Deaths due to cardiovascular disease may be on the decline, but cardiovascular disease remains the No. 1 cause of death for both men and women in the United States.
Age becomes a risk factor as people get older. So the University of Iowa College of Medicine and the Senior College of Greater Des Moines are offering a Mini Medical School program, developed for adults 50 and older, titled "Cardiovascular Disease: What You Should Know."
The four-session program begins Tuesday, from 2 to 4 p.m., in the Deheer Room at Broadlawns Medical Center, 1801 Hickman Road, Des Moines. Classes will be held at the same time and place on Sept. 16, 23 and 30. Cost is $40 for all four sessions. This is the first time the U of I and the Senior College of Greater Des Moines are co-hosting the event.
Age becomes a risk factor as people get older. So the University of Iowa College of Medicine and the Senior College of Greater Des Moines are offering a Mini Medical School program, developed for adults 50 and older, titled "Cardiovascular Disease: What You Should Know."
The four-session program begins Tuesday, from 2 to 4 p.m., in the Deheer Room at Broadlawns Medical Center, 1801 Hickman Road, Des Moines. Classes will be held at the same time and place on Sept. 16, 23 and 30. Cost is $40 for all four sessions. This is the first time the U of I and the Senior College of Greater Des Moines are co-hosting the event.
The U of I has been offering its Mini Medical School programs since 1996 in Iowa and nationwide, which includes junior programs geared to middle school students. Past topics include the newest theories and research on slowing down vision, hearing and mobility loss, and research on treatments for common eye conditions.
Medical faculty from the U of I will lead classes on the risk factors, symptoms and treatments for atherosclerosis (plaque buildup in the arteries), stroke, heart failure, and arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythm) and valvular disease (when one or more of the four valves in the heart doesn't work properly).
The Mini Medical School is a way for the U of I to share with Iowans and others the new treatments and research out there, said Deann Montchal, director of the U of I Heart and Vascular Center.
"I think we take an approach of trying to educate the community and really educating people that fall within the prime age categories where heart disease impacts your life," Montchal said of the upcoming cardiovascular sessions. "Definitely, it tends to be the 50-and-above age bracket."
Presenter Dr. Elaine Demetroulis, U of I assistant professor in the department of internal medicine, division of cardiovascular medicine, said heart attack symptoms can be very typical and predictable.
"But a lot of the times, there's a lot of symptoms that people may not be aware about," Demetroulis said. Particularly, there are symptoms more often experienced by women, which may be go unnoticed.
Demetroulis said the "classic" symptoms of a heart attack include:
- Pain in the middle of the chest (some describe it feeling like an elephant sitting on your chest), which sometimes radiates to the left arm.
- Chest pain that typically lasts for minutes at a time.
- Chest pain that generally gets worse with activity, and better with rest.
- And it may be accompanied by shortness of breath, or breaking out in sweat.
"Atypical" symptoms of a heart attack, which women have more often than men, include:
- Chest discomfort while in emotionally stressful situations.
- Shortness of breath.
- Acid reflux.
- Upper back or neck discomfort.
Demetroulis said risk factors for cardiovascular disease include high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol levels, smoking and family history of premature coronary disease, before age 40 for both men and women.
A healthful diet, regular exercise, losing weight (which can help eliminate type 2 diabetes) and well-controlled diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol all help to prevent cardiovascular disease.
Dr. Harold Adams, U of I professor and director of the division of cerebrovascular disorders in the department of neurology, will cover the topic of stroke, the third most common cause of death in the United States.
It is also the leading cause of disability among adults, Adams said via e-mail.
The risk of stroke is greatest in individuals 65 and older, he said, although it does occur in children and young adults. While it's more common among men than women in most age groups, the majority of people who have strokes are women.
"A woman (is) twice as likely to die of stroke as from cancer of the breast," he said.
Adams said important, treatable risk factors include diabetes, smoking, arterial hypertension and hypercholesterolemia (high levels of cholesterol in the blood).
Symptoms of stroke are numbness, weakness, or clumsiness of a hand, arm or leg, slurred or incoherent speech, loss of vision in one or both eyes, severe imbalance, severe headache, or loss of consciousness.
Controlling high blood pressure, diabetes, hyperlipidemia (high levels of fat in the bloodstream) or smoking, using blood-thinning drugs, and surgical or endovascular procedures can help reduce the risk of stroke, Adams said.
A clot-busting drug called tPA can be used to treat the most common cause, acute stroke, but the medication must be given within three hours of onset of stroke to be effective.
"Increased public awareness of the symptoms of stroke and the correct response (dial 911 or go to an emergency department as quickly as possible) is a key aspect for successful treatment of stroke," Adams said.
"I think we take an approach of trying to educate the community and really educating people that fall within the prime age categories where heart disease impacts your life," Montchal said of the upcoming cardiovascular sessions. "Definitely, it tends to be the 50-and-above age bracket."
Presenter Dr. Elaine Demetroulis, U of I assistant professor in the department of internal medicine, division of cardiovascular medicine, said heart attack symptoms can be very typical and predictable.
"But a lot of the times, there's a lot of symptoms that people may not be aware about," Demetroulis said. Particularly, there are symptoms more often experienced by women, which may be go unnoticed.
Demetroulis said the "classic" symptoms of a heart attack include:
- Pain in the middle of the chest (some describe it feeling like an elephant sitting on your chest), which sometimes radiates to the left arm.
- Chest pain that typically lasts for minutes at a time.
- Chest pain that generally gets worse with activity, and better with rest.
- And it may be accompanied by shortness of breath, or breaking out in sweat.
"Atypical" symptoms of a heart attack, which women have more often than men, include:
- Chest discomfort while in emotionally stressful situations.
- Shortness of breath.
- Acid reflux.
- Upper back or neck discomfort.
Demetroulis said risk factors for cardiovascular disease include high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol levels, smoking and family history of premature coronary disease, before age 40 for both men and women.
A healthful diet, regular exercise, losing weight (which can help eliminate type 2 diabetes) and well-controlled diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol all help to prevent cardiovascular disease.
Dr. Harold Adams, U of I professor and director of the division of cerebrovascular disorders in the department of neurology, will cover the topic of stroke, the third most common cause of death in the United States.
It is also the leading cause of disability among adults, Adams said via e-mail.
The risk of stroke is greatest in individuals 65 and older, he said, although it does occur in children and young adults. While it's more common among men than women in most age groups, the majority of people who have strokes are women.
"A woman (is) twice as likely to die of stroke as from cancer of the breast," he said.
Adams said important, treatable risk factors include diabetes, smoking, arterial hypertension and hypercholesterolemia (high levels of cholesterol in the blood).
Symptoms of stroke are numbness, weakness, or clumsiness of a hand, arm or leg, slurred or incoherent speech, loss of vision in one or both eyes, severe imbalance, severe headache, or loss of consciousness.
Controlling high blood pressure, diabetes, hyperlipidemia (high levels of fat in the bloodstream) or smoking, using blood-thinning drugs, and surgical or endovascular procedures can help reduce the risk of stroke, Adams said.
A clot-busting drug called tPA can be used to treat the most common cause, acute stroke, but the medication must be given within three hours of onset of stroke to be effective.
"Increased public awareness of the symptoms of stroke and the correct response (dial 911 or go to an emergency department as quickly as possible) is a key aspect for successful treatment of stroke," Adams said.
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