Warning Signs

If you or someone else is experiencing these warning signs of heart attack, stroke or cardiac arrest, call 9-1-1 right away.

HEART ATTACK WARNING SIGNS

CHEST DISCOMFORT
Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.
DISCOMFORT IN OTHER AREAS OF THE UPPER BODY
Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
SHORTNESS OF BREATH with or without chest discomfort.
Other Signs may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.

STROKE WARNING SIGNS

Spot a stroke F.A.S.T.:

- Face Drooping - does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Ask the person to smile.

- Arm Weakness - is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?

- Speech Difficulty -  is speech slurred, are they unable to speak, or are they hard to understand? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence, like "the sky is blue." Is the sentence repeated correctly?
- Time to call 9-1-1 - if the person shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 9-1-1 and get them to the hospital immediately.

CARDIAC ARREST WARNING SIGNS

SUDDEN LOSS OF RESPONSIVENESS
No response to tapping on shoulders.
No normal breathing.

If these signs are present dial 9-1-1

Dial 9-1-1 Fast Heart attack and stroke are life-and-death emergencies — every second counts. If you see or have any of the listed symptoms, immediately call 9-1-1 or your emergency response number. Not all these signs occur in every heart attack or stroke. Sometimes they go away and return. If some occur, get help fast! Today heart attack and stroke victims can benefit from new medications and treatments unavailable to patients in years past. For example, clot-busting drugs can stop some heart attacks and strokes in progress, reducing disability and saving lives. But to be effective, these drugs must be given relatively quickly after heart attack or stroke symptoms first appear. So again, don't delay — get help right away! Source: American Heart Association Learning the skills necessary to save a life in situations like these are invaluable.  Healthpro offers affordable and convenient classes - sign up today at hpec.org or call 951-279-6110.

Blood Donors Needed

This month’s winter storms and freezing temperatures have resulted in more than 400 American Red Cross blood drive cancellations and nearly 12,000 uncollected blood and platelet donations. While the weather has affected the ability of the Red Cross to collect blood, hospital patients are still in need of lifesaving transfusions.

All blood types are needed to ensure a sufficient blood supply and there is an urgent need for blood types O positive, O negative, A negative and B negative. Eligible donors with these blood types are especially encouraged to make an appointment to give in the coming days.

Donors with blood types O positive, O negative, A negative and B negative can consider making a double red cell donation where available. Double red cell donation is done with the help of an apheresis machine which collects the red cells but returns most of the plasma and platelets to the donor. Donors need to meet slightly higher hemoglobin and body height/weight requirements in order to be able to give a double red cell donation. Double red cell donations take approximately 30 minutes longer than a whole blood donation and allow you to give two units of red cells.

THE NEED FOR BLOOD IS CONSTANT It’s the blood already on the shelves that helps save lives before, during and after a disaster. The Red Cross has the ability to move blood products where and when they are needed most. Donors in areas unaffected by the severe winter weather are urged to make an appointment to give now. Their donation may be helping patients close to home or patients in areas where donors are unable to give because of inclement weather. Families of cancer patients, accident victims and many others are counting on the generosity of volunteer blood donors.

HOW TO GIVE For more information about donating blood, or to make an appointment to donate blood or platelets, please visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Individuals who are at least 17 years of age (16 with parental consent in some states), weigh at least 110 pounds and be in good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.

Source:  American Red Cross

 

If you would like to donate blood today, head up to Chaffey College between 8:00 AM - 8:15 PM to participate - walk-in donors are always welcome!

 

If you are looking to participate in an IV Therapy and Blood Withdrawal Certification Course for LVN's, HealthPro is offering a class this February.  Check out the dates at hpec.org or call 951-279-6110.

10 Reasons to Drink Water

Has it occurred to you today that you are thirsty? Guess what – by the time you experience the sensation of the thirst, you are already dehydrated. That thirst is your body calling for re-hydration.

Your body is composed of roughly 60% water¹. That means when we are dehydrated – and most of us spend our days constantly dehydrated to some degree – we are affecting the performance of the majority of our body. Nearly all of our systems do not function as well without the proper water intake.

So, really, what does this mean? Why should we drink more water?

1. If you don’t drink water, you will die. It's that important. Depending on our environment, we can live only a few days without water - maybe a week. We can live much longer without food. For most of us, we should prioritize the consumption of water far more than we currently do.
2. Prevent cancer. Yes, that’s right – various research says staying hydrated can reduce risk of colon cancer by 45%⁵, bladder cancer by 50%⁶, and possibly reduce breast cancer risk as well.⁷
3. Be less cranky. Research says dehydration can affect your mood and make you grumpy and confused.³ Think clearer and be happier by drinking more water.
4. Perform better. Proper hydration contributes to increased athletic performance. Water composes 75% of our muscle tissue!⁴ Dehydration can lead to weakness, fatigue, dizziness, and electrolyte imbalance.
5. Lose weight. Sometimes we think we are hungry, when actually we are thirsty. Our body just starts turning on all the alarms when we ignore it. For those of you trying to drop some pounds, staying hydrated can serve as an appetite suppressant and help with weight loss.
6. Have less joint pain. Drinking water can reduce pain in your joints by keeping the cartilage soft and hydrated. This is actually how glucosamine helps reduce joint pain, by aiding in cartilage’s absorption of water.
7. Flush out waste and bacteria. Our digestive system needs water to function properly. Waste is flushed out in the form of urine and sweat. If we don't drink water, we don't flush out waste and it collects in our body causing a myriad of problems. Also combined with fiber, water can cure constipation.
8. Prevent headaches. Sometimes headaches can be caused by dehydration, so drinking water can prevent or alleviate that nasty head pain. Next time your head hurts, try drinking water.
9. Make your skin glow. Our skin is the largest organ in our body. Regular and plentiful water consumption can improve the color and texture of your skin by keeping it building new cells properly. Drinking water also helps the skin do it's job of regulating the body's temperature through sweating.²
10. Feed your body. Water is essential for the proper circulation of nutrients in the body. Water serves at the body’s transportation system and when we are dehydrated things just can’t get around as well.

Quick rules of thumb for drinking water:

• Drink half your bodyweight in ounces of water (if you weight 160lbs, drink 80oz of water each day).
• Carry a bottle everywhere with you as a reminder to keep drinking.
• Eat raw fruits and vegetables – they are dense in water. You can get water from food, not just from beverages.
• Drink water and other fluids until you urinate frequently and with light color.

Source: breakingmuscle.com

Sign up for a class at HealthPro today.  We offer same day certification cards and our refreshment station is stocked with water.  Come in, get hydrated and learn a life saving skill!  Check out our website at hpec.org or call 951-279-6110. 

CPR Statistics

 

CPR & Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA)
Fact Sheet
Anyone can learn CPR – and everyone should! Sadly, 70 percent of Americans may feel helpless to act during a cardiac emergency because they either do not know how to administer CPR or their training has significantly lapsed. This alarming statistic could hit close to home, because home is exactly where 88 percent of cardiac arrests occur. Put very simply: The life you save with CPR is mostly likely to be someone you love.

 

Don’t be afraid; your actions can only help. If you see an unresponsive adult who is not breathing or not breathing normally, call 911 and push hard and fast on the center of the chest.

WHY LEARN CPR?
Cardiac arrests are more common than you think, and they can happen to anyone at any time.

• Nearly 383,000 out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrests occur annually, and 88 percent of cardiac arrests occur at home.
• Many victims appear healthy with no known heart disease or other risk factors.
• Sudden cardiac arrest is not the same as a heart attack.
  • Sudden cardiac arrest occurs when electrical impulses in the heart become rapid or chaotic, which causes the heart to suddenly stop beating.
  • A heart attack occurs when the blood supply to part of the heart muscle is blocked. A heart attack may cause cardiac arrest.

WHO CAN YOU SAVE WITH CPR?The life you save with CPR is mostly likely to be a loved one.

• Four out of five cardiac arrests happen at home.
• Statistically speaking, if called on to administer CPR in an emergency, the life you save is likely to be someone at home: a child, a spouse, a parent or a friend.
• African-Americans are almost twice as likely to experience cardiac arrest at home, work or in another public location than Caucasians, and their survival rates are twice as poor as for Caucasians.

WHY TAKE ACTION?

• Failure to act in a cardiac emergency can lead to unnecessary deaths.
• Effective bystander CPR provided immediately after sudden cardiac arrest can double or triple a victim’s chance of survival, but only 32 percent of cardiac arrest victims get CPR from a bystander.
• Sadly, less than eight percent of people who suffer cardiac arrest outside the hospital survive.
• The American Heart Association trains more than 12 million people in CPR annually, to equip Americans with the skills they need to perform bystander CPR.

SEE A VIDEO, SAVE A LIFE
You can prepare yourself to act in an emergency by simply viewing the Hands-Only® CPR instructional video.

• A study published in the March 8 issue of Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes showed that people who view a CPR instructional video are significantly more likely to attempt life-saving resuscitation.
• Hands-Only CPR (CPR with just chest compressions) has been proven to be as effective as CPR with breaths in treating adult cardiac arrest victims.
• The American Heart Association has recommended Hands-Only CPR for adults since 2008.

Source: American Heart Association

HealthPro offers convenient and affordable classes.  Check out our schedule at hpec.org.

Do you need a last minute class?  Call us NOW! 951-279-6110

We do our best to accommodate the needs of the community.  Additional fees may apply.

Take a Stand

A wave of new research indicates that sitting all day is actively damaging your health. By forcing a body designed for movement to hold a crushingly immobile position, sitting strains muscles, slows your metabolism, increases your risk of heart disease, and even shortens your life span. "Sitting is a health hazard on the order of smoking," says Marc Hamilton, PhD, a microbiologist at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center.

 

Sitting makes you fat

When you park your butt in a chair, your metabolism comes to a screeching halt. It's all because of an enzyme called lipoprotein lipase, which resides in the blood vessels of your muscles. "Lipoprotein lipase captures fat in the blood and incinerates it," says Hamilton. When you're standing, the postural muscles that support your weight, mostly in your legs, release the enzyme, which goes to work burning fat. But when you're sitting still, and not shifting every 30 to 90 seconds as the body does naturally, "the fat stays in the arteries, and can be stored in adipose tissue— — also known as body fat," Hamilton explains.

A typical day of sitting lowers lipoprotein lipase activity by 90 to 95 percent (in animals), which is why when Hamilton takes blood samples of his human subjects while they're sitting and eating, the plasma—ideally clear—is white and chunky, filled with fat, the sign of a sluggish metabolism.

Worse yet, experts say that 60 to 90 minutes of daily exercise may not counteract the effects of sitting all day. In fact, Hamilton says, the biochemical reactions slowed by sitting are completely different from the ones that are activated by your daily workout. The biggest difference between thin and fat people is not how much they eat or exercise, but how much they sit, according to James Levine, MD, an obesity researcher at the Mayo Clinic. In a now famed 2005 study, Dr. Levine placed mildly obese and lean participants with similar, fairly healthy diets in sensored "magic" underwear that recorded their body position every half second. The thin people spent a whopping 120 fewer minutes every day sitting, and the overweight people would have burned an average of 350 more calories if they'd engaged in as many non-exercise-related activities (i.e., puttering around). The take-home message: Sitting can have just as great an effect on your weight than eating or exercise, all because our metabolism engine is fueled by constant little movements.

Sitting messes with your back

Your powerful abdominal, pelvic, and leg muscles evolved to do the work of supporting your 100-plus pounds of organs and bones. "But when you sit, you're placing most of your weight directly on the spine and pelvis instead," explains Andrew Hecht, MD, co-chief of spinal surgery at Mount Sinai Medical Center. You're also forcing the natural S-curve of your spine into a C-shape, which isn't strong enough to take the pressure. "Imagine resting a heavy weight on top of the letter S or C," says Galen Cranz, PhD, author of The Chair: Rethinking Culture, Body & Design. "Which is going to collapse more easily?"

Sitting shortens your life

How's this for a case against being on your bum? A long-term study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology in 2010 followed nearly 70,000 healthy women and their daily habits for 14 years. After adjusting for risk factors including body mass index and smoking, researchers found that women who spent six hours a day sitting had a 37 percent increased risk of dying versus those who spent less than three hours a day seated. Also, death rates from cardiovascular disease were 2.7 times higher in women who sat six or more hours a day, regardless of how much they exercised or weighed. Yes, sitting literally kills.

Source: HEALTH.COM

HealthPro has a number of classes to fulfill your CEU requirements....check out our calendar at hpec.org or call 951-279-6110.

5 Ways To Sharpen Your Memory

With 10,000 adults turning 65 each day, boomers are the most active generation we have seen in our lifetime. However, as our population ages, many can't help but worry if a "senior moment" might actually be something worse.
As Alzheimer's is the only top 10 cause of death without treatment or cure, healthy, aging adults are frightened about the prospect of developing this disease. According to the Alzheimer's Association, the number of people age 65 and older with Alzheimer's disease is estimated to reach 7.1 million by 2025 -- a 40 percent increase. Many boomers have seen firsthand the toll Alzheimer's takes on families as caregivers.
Forgetful moments like "Where did I put my car keys?" or "What did I come into this room
for?" can trigger cause for concern. But you are not alone and this doesn't mean that you have the beginnings of Alzheimer's disease. Changes in memory are common in middle-aged and older adults. In fact, the most common complaints from these two groups of people include remembering names and words.
Additionally, most middle and older adults are aware that they can no longer multitask as they did in their younger years. Aging brains are less efficient than in years past; and therefore most memory-related complaints are for recent or short-term memory vs. older memories.
Learning new information requires more time as we age and the recollection of old information may be slowed. While these changes may cause some frustration in daily life, these normal changes should not interfere with daily living. In fact, most age-associated memory changes can improve when individuals learn new techniques to sharpen memory skills.
Here are some strategies to sharpen your memory:
1. ACTIVELY OBSERVE and think about what you want to remember. Use all of your senses. Being active in learning information heightens your abilities to look at details more closely, smell, touch and listen more carefully. In other words, pay attention to what or who you want to remember.
2. ASSOCIATE or link what you want to remember with what you already know. For example, if you meet a new person named Barbara, think about someone you knew in the past named Barbara. You may learn that Barbara is from Boston or owns a poodle or loves to cook. Associate the information you learn about Barbara to other learned memories as this will link the new information and become more meaningful.
3. VISUALIZE a picture in your mind of what you want to remember. Using the example of meeting Barbara, build upon that by visualizing Barbara from Boston cooking a lobster. Sometimes using whacky or fantastical images create the most robust memories, but for most people, it will require some practice as we tend to be very logical and serious as adults.
4. ACTIVELY THINK and expand on the details that you want to remember. The more details you can gain by listening and asking questions will add more meaning and will likely be remembered.
5. PRACTICE these or other strategies on a daily basis and you will find that your memory for names and words will improve.
If you or a loved one is worried about Alzheimer's or if you want to help move Alzheimer's research forward, one of the best things you can do is join the Alzheimer's Prevention Registry. The Registry serves to connect healthy adults with researchers who are conducting vital prevention studies to accelerate the search for a cure to this devastating disease. The more people who join, the closer scientists will come to stopping Alzheimer's within our lifetime. Sign up now at www.endalznow.org.
Source: Huff Post 50
Participating in a First Aid, BLS or any other course offered by HealthPro can Sharpen Your Memory.  Our professional educators encourage you to actively observe and think in class.  Sign up today at hpec.org or call 951-279-6110.

Welcome to Age 50 - Top Health and Fitness Tips

In 2014, the last of the Baby Boom generation will turn 50. Here's what they need to know to maintain their health in the decades ahead.

---

 Here are 10 health and fitness tips for anyone turning 50 in 2014 (and those who are already there):

1. Sleep well, all night, every night. Consistent sleep is widely seen as the baseline of good health and fitness at any age, but especially in midlife and beyond.

Inadequate sleep puts you at greater risk for cognitive decline, a number of studies have shown. Poor sleep also makes it harder to maintain a healthy weight and avoid Type 2 diabetes; puts you at greater risk for depression; raises your chance of having a heart attack or stroke and makes it harder to cope with back pain and arthritis. Changes to your exercise, diet and bedtime routines can help you sleep easier and stay healthy.

2. Expand your checkup checklist. You know it's important to stay on top of cholesterol, blood pressure and body mass index when you enter midlife. But there are other critical tests that too many of us skip, including a head-to-toe skin exam. (Skin cancer rates are rising; the older we get, the longer our cumulative exposure to the sun.)

In addition, experts recommend a blood test for hepatitis C — boomers are five times more likely to contract the disease than other adult Americans. It's also advisable to get tested for sexually transmitted diseases and vitamin B12 deficiency, a particular risk for people over 50 (especially vegetarians), because it can lead to anemia or dementia.
 
3. Men, get your prostates checked. Prostate cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death in men: 1 in 38 men between 40 and 60 years old will be diagnosed with the condition, 1 in 15 between 60 and 70. But too few are stepping up for prostate specific antigen (PSA) screening.

Part of that is due to persistent concerns about the test's reliability. (Learn more about the PSA testing debate from Next Avenue.) But a PSA test is still the best first step in the diagnostic process. Unfortunately, many guys avoid it. A Rutgers University study found that men with a strong belief in traditional notions of masculinity — in other words, macho men — are only half as likely to seek preventive health care as others, no matter their socioeconomic status. But what's really macho is living longer. (Learn more about the foods men should eat to ward off prostate cancer and other conditions.)

4. Get your vitamins, preferably from food. Recent medical opinion has taken a turn against the widespread practice of taking multiple vitamins and nutritional supplements every day. But the nutrition experts we consulted have identified a set of nutrients many of us may not be getting through our meals alone. All are crucial to our health: Calcium for bone mass and healthy blood pressure; magnesium for muscle mass and to regulate your heart rate and omega-3 fatty acids to maintain brain function and reduce the risk of heart disease. If you're not getting enough in your diet, a supplement may be in order.

5. Eat right, avoid disease. As we age, our risks of heart disease, hypertension, stroke and other chronic conditions rise, but we can take actions to reduce the danger. Chief among them: a new diet.

Slashing your salt intake to reduce blood pressure is a smart first step. But if you want to take stronger action, there's more you can do. Drop diet soft drinks, which a recent study found may be linked to a higher incidence of heart attack or stroke. Cut back on cold cuts — they're filled with nitrites and nitrates that could elevate your risk of colorectal cancer by as much as 36 percent. And avoid Cool Whip, which our fiftysomething diet expert Maureen Callahan calls "a mix of unhealthy hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup and enough chemical additives to make you squirm."

6. Start moving — and don't stop. The federal Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says all adults age 18-64 need 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise a week, defined as "anything that makes your heart beat faster." Keep that definition in mind because it encompasses not just running or biking, but activities you can do anywhere at any time — no excuses.

If done with some intensity, playing with kids or pets, gardening, cleaning house and, of course, dancing, can help you meet your cardio goals. You can also check out our guide to four ways to turn your daily walk into a workout.

7. Get in shape now, live longer. Recent studies on the "compression of morbidity" have found that by postponing the onset of chronic illness — which we can do most reliably by staying fit throughout middle age — we also compress our total lifetime "illness burden." The research amounts to one of the strongest arguments yet for the value of cardiovascular exercise.  
8. Boost your exercise intensity. This is no time to start taking it easy. Research says that increasing the intensity of your workouts is exactly what you need in midlife. In one study of adults age 60 to 75, those who were assigned the most intense regimen got the most benefits, gaining, on average, four-and-a-half pounds of muscle mass. A separate Danish study found that middle-age adults who regularly took part in exercise routines, like fast-walking or jogging, cut their risk factors for heart disease and stroke by as much as 50 percent compared with people living a sedentary lifestyle, while casual daily walking alone seemed to have little impact.

 9. Exercise your brain too. Every brain is "plastic." From the day we're born to the day we die, our brain continuously revises and remodels, improving or slowly declining, depending on how we use it. If we exercise brains properly — through physical exercise, social activity and efforts to learn new things — we can improve intelligence and help ward off dementia and related conditions. Or, as neuroscientist Michael Merzenich puts it, "You can just let your brain idle — and watch it slowly, inexorably, go to seed like a sedentary body."

10. Brush and floss, now more than ever. As research is making increasingly clear, limiting inflammation is a key to maintaining good health and warding off chronic disease. That includes the mouth.

About 3 out of 4 Americans have some form of gum disease. If untreated, it can spread and lead to more severe health complications, including cardiovascular disease, stroke, rheumatoid arthritis, pancreatic cancer and even Alzheimer’s disease. For advice on preventing gum disease, read "Why Oral Health Is the Key to Total Health."

Source: PBS Health and Wellness

Happy Friday from HealthPro!  Sign up for a class today at hpec.org or call 951-279-6110.

Drop, Cover and Hold On!

With the recent 3.8 and 3.2 earthquakes shaking things up a bit in Southern California,  it's a good idea to review what OFFICIAL RESCUE TEAMS from the U.S. and other countries who have searched for trapped people in collapsed structures around the world, as well as emergency managers, researchers, and school safety advocates, all agree on.   "Drop, Cover, and Hold On" is the appropriate action to reduce injury and death during earthquakes.

In MOST situations, you will reduce your chance of injury if you:

• DROP down onto your hands and knees (before the earthquakes knocks you down). This position protects you from falling but allows you to still move if necessary.
• COVER your head and neck (and your entire body if possible) under a sturdy table or desk. If there is no shelter nearby, only then should you get down near an interior wall (or next to low-lying furniture that won't fall on you), and cover your head and neck with your arms and hands.
• HOLD ON to your shelter (or to your head and neck) until the shaking stops. Be prepared to move with your shelter if the shaking shifts it around.

In addition to utilizing these safety actions,  it is beneficial to know  BLS (Basic Life Support), First Aid and CPR to treat victims who may have obtained injuries during a natural disaster such as an earthquake.  HealthPro offers these life saving classes and more at our convenient location by the 15 and 91 fwy. Check out our class schedule at hpec.org or call 951-279-6110.

 

5 Heart Healthy Resolutions for the New Year

Ready to get started? Here are five easy, heart healthy resolutions for every lifestyle.

1. Drink more water

You’ve heard it time and again, but the fact remains: Drinking the right amount water is a key ingredient in staying healthy. If you’re drinking more water, you’ll have less room for sugary sodas – which is a good thing. “More than half of the calories we consume everyday come from sweetened beverages,” says Maribet. “Many people forget the cheapest drink is readily available in our houses – known as water.” If you’re looking for more ways to get your eight glasses a day, check out this list.

2. Go green

Make 2014 the year of the kale chip – not the tortilla chip. By keeping your cabinets stocked with heart healthy fruits and vegetables you are in better shape to stick to your resolution. And if fresh doesn’t work with your schedule or habits, remember you can get frozen or canned. Just be sure to rinse canned fruits and vegetables, as they may contain added salts and sugars.

3. Eat seasonally

Good for your budget and waistline, eating seasonally means you are getting food at it’s peak performance and flavor level. (Farmers’ market bounty varies by season, so before you head out take a look at this list.) Additionally, you’ll be supporting your local community and farmers, which is always a great resolution as well.

4. Cut out processed food

Just do it. Decide that 2014 is going to be the year you say no to aspartame, high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oil. In addition to chemicals you’re body doesn’t need or want, processed foods are full of added salt. Higher salt intake puts you at risk for high blood pressure. In fact, 75 percent of the salt in the average American diet comes from salt added to processed food and restaurant food, according to the American Heart Association. So take control and cut out salt where you can.

5. Eat more fiber

Crucial to heart health and reducing the risk of heart disease, fiber is easy to add to your diet. Whole grains are filled with fiber, which makes digestion easier and helps you feel fuller when you’re done eating – both key factors in weight management.
Source: AHA website

HealthPro issues SAME DAY certification cards! Sign up for a class today at hpec.org or give us a call at 951-279-6110.

About Go Red

 What is Go Red For Women?

In 2004, the American Heart Association (AHA) faced a challenge. Cardiovascular disease claimed the lives of nearly 500,000 American women each year, yet women were not paying attention. In fact, many even dismissed it as an older man’s disease. To dispel the myths and raise awareness of heart disease as the number one killer of women, the American Heart Association created Go Red For Women, a passionate, emotional, social initiative designed to empower women to take charge of their heart health.

 

What is the goal of Go Red For Women?

 

Go Red For Women encourages awareness of the issue of women and heart disease, and also action to save more lives. The movement harnesses the energy, passion and power women have to band together and collectively wipe out heart disease. It challenges them to know their risk for heart disease and take action to reduce their personal risk. It also gives them the tools they need to lead a heart healthy life.

In 2010, the AHA set a strategic goal of reducing death and disability from cardiovascular disease and strokes by 20 percent while improving the cardiovascular health of all Americans by 20 percent by the year 2020.

 

Based on our own research, a woman who Goes Red:

• follows an exercise routine
• eats healthier diet
• visits her doctor for important tests
• and influences others by talking about heart health.

Source: AHA website

While preventative measures are what we strive for, HealthPro would like to equip you with the skills necessary to save a life in the event of a heart attack.
Sign up for a BLS. First Aid or CPR class today at hpec.org or call 951-279-6110.

Happy 10 Year Anniversary GO RED!

The American Heart Association is celebrating 10 years of Changing Hearts - Happy Anniversary GO RED!

HealthPro is an American Heart Association Authorized Training Center, align your Training Site with us today! Call 951-279-6110 or visit our web site at hpec.org.

10 Ways To Go Red This February

Go Red For Women wants to remind you of some easy ways you can Go Red this year. What does it mean to Go Red? It means supporting women just like you in the fight against heart disease, the No. 1 killer of women. Show your support for women with heart disease to increase funding, education and awareness with these ideas:

10 Ways to Go Red

1. Know Your Heart Score

Learn why it’s important to know your heart score on Go Red. Think you are eating right and getting enough exercise? It takes five minutes to make sure. Take the My Life Check and find out where you stand. You can also take the Go Red Heart CheckUp to get more tailored advice and information to improve your heart health.

2. Live Healthy

Learn new ways to prevent heart disease with heart-healthy recipes, exercises and more on Go Red For Women. Our team of cardiologists, medical and fitness experts and nutritionists offer their advice to women like you for living a healthy lifestyle.

3. Know the Signs of a Heart Attack

Watch Go Red For Women’s “Just a Little Heart Attack” video, starring and directed by Elizabeth Banks, to learn how to identify a heart attack. Learn more about the symptoms of a heart attack and stroke on Go Red.

4. Start Walking

Get moving and start walking by starting or joining a walking club with friends or coworkers with the help of the American Heart Association. Sign up, get resources and even coordinate your group online!

5. Wear Red

Brighten your wardrobe and support women fighting heart disease by wearing red and explaining what Going Red means. You can also get a free Go Red For Women Red Dress Pin on the Go Red website.

6. Host a Wear Red Day Event

Whether at work, school or your club, you can host a Wear Red Day event! Our planning guide, posters and flyers will help you put together a great event.

7. Help Your Community Go Red

Help your community Go Red by becoming a Go Red For Women volunteer and encourage local businesses to support Go Red For Women.

8. Go Red Online

Turn your Twitter or Facebook profile picture red using our Red Dress image. Or change your cover image on Facebook to one of our beautifully designed Red Dress cover images.

9. Shop for the Cause

There’s never been a better reason to shop online! Go to ShopHeart to purchase products, apparel and more that features the Go Red or American Heart Association logo. One hundred percent of our net proceeds goes toward education about heart disease and stroke.

10. Support Go Red

Create a fundraising page as an individual or for a group. Improve your health, set an example and get friends, colleagues and family involved by attaching your fundraiser to an activity, like an upcoming run or walk in your community. You can also donate to directly contribute to Go Red.
We look forward to seeing what you come up with! Learn even more ways to Get Involved on Go Red For Women.

HealthPro has locations in the Inland Empire and Orange County. Check out our schedule to sign up for a class today at hpec.org or give us a call at 951-279-6110.

Go Red - New York Fashion Week Goes Red to raise awareness about Heart Disease in Women

Leading heart groups unite for New York Fashion Week

Journalist Savannah Guthrie wears Carolina Herrera.

Heart health and high fashion are once again teaming up to raise awareness about women’s heart during the upcoming New York Fashion Week.
This year, the American Heart Association and the National Heart, Blood and Lung Institute (NHLBI) are for the first time teaming up for a Feb. 6 runway show featuring the Go Red For Women / The Heart Truth Red Dress Collection.
Go Red For Women is the American Heart Association’s national movement to end heart disease, the leading cause of death in women.  The Heart Truth is the NHLBI’s national campaign for women about heart disease. The dress icon was created by The Heart Truth and has helped Go Red For Women earn international recognition.
“The Heart Truth has played a seminal role in nationwide efforts to raise awareness of heart disease in women, and Go Red For Women is proud to work together toward our shared goal of improving women’s heart health,” said Nancy Brown, chief executive of the American Heart Association.

The Red Dress Collection has been the official start to Fashion Week since 2003.
Celebrities such as Toni Braxton, Jennie Garth and Felicity Huffman have walked the runway wearing fashions from top designers such as Zac Posen, Badgley Mischka, Nicole Miller and Tadashi Shoji.
Source: American Heart Association

HealthPro offers the highest quality classes at the lowest prices. Call us at 951-279-6110 or check out our web site at hpec.org for course information.

Go Red

by the Go Red For Women Editors

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, killing more women than all forms of cancer combined. So we’re making it our No. 1 health priority. And joining Go Red for Women. Here’s what it means to Go Red:

G: GET YOUR NUMBERS

Ask your doctor to check your blood pressure and cholesterol.

O: OWN YOUR LIFESTYLE

Stop smoking, lose weight, exercise, and eat healthy.
It’s up to you. No one can do it for you.

R: REALIZE YOUR RISK

We think it won’t happen to us, but heart disease kills one of three women.

E: EDUCATE YOUR FAMILY

Make healthy food choices for you and your family.
Teach your kids the importance of staying active.

D: DON’T BE SILENT

Tell every woman you know that heart disease is our No. 1 killer.
Raise your voice here at GoRedForWomen.org.
Watch Go Red For Women’s Real Women from 2013 share what it means to Go Red.

Source: AHA

Check out HealthPro's January schedule and sign up for a class today at hpec.org!

Two Steps To Save a Life

Hands-Only CPR

Hands-Only CPR can be as effective as CPR with breaths. Follow the link to watch the demo video and learn how to save a life in 60 seconds.

Start the New Year off right and sign up for a life saving CPR class at HealthPro today! Check out our course schedule at hpec.org or call 951-279-6110.

PHTLS

PHTLS courses improve the quality of trauma care in your area and decrease mortality. The program is based on a pre-hospital trauma care philosophy, stressing the treatment of the multi-system trauma patient as a unique entity with specific... needs. This may require an approach to the trauma patient that varies from traditional treatment modalities. PHTLS promotes critical thinking as the foundation for providing quality care. It is based on the belief that, given a good fund of knowledge and key principles, EMS practitioners are capable of making reasoned decisions regarding patient care. The PHTLS course is continuously updated and revised to keep up with the advances in the field, ATLS Guidelines and feedback from PHTLS participants.
Call HealthPro at 951-279-6110 to find out about our next PHTLS Course, you can also go to our website at http://hpec.org/ to see our calendar.