied by Stewarts Special Events and Brantley Sound. The gourmet dinner at Stones River will be supervised by Chef Jeff Ritcher.
The Heart Ball presenting sponsor is Saint Thomas Heart at Middle Tennessee Medical Center. VIP table sponsors are Reeves-Sain Foundation, Regions and Vanderbilt Heart. Heart Ball Executive Late Party co-chairs are Ann Elizabeth & Richard Rucker and Maggie & Ben Parsley. Rutherford Heart Society chairs are Lissa and Davis Young.
Late Party tickets are still available at www.heart.org/rutherfordheartball.
