Post Messenger Recorder -

In the month of February and beyond, residents of Green County can take advantage of exploring opportunities for healthy hearts. Chances are high that you, or someone in your family, will be affected by Cardiovascular Diseases (CVD). Cardiovascular diseases, including heart disease and stroke, unfortunately kill nearly 1 in 3 people in Wisconsin and represent the leading cause of death in women age 25 or older.

So, what can we do to prevent death and heart disease? The good news is that 80% of cardiovascular diseases are preventable with education and action. Education means understanding the numbers that effect heart health, which are: Total Cholesterol, HDL (good) Cholesterol, Blood Pressure, Blood Sugar, and Body Mass Index (BMI). Clinics, hospitals, pharmacies and self-monitoring tools are available to help you understand your numbers and risks for heart health challenges.

Listed below are some guiding principles and tools for support from the American Heart Association and Centers for Disease Control:

Eat smart - know what is on your plate - eating healthy does not have to mean dieting or giving up all of the foods you love. Learn how to ditch the junk, give your body the nutrient-dense fuel it needs, and love every minute of it!

Add color - to your diet - all the colors of the rainbow - all the time - life is why - color is how!

Move more - a good goal is 150 minutes a week, but if you don't want to sweat the numbers, simply move more! Find forms of exercise you like and stick with, and build more opportunities to be active into your routine.

Be well - along with eating right and being physically active, real health includes getting enough sleep, practicing mindfulness, managing stress, keeping mind and body fit, connecting socially and more.

http://www.heart.org

https://millionhearts.hhs.gov/

https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/heart-disease/index.htm

dashdiet.org

Signs of a Heart Attack:

1. Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of your chest. If it lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back.

2. Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.

3. Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.

4. Other signs such as breaking out in cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.

5. Women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particular shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain.

Signs of Stroke:

Learn to spot a stroke F.A.S.T. If you see:

Face drooping

Arm weakness or

Speech difficulty, it's

Time to call 911

This past year, Green County has been part of a National Million Hearts Learning Collaborative with the Department of Health Services Chronic Disease Prevention and Control Team and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials to explore avenues for improving heart health education within the community setting. The Green County Public Health Department, the Southwest Community Action Program Clinic, the Monroe Clinic Parish Nurse program and the Monroe Clinic Hospital have all served as partners in this project coordinated by the Wisconsin Community Health Fund. In 2016, over 500 residents received heart health screening at various community sites including health fairs, churches, and clinics. This fall, teachers from New Glarus School District also participated in a screening event connected to a flu shot clinic. The start to a county-wide community-clinical linkage system for heart health has been designed between the various project partners and the Monroe Clinic Hospital. A Monroe Clinic triage-nurse has been designated as the contact point for local residents who need further education and health services beyond the community outreach sites.

The program plans to continue in 2017 and will highlight the enhanced usage of pharmacists for further heart health education, the promotion of community heart health education materials through the Green County Healthy Community Coalition, statewide blood pressure measurement trainings and the development of electronic systems for communication between community outreach sites and the Monroe Clinic.

Per the Wisconsin Collaborative for Healthcare Quality measurement data, the Monroe Clinic reports an 83.26% blood pressure measurement control rate, which is higher than the national expectation of 80%. Despite positive results, we know that prospects exist in Green County for continued improvement through preventative health care visits, good eating, exercise and healthy habits.

Throughout the month of February and beyond, Go Red! and take time to explore opportunities that get at the heart of the matter - your health and the health of your family and community.