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| We are please to announce the following Pima Heart Physicians have been awarded Recognition by the American Heart Association, American Stroke Association ... |
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OVERVIEW · CARDIAC REHABILITATION · REVERSING HEART DISEASE · SMOKING CESSATION · STRESS REDUCTION/MANAGEMENT
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Many Tucsonans have participated in our cardiac wellness groups. These individuals are motivated to participate as they become aware that plaque in the coronary arteries can be prevented, stabilized, and in some cases reversed.
Coronary artery plaque is called many things including, atheroma, arteriosclerosis, and/or hardening of the arteries. Whatever the name, plaque is what eventually will lead to angina, heart attack and in some cases require bypass surgery and/or stenting. Plaque is composed of cholesterol, cells, fibrous tissue, and calcium. As plaque grows in the wall of an artery, the channel or lumen, through which blood flows, is reduced.
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Plaque takes decades to develop to the point that it causes symptoms or requires one of the above interventions. This means that all of us have a huge window in which we can do the things that are necessary to inhibit or reverse the plaque growth.
Programs for prevention of plaque fall into two categories. One is called primary prevention and applies to people with risk factors who have not yet had a cardiac event such as a heart attack. The other is called secondary prevention and applies to those who have already had an event such as a heart attack or required an intervention such as a stent or bypass. Our programs are designed for both primary and secondary prevention.
The cardiac wellness groups focus on reducing the risk factors, which we know promote plaque development. These include smoking, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, lack of exercise, stress, high LDL, and low HDL. We discuss ways to modify these risk factors. We talk about heart healthy diets and cooking, weight management, exercise, stress management, medications and supplements. In addition, the participants find that they all share many common features in terms of their plaque and how it has affected their lives.
The program has several modules. These include personal risk profiling, diet, food preparation, shopping, label reading, exercise, stress management, medications, supplements, communications, and group support. We use lectures, discussion groups, hands-on demonstrations, and one-on-one instruction to immerse participants in all aspects of heart disease prevention and reversal.
We call our program the HEART Series. We offer it in the Spring and Fall. The program runs 12 weeks, every Tuesday night, from 5:15 PM to 8:15 PM for a total of 36 hours of instruction. We also offer weekly groups that we call maintenance groups for individuals who have completed the HEART Series or those who want to plug into a cardiac wellness program but cannot make it to the HEART Series.
The HEART Series is sponsored by the Tucson Heart Hospital and the Foundation for Cardiovascular Care. If interested in more information, please call (520) 797 - 2281. |
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