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.