Houston Healthcare hosts annual ‘Red!’ luncheon

There was a sea of red Thursday at Houston Lake Country Club. Houston Healthcare’s Heart Institute hosted its annual “Red!” luncheon promoting awareness of women’s cardiovascular health. All guests who attended were asked to wear the color red to help promote cardiovascular health.

Beth Jones, Director of Community Education and Services at Houston Healthcare, before introducing the guest speakers mentioned a few statistics.

“The leading cause of death in Houston County is heart disease,” said Jones. “It’s not a surprise to us at Houston Healthcare as heart disease is the leading cause of death in America.

“In America, most thought that heart disease was an ‘old man’s’ disease. Well, that is simply not true; it is actually more common in women. There was a study done that said every minute a women dies from heart disease.

“Good news. It is something you can prevent, and our guest speakers will share some ways today.”

Tim Sisco, Director of Imaging and Cardiovascular Services at Houston Healthcare, said timing is key when dealing with symptoms of a heart attack.

“The American Heart Association standard time of getting to the source from seeing the patient to opening up the vessel is 90 minutes; anything past is dangerous,” said Sisco.

“One amazing thing we can do at Houston Healthcare is EMS can do an electrocardiogram on the patient, transfer to the head nurse in the emergency room, then they send it to the phone of the cardiologist, then they can get the catheterization lab ready.”

Stacee Smith, Houston Heart Institute registered nurse, then shared a couple of patient’s incidents.

“We had a 58-year-old women with no prior history of heart disease came in with symptoms of nausea and vomiting,” said Smith. “When she arrived to the emergency room, she had developed chest and jaw pain. Total time of getting proper blood flow back was 60 minutes. It’s important to recognize your symptoms, and if you feel something is not right, go with your gut. It’s better come in, get checked out, and be sent home than not coming in.”

Dr. Alex Smolensky, cardiologist and member of Houston Healthcare’s Medical staff, said there is a simplified approach to a complex issue.

“Albert Einstein once said if you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough, ” said Smolensky. “Preventing Heart Disease is simple. All it takes is a healthy diet, exercise, and keeping check on things like blood pressure and cholesterol.”

Smolensky said the American Heart Association has a recommended diet.

“This diet is all about moderation, and sticking to the food guide pyramid,” said Smolensky. “Stick to fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, poultry, fish, and nuts.

“Also limiting read meat and sugary foods and beverages. And all it takes for exercise is walking. Walking 30 minutes to an hour will help keep good blood flow.”

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