heart health

By Meranda Schmitz

Throughout February, we’ve looked at how you can improve your heart health by getting enough exercise, controlling high blood pressure, and eating a heart healthy diet. Stress is another major factor that influences our heart health.  

Stress is your body’s response to a physical or psychological trigger that you perceive as challenging or threatening. In broad terms, stress is any change you have to adapt to. The stress...

By Meranda Schmitz, RN

During American Heart Month, we are exploring heart disease risk factors each week and how to reduce risk. We’ve all heard that we should eat a heart-healthy diet, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t eat the things we love. Below are some tips for heart-healthy eating.

Pay attention to portion size. Eating a “healthier” food is no longer healthy if you eat more than the portion size. How much you eat is just...

By Meranda Schmitz, RN

During American Heart Month, we are exploring heart disease risk factors each week along with tips to help reduce your risk. High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, puts you at risk for heart disease and stroke, which are leading causes of death in the United States. Nearly half of adults in the United States (47%, or 116 million) have hypertension. The table below shows the different stages of hypertension. Take a look...

By Meranda Schmitz, RN

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. February is American Heart Month, so we are featuring weekly information about heart disease risk factors along with tips to help reduce your risk.

Many factors increase your risk of heart disease. Some factors are controllable, whereas others – such as family history – are not. Controllable risk factors for heart disease include high cholesterol levels, high...

Betty Fairchild is back in the saddle at age 97, and Community HealthCare System’s Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Program helped her get there.

After an aortic valve replacement, fatigue and shortness of breath kept Fairchild, who lives four miles outside of Frankfort, from the active lifestyle she had always enjoyed.  She was referred to CHCS Cardiopulmonary Rehab by her cardiac surgeon, Dr. Muehlebach, from the University of Kansas Health System. Fairchild...

No matter what kind of person you picture when you think “heart attack,” Bob Garcia probably doesn’t fit the mold.

A retired postmaster and longtime referee for high school football and basketball, Garcia was in the habit of running 25-30 miles a week and lifting weights regularly. He was preparing to run a St. Patrick’s Day 10K when he felt a slight pain in the middle of his chest for about three minutes. He dismissed it as acid reflux and did...

If you have a heart attack or a heart procedure, you can participate in Cardiac Rehab to help regain your health. But Community HealthCare System wants to do more to help people prevent heart problems in the first place. A new program, Heart to Heart Therapy, can do just that.

The friendly, highly customizable program is designed to help people set goals, learn about heart health risk factors, and start exercising with help from a team of wellness experts.

Meranda...

By Meranda Schmitz, RN and Cardiac Rehab nurse

We recently posted about cardiovascular disease and its risk factors. So what can you do decrease your risk factors and increase your heart’s health?

Make a few changes to your diet Exercise for the recommended amount of time at the recommended effort level Keep your blood sugar levels under control Take the medications prescribed by your doctor or cardiologist Join Cardiac Rehab!

After a...

By Meranda Schmitz, RN and Cardiac Rehab nurse

Your heart is the most important muscle in your body. Just like any muscle, it can get damaged or worn out. Cardiac Rehab is designed to strengthen and recover your heart so that you may go on to live a happier, healthier life. If you have cardiovascular disease, Cardiac Rehab may be for you. But first, it’s important to understand cardiovascular disease, its risk factors, and how it affects the body.

So...