We’re just days away from “American Heart Month”, and Blake Medical Center is proud to take part in the nationwide effort to draw attention to preventing America’s No. 1 killer, cardiovascular disease.

The American Heart Association has come up with 7 simple steps you can take to live better and keep your heart healthier.

Get active:  By exercising for as little as 30 minutes each day you can reduce your risk of heart disease.  So start walking now.  The American Heart Association set up a social media soul-mate to get your started.  Click here to sign up!

Control your cholesterol:  It’s important to know your cholesterol level. A cholesterol level of 200 or higher puts you in a high-risk category and is cause to take action. 

Eat better:  A healthy diet is one of your best defenses against the disease. The American Heart Association recommends eating a wide variety of nutritious foods daily from each of the basic food groups including: vegetables, fruits, whole grain foods, fish and lean meats and poultry and low-fat dairy products. 

Manage your blood pressure:  Hypertension is the most significant risk factor for heart disease. Statistics show 1 in 3 adults had high blood pressure, but about 21 percent don’t even know they have it.

Lose weight:  145 million Americans 20 or older are obese, according to research.  That’s nearly 77 million men and more than 68 million women.  If you’re overweight, you can reduce your risk for heart disease by safely losing weight and keeping it off.

Reduce blood sugar:  Diabetes is considered one of the six major controllable risk factors for cardiovascular disease by the American Heart Association. Studies show adults with diabetes are 2 to 4 times more likely to have heart disease or a stroke than adults without diabetes.

Stop smoking:  Smoking increases the risk of coronary heart disease.  When it acts with the other factors experts say it increases your risk from those factors, too. Smoking decreases your tolerance for physical activity and increases the tendency for blood to clot.  It also decreases HDL (good) cholesterol. Your risks increase greatly if you smoke and have a family history of heart disease.

To learn more about the Simple 7 plan, log onto mylifecheck.heart.org.

Blake Medical Center is also offering a free Heart Smart Screening Thursday, Feb. 11 from 7-9 a.m. in the Dolphin/Pelican Room.  The screening includes glucose, cholesterol & lipid panel and blood pressure check.  Fasting is required.  To RSVP, call 1-888-359-3552.

Blake is proud to have an award-winning Heart Institute with a superior cardiac program combining a highly-skilled team of cardiologists and cardiac surgeons dedicated to the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of heart disease along with advanced technology to increase a patient’s chance of surviving a heart attack with fewer complications.

For heart month, we are also offering two free Dinner with a Doctor seminars with renowned cardiac surgeon and Mitral Valve Specialist Dr. Alessandro Golino on January 29 and February 26 at 5:30 p.m.  A healthy dinner with be served. 

Reservations are required.  Call 1-888-359-3552, or visit us online at www.blakemedicalcenter.com.

If you or a loved one suffers from a serious, debilitating health condition like a stroke or brain injury, the road to recovery can be a long and difficult one. 

At Blake Medical Center’s inpatient rehabilitation unit, we offer award-winning comprehensive care allowing patients who have had a physical or cognitive deficit from disease or injury regain the highest independence possible in a supportive atmosphere.

“The care I received from the Medics and ER staff was great, and the rehab was fantastic. The staff was so personable and helpful.  I’m so happy to be back painting again,” said Kip Ackerman, a 49-year-old patient who suffered a hip fracture.

Located on the hospital’s second floor, our 28-bed rehabilitation center is the only acute inpatient rehab facility in Manatee County.  It’s also accredited by the Joint Commission and CARF— Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities.

We offer care from an interdisciplinary team, which includes a physiatrist (a physician specializing in rehabilitation), physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, therapeutic recreation, nursing and social services. 

The inpatient rehab center treats more than 500 patients a year with a wide range of conditions including, but not limited to:

• Stroke
• Amputation
• Major multiple trauma
• Brain injury
• Neurological disorders
• Bone fractures

Rehabilitation social workers provide guidance, supportive counseling and family conferences to the patient and family, to set realistic goals and discharge plans.

“Families play an important role in helping patients adapt to a new physical challenge to regain independence,” said Rehab Outreach Coordinator Terry Doire, RN.

Blake Medical Center’s rehabilitation patients also have 24/7 access to all of the hospital’s services along with physician consultations.

For more information or a tour of our unit, call the referral line at (941) 526-3718 or visit us on line at www.blakemedicalcenter.com.

Did Mona Lisa have high cholesterol?  Media organizations around the world, including Time, are reporting an Italian medical expert believes the famous smile was probably the result of fatty acids accumulated around her left eye.

While we may never know for sure if the subject of Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece had high cholesterol or not, the rest of us need to know if we do.

“High Cholesterol has no symptoms.   So that means you don’t have to worry about it then, right?  ABSOLUTELY false,” Blake Medical Center’s Vice President of Cardiovascular Services Donna Disbro said.  “Even though high cholesterol is silent, it can potentially result in a heart attack or stroke.”

Several factors can increase your risk of having high cholesterol including age, family history, obesity, a high-fat diet, a sedentary lifestyle and excessive alcohol intake.

Here are five tips to help lower your cholesterol:

• Eat a low-fat, high-fiber diet.  Before starting any diet, consult your doctor about the best plan for you.
• Avoid processed foods, refined sugars and starches (white bread, white potatoes, white rice and simple sugars).
• If you are overweight, lose weight.
• Exercise regularly.  If you don’t, begin a safe program with the advice of your doctor.
• If you smoke, quit.

“Knowing your cholesterol levels and addressing these levels can help you avoid heart disease and other complications later in life,” Disbro added.

Blake Medical Center is offering free screenings on Thursday, February 11 in the hospital’s Dolphin Pelican Room.

The screenings include:

• Cholesterol & Lipid Panel
• Glucose
• Blood Pressure

Call 1-888-359-3552 to make your appointment now. Fasting is required. 

Other screening dates include:

• April 23
• June 10
• September 16
• December 9

If you have questions about high cholesterol, call our free Consult-A-Nurse hotline at 1-888-359-3552.  Or for more information about Blake Medical Center, visit our website at www.blakemedicalcenter.com.

A potentially deadly accident, heart attack or stroke can happen in a matter of moments.  And when you or a loved one makes that desperate call to 911, you want a fast response in order to save a life.

The call for help during such an event that is so significant, it can become a defining moment in a person’s life.

“Breaking my neck was the most frightening moment of my life. I am eternally grateful to the Medics who came to help me as well as the team at Blake Medical Center’s Emergency Department,” Pat Jablonski said.

The 42-year-old suffered his neck injury while surfing.  He’s one of 13 patients who are sharing their stories in Blake Medical Center’s 2010 ER Calendar.  Their stories are all different, but they all share a similar experience.

The men, women and children featured in the calendar consider themselves lucky enough to be cared for by the best EMS crews in their field— the paramedics and EMTs of Manatee County’s EMS along with Blake’s ER staff.

James Allen, 18, suffered a neck injury while playing football.

“Everything from the EMS ride to the time I spent in the Emergency Room allowed me to finish out my senior football season. Thanks to everyone who cared for me,” Allen said.

ER patients Vernon Wallingford, 66, and Norma Collins, 65, both suffered heart attacks.

“Having a heart attack is very scary. The Medics that arrived to take care of me were absolutely wonderful and the team at Blake’s Emergency Department was terrific,” Collins said.

In Wallingford’s case, he suffered a potentially deadly type of heart attack known as a STEMI.  A patient’s STEMI time is the time it takes to reestablish blood flow to the heart.

Blake is proud to provide these highly critical heart attack patients with treatment times well below the national average of 90 minutes.  Wallingford’s STEMI time was 34 minutes.

“Everything was great. Thanks to everyone doing their jobs so efficiently, I’m still here to have fun,” he said.

You can check out the ER calendar on our website at www.blakemedicalcenter.com, or call our Consult-A-Nurse hotline at 1-888-359-3552 to order one free.