Commit to a Heart Healthy Lifestyle

Catholic Healthcare West’s Heartaware^TM Program Urges People to Make a Commitment to a Heart Healthy Lifestyle in the New Year

CHANDLER and GILBERT, Ariz. – With the new year undoubtedly comes a list of resolutions. Among the most popular is the desire to lose weight, the renewed commitment to exercise more and eat a healthier diet, and to simply get more sleep. A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association has cause to motivate people even more, reporting that longer sleep duration for people in their 30s and 40s may decrease the risk of coronary artery calcification, a predictor of atherosclerosis and heart disease. The study goes further to discuss how even one extra hour of sleep per night lowered an individual’s estimated odds of coronary artery disease by 33 percent, and lowered systolic blood pressure by 17 points.

This time last year, Chandler Regional Medical Center and Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, members of Catholic Healthcare West (CHW), unveiled the HeartAware^TM program, an innovative, online detection program that screens asymptomatic individuals for cardiovascular disease before the unthinkable occurs. This is especially significant because according to the American Heart Association’s 2008 year-end report, 15 percent of men and five percent of women between the ages of 33 and 45 have subclinical atherosclerosis.

“It’s important to know your risk factors,” said Darcel Taylor, R.N., cardiac nurse clinician for CHW’s HeartAware^TM program. Taylor notes that there is a significant opportunity for an individual to control their risk factors, which includes cholesterol, blood sugar, blood pressure and weight. “According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, 50 percent of men and 64 percent of women who died suddenly from coronary heart disease had no previous symptoms of the disease. That’s where we can help.”

HeartAware^TM begins with individuals visiting the CHW Web site at www.chwhealthspan.org/heartaware and taking a free online risk assessment. The assessment takes about seven minutes to complete and evaluates several factors, including overall health and family history. Once the assessment is complete, each participant is provided with a customized confidential report that explains their specific risk factors for developing heart disease, as well as recommendations for lifestyle modifications to reduce those risks.

If the online evaluation indicates significant risk for cardiovascular disease, participants may choose to be contacted by Taylor for a free, in-person consultation and screening to further assess cardiac risk. Taylor may recommend a follow-up visit with a physician or cardiologist and can provide assistance in referring to a physician through ResourceLink if necessary. Information about a calcium score may also be provided to those deemed high-risk. Should this test be deemed appropriate, arrangements will be made to obtain an order from a physician. CHW usually offers the calcium score exams for $200, but has since reduced the price to $90 for HeartAware^TM participants.

“We ultimately can reduce the effects of cardiovascular disease in our community through early detection and education using HeartAware^TM,” said David G. Covert, president and CEO of Chandler Regional Medical Center and the CHW East Valley Service Area. According to Covert, more than 1,600 people have taken the HeartAware^TM online assessment, helping them to take action and reduce their cardiovascular risk. Even though cardiovascular disease is the number one killer in America, in many cases it can be predicted and prevented.

Taylor also recommends that if someone is having a difficult time falling or staying asleep, or are sleepy during the day, they speak with their primary care physician to determine if participating in a sleep study is appropriate for them. “The Sleep Center at Mercy Gilbert Medical Center can provide a comprehensive evaluation from our sleep experts,” adds Taylor. “Research demonstrates that untreated sleep disorders are associated with other serious medical conditions such as congestive heart failure, stroke, hypertension, diabetes and depression. Sleep is vital, just as exercise and diet are vital.”

To learn more about HeartAware^TM, or to schedule a free, in-person consultation, please call 480.728.3639 or visit www.chwhealthspan.org/heartaware. For more information on our Sleep Center, please call 480.728.ZZZZ (9999).

About Chandler Regional Medical Center
Chandler Regional Medical Center is a 225-bed, acute-care, non-for-profit provider of emergency care, maternal child services, cardiovascular services, wound healing, cancer treatment, diabetes treatment, and diagnostic services.  It is located at 475 S. Dobson Road (corner of Dobson Road and Frye Road) in Chandler.  For more information, please visit http://www.chandlerregional.org/ or call 480.728.3000. 

About Mercy Gilbert Medical Center
Mercy Gilbert Medical Center is located at the intersection of Val Vista Drive and Loop 202 (south of Pecos Road and east of Val Vista Drive).  Mercy Gilbert Medical Center is a four-story, full-service acute-care facility with 182 beds. For more information, please visit http://www.mercygilbert.org/ or call 480.728.8000.

About Catholic Healthcare West
Catholic Healthcare West (CHW) is the eighth largest hospital system in the nation and one of the largest not-for-profit hospital providers in the West. Founded in 1986, the CHW network of more than 8,500 physicians and approximately 50,000 employees serve a population spanning 22 million people at 43 hospitals across California, Arizona, and Nevada.  CHW is committed to delivering compassionate, high-quality, affordable healthcare services with special attention to the poor and underserved.  In fiscal year 2008, CHW provided nearly $967 million in community benefit and free care for the poor.   CHW facilities in Arizona include Chandler Regional Medical Center, Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center and Barrow Neurological Institute, CHW Urgent Cares in Ahwatukee, Gilbert and Queen Creek, Sun Lakes Laboratory, Warner Outpatient Surgery and the Arizona Orthopedic Surgical Hospital.  For more information, please visit our Website at http://www.chwhealth.org/.

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