Prioritize Heart Healthy Habits During American Heart Month
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and, in recognition of American Heart Month, Atrium Health Navicent is hosting events to help individuals learn more about their personal risk and steps they can take to prevent the disease.
“Making a few simple lifestyle changes can make an incredible impact on your heart health, both today and for years into the future,” said Dr. Patrick Kohtz, an Atrium Health Navicent cardiothoracic surgeon. “It’s also important that you take steps to assess your risk and have regular visits with your primary care provider who can refer you to a specialist if needed. Due to advances in medicine, especially if we can diagnose a condition early, physicians have more options than ever before to help patients live healthier, fuller lives.”
Here are a few things you can do today to help prevent heart disease:
• Eat foods high in fiber and low in saturated fats, trans fat and cholesterol.
• Limit sodium and sugar intake.
• Moderate alcohol intake. Men should have no more than two drinks per day, and women no more than one drink per day.
• Get plenty of physical activity to help you maintain a healthy weight and lower your blood pressure, blood cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Adults should get 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise every week.
• Quit smoking. Cigarette smoking greatly increases your risk for heart disease. If you don’t smoke, don’t start. If you do smoke, quitting will lower your risk for heart disease. Your doctor can suggest ways to help you quit.
• Keep up with your annual wellness visits. Your doctor will monitor your blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol and other indicators, which could prevent you from facing increased risk of heart disease and heart attack.
• Consider getting an AngioScreen to better understand your risk of heart disease.
Atrium Health Navicent is holding the following events during American Heart Month:
Lunch N’ Learn:
• Feb. 4, 11 a.m., Atrium Health Navicent Baldwin cafeteria, 821 N. Cobb St., Milledgeville. Dr. Puvalai Vijaykumar will speak about heart health. To register, call 478-776-4641.
AngioScreenings:
AngioScreenings cost $50 for the general public, but are free for veterans. The test looks for blockages, checks blood pressure, pulse and body mass index. It also produces an instant, color ultrasound printout showing a patient’s data and risk of heart disease and stroke. Call 800-627-2393 to schedule an appointment.
• Feb. 5, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Atrium Health Navicent Heart & Vascular Care, Luce Heart Tower, 4th Floor, 765 Hemlock St., Macon.
• Feb. 6, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Putnam General Hospital, 101 Lake Oconee Parkway, Eatonton.
• Feb. 11, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Atrium Health Navicent Baldwin, 821 N. Cobb St., Milledgeville.
• Feb. 13, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Atrium Health Navicent Peach, 1960 GA 247 Connector, Byron.
• Feb. 19, noon to 5 p.m., Atrium Health Navicent Wellness Center, 3797 Northside Drive, Macon.
• March 11, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Atrium Health Navicent Heart & Vascular Care, 320 Margie Drive, Warner Robins.
Walk with a Doc:
• Feb. 20, 5 p.m., Atrium Health Navicent Baldwin walking track, 821 N. Cobb St., Milledgeville. In the event of rain, the walk will be cancelled.
Heart Health Seminar:
• Feb. 27, 6 p.m., Atrium Health Navicent Wellness Center, 3797 Northside Drive, Macon. Dr. Brandon Elmore will speak on the topic “Watchman: Preventing strokes from AFib without blood thinners.” To register, call 478-633-7157. Light refreshments will be provided.
Heart Healthy Cooking Class:
• Feb. 28, noon, Atrium Health Navicent Wellness Center, 3797 Northside Drive, Macon. Cost: Free. Please RSVP by Feb. 21 by calling 478-633-7157. Space is limited.
For patients diagnosed with heart disease, Atrium Health Navicent offers world-class health care close to home at the Atrium Health Navicent Luce Heart Institute, located in downtown Macon. Atrium Health Navicent The Medical Center is a recipient of the triple crown of heart accreditations issued by the American College of Cardiology including Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI Accreditation, Heart Failure Accreditation and Atrial Fibrillation with EPS Accreditation.
Atrium Health Navicent The Medical Center celebrated several milestones in care for heart patients in 2024:
After becoming one of the first hospitals in the region to implement the use of the Watchman device for patients with Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) in 2018, in 2024 Atrium Health Navicent celebrated the facility’s 500th Watchman procedure.
Also in 2024, Atrium Health Navicent The Medical Center became the first health system in central Georgia to perform a Barostim implant in a heart failure patient. The implant stimulates natural sensors in the body that tell the nervous system how to regulate heart function and helps to relieve symptoms of heart failure by reducing the heart’s workload and improving the heart’s pumping efficiency.
In summer 2024, Atrium Health Navicent The Medical Center became the only hospital in central Georgia to offer FARAPULSE Pulsed Field Ablation for the treatment of AFib. The FARAPULSE system is a new alternative to traditional thermal ablation, which is commonly used to treat patients with AFib.
Atrium Health Navicent The Medical Center is also one of only two hospitals south of Atlanta to offer Transaortic Valve Replacement (TAVR). This non-surgical procedure allows a crimped-down valve to be inserted through a tube into the heart to replace a failing aortic valve. Once in place, the valve opens and functions like a healthy valve.
For more information about procedures and services for heart patients, call Atrium Health Navicent Heart and Vascular Care at 478-743-9762.
About Atrium Health Navicent
Atrium Health Navicent is the leading provider of health care in central and south Georgia and is committed to its mission of elevating health and wellbeing through compassionate care. Atrium Health Navicent is part of Advocate Health, which is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, and is the third-largest nonprofit health system in the United States, created from the combination of Atrium Health and Advocate Aurora Health. Atrium Health Navicent provides high-quality, personalized care in 53 specialties at more than 50 facilities throughout the region. As part of the largest, integrated, nonprofit health system in the Southeast, it is also able to tap into some of the nation’s leading medical experts and specialists with Atrium Health, allowing it to provide the best care close to home – including advanced innovations in virtual medicine and care. Throughout its 125-year history in the community, Atrium Health Navicent has remained dedicated to enhancing health and wellness for individuals throughout the region through nationally recognized quality care, community health initiatives and collaborative partnerships. It is also one of the leading teaching hospitals in the region, helping to ensure viability for rural health care for the next generation. For more information, please visit www.NavicentHealth.org.
About Advocate Health
Advocate Health is the third-largest nonprofit integrated health system in the United States – created from the combination of Advocate Aurora Health and Atrium Health. Providing care under the names Advocate Health Care in Illinois, Atrium Health in the Carolinas, Georgia and Alabama, and Aurora Health Care in Wisconsin, Advocate Health is a national leader in clinical innovation, health outcomes, consumer experience and value-based care. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Advocate Health services nearly 6 million patients and is engaged in hundreds of clinical trials and research studies, with Wake Forest University School of Medicine serving as the academic core of the enterprise. It is nationally recognized for its expertise in cardiology, neurosciences, oncology, pediatrics and rehabilitation, as well as organ transplants, burn treatments and specialized musculoskeletal programs. Advocate Health employs 155,000 teammates across 69 hospitals and over 1,000 care locations and offers one of the nation’s largest graduate medical education programs with over 2,000 residents and fellows across more than 200 programs. Committed to providing equitable care for all, Advocate Health provides more than $6 billion in annual community benefits.