MCCG Raises Awareness and Promotes Education during American Heart Month
MCCG Raises Awareness and Promotes Education during American Heart Month
Public Events Highlight ‘Heart Fest'
MACON, GA (Monday, February 18, 2013) – Heart disease is a staggering health problem in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that 600,000 people in the United States die of heart disease each year. That is one in every four deaths. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States, and is the number one cause of death for most ethnicities.
There are, however, steps individuals can take to prevent this chronic disease. Throughout American Heart Month this February, The Medical Center of Central Georgia is dedicated to battling heart disease by raising awareness and knowledge through a series of public events called “Heart Fest.”
Friday, Feb. 22: Eat Your Heart Out is a heart healthy food demonstration held at 12:00 p.m. at The Wellness Center. Learn about different foods and recipes that promote heart health. Reservations are required, so please call (478) 633-4733 or email rsvp@navicenthealth.org.
Saturday, Feb. 23: Let's Get Moving Health Fair will offer free screenings and educational presentations. The event will be held from 8:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. at Central Georgia Rehabilitation Hospital, 3351 Northside Drive in Macon. Therapists will be available to do on-site screenings which include: gait and balance, adaptive equipment, swallowing, memory and voice. Other screenings will include blood pressure, body fat, grip strength, healthy legs, and glucose and cholesterol levels. These screenings will be offered at no charge. AngioScreen®, an integrated cardiovascular screening program designed to help individuals determine their risk for cardiovascular disease, will also be available for of $50 and an appointment is needed. Please call 1-800-627-2393 to schedule a time. Door prizes and light refreshments will be served.
Tuesday, Feb. 26: Heart Fest Health Screenings will take place at Oconee Regional Medical Center, 821 N. Cobb Street in Milledgeville from 2:30 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. Many screenings – including blood pressure, body fat index, cholesterol and glucose – will be offered at no charge. AngioScreen® will also be offered for $50.00 from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Call 1 (800) 627-2393 or email rsvp@navicenthealth.org to register for your AngioScreen®.
Each Wednesday throughout the month of February, AngioScreen® will be offered for $50.00 on the eighth floor of MCCG's Luce Heart Tower. Call 1 (800) 627-2393 to schedule an appointment.
To keep your heart healthy, watch your weight, quit smoking and stay away from secondhand smoke, control your cholesterol and blood pressure, only drink alcohol in moderation, stay active and eat healthy, talk to your doctor about taking aspirin every day if you are a man over the age of 45 or a woman over 55, and manage stress. You are at higher risk of heart disease if you are a woman age 55 or older, a man age 45 or older, or a person with a family history of early heart disease.