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May 10, 2007 |
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Welcome to the NVFC Heart-Healthy Firefighter E-News. The NVFC Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program was designed to help firefighters emergency medical personnel become more heart-healthy and lower the incidence of heart attack related deaths in the emergency services. We hope that you enjoy this newsletter and that it benefits not only you, but others in your department, family, and community. In this issue:
Join NVFC and Merck/Schering-Plough Pharmaceuticals (MSP) in "Sounding the Alarm for High Cholesterol" Heart attack is the leading cause of on-duty death among firefighters. Moreover, nearly 100 million American adults have high total cholesterol – a risk factor for heart disease. With statistics like these, the NVFC and Merck/Schering-Plough Pharmaceuticals (MSP) are "Sounding the Alarm for High Cholesterol" to alert firefighters to the risks of high cholesterol and its role in heart disease. This important new program is an extension of NVFC's Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program, which aims to reduce the number of firefighter and EMS personnel deaths from heart attack. *Certain markets are eligible to compete in the Heart-Healthy Challenge Contest. If you are in one of these markets, you will be notified when registering for the quiz. Participants MUST accept the terms and conditions in order to be eligible for the grand prize. Sign Up for the New Heart-Healthy Firefighter Newsletter, The Pulse The NVFC Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program is launching a new printed newsletter later this month. The Pulse includes ideas, resources, advice, and information to keep you, your department, and your family heart-healthy throughout the year. Sign up to receive this great new bi-monthly resource free of charge. Simply send an email to lricardo@nvfc.org and request to be added to The Pulse distribution list. Remember to include your name and mailing address. The Pulse also includes a special section for your contributions. Submit your success stories about becoming heart healthy, ideas or suggestions to others about aspects of maintaining a heart-healthy lifestyle, or any questions you might have about the program or heart health. Please include your name, mailing address, email address, and fire department (if applicable) with your submission. If you are submitting a success story, before and after pictures are appreciated. Send your contributions to: NVFC Order Your Copy of the Heart-Healthy Firefighter Cookbook The NVFC is now taking orders for the new Heart-Healthy Firefighter Cookbook. With over 60 delicious and diverse recipes, this Cookbook proves eating healthy has never tasted better. Firefighters and EMS providers can use these recipes both at the station and at home for easy-to-make meals that are good to your heart without sacrificing any of the taste. The Cookbook is complimentary but a $10 donation to NVFC is recommended. Order your copy of the Cookbook online at www. . Copies will also be available at the NVFC Heart-Healthy Firefighter booth at trade shows and conferences throughout the year NVFC Teaches First Responders at FDIC How to Stay Heart-Healthy The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) brought the Heart-Healthy Firefighter booth to FDIC on April 19-21 in Indianapolis, IN, to teach firefighters, EMS providers, and their families the importance of living a heart-healthy lifestyle. The NVFC teamed up with L&T Health and Fitness to provide free health screenings to over 700 attendees for blood pressure, cholesterol, and glucose. Chef Kevin Harris of Food For Love, Inc., conducted a series of cooking demonstrations to show that eating healthy does not have to be difficult or bland. NFL player and volunteer firefighter Erron Kinney, who serves as the Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program’s spokesperson, was also at the booth to sign autographs and help create awareness about the importance of heart health in the fire and emergency services. Click here to see photos of the Heart-Healthy Firefighter booth at FDIC. Visit the NVFC Heart-Healthy Firefighter booth next at Fire Expo in Harrisburg from May 18-20. To learn more about the Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program, go to www.healthy-firefighter.org. May Is National High Blood Pressure Education Month It's National High Blood Pressure Education Month - time to take action to find out what your blood pressure numbers are, what they mean, and what you need to do to prevent or control this all too common condition. The theme this year is: "Prevent and Control High Blood Pressure: Mission Possible." High blood pressure is a dangerous condition. You usually don't have any symptoms, so you may not even know you have it. And it can lead to heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease – the first, third, and ninth leading causes of death in the U.S. The good news is that it is possible to prevent – and control – high blood pressure. How? By making some fairly simple lifestyle changes:
For more information and tips on controlling blood pressure as well as tools, planning kits, and activities for National High Blood Pressure Education Month, visit the Month’s web site at http://hp2010.nhlbihin.net/nhbpep_kit/index.htm. Information Courtesy of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute What You Should Know About High Cholesterol Cholesterol is a fat-like substance found inside every cell in your body. It’s a substance that your body requires in order to function properly. Cholesterol does such things as create hormones, Vitamin D, and the substances that help you to digest foods. Foods you eat also contain cholesterol. If you’ve ever tried to mix oil and water, you know that they do not mix. Cholesterol and blood are the same as oil and water. Therefore, cholesterol is carried through the blood by something called lipoproteins, made up of fat (inside) and proteins (outside). The Facts About High Blood Cholesterol There are two types of lipoproteins that carry cholesterol through your body. The first type is Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL), also known as “bad” cholesterol. This type of cholesterol, in large quantities, leads to a buildup of cholesterol in your arteries. The other type is High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL), or “good” cholesterol, which carries cholesterol from various parts of your body to your liver. The liver then removes the cholesterol from your body. High HDL reduces your risk of getting heart disease, whereas high LDL increases your risk of getting heart disease. When there is an abundance of LDL cholesterol in your blood, it begins to build up in the walls of your arteries. This plaque causes a narrowing of the artery walls, called atherosclerosis. When this happens, the amount of blood that can reach your heart goes down. And the flow of blood to your heart can stop completely if the plaque builds up too much. When enough blood cannot reach your heart, you can have chest pain. This chest, called angina, is a common symptom of coronary artery disease. Having high LDL in your blood also puts you at risk of forming blood clots that can cut off blood supply to your heart. The result is a heart attack. Understanding Your Cholesterol Numbers To start with, you should make sure that you get your cholesterol tested about once every five years. You can get tested at your doctor’s office, and there are many places that offer free screening for cholesterol. Wherever you get tested, share the results with your doctor. When you are tested, you will most likely get a “lipoprotein profile.” You will receive several pieces of information about your cholesterol, including: • Total cholesterol If a lipoprotein profile is not available, you should find out your total cholesterol and your HDL cholesterol numbers. These will give you a good idea about your cholesterol levels. Lowering Your Cholesterol Start by learning how your cholesterol levels got to this point. There are several factors that might be responsible: Diet – Saturated fats and cholesterol in the foods you eat make your blood cholesterol level go up. Start checking the nutrition labels to find out how much saturated fat foods contain before you begin eating. Weight – Being overweight is a risk factor for heart disease. Weight increases your cholesterol level. Losing weight brings down the LDL “bad” cholesterol while you raise your HDL “good” cholesterol levels. Physical Activity – Simply doing physical activity for 30 minutes each day can help lower your LDL and raise your HDL, and help you lose weight. The key is to get in at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day. Information Courtesy of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Small Steps to Heart Health Small Steps are ways you can become heart-healthy without making dramatic lifestyle changes.
For more ideas, go to www.smallstep.gov Calendar of Events Fire Expo 2007 National EMS Week International Fire and EMS Safety Stand Down Firehouse Expo Fire-Rescue International NVFC Fall Meeting If you have received this update from a friend and would like to be added to our e-mail list click here. To be removed from the NVFC Heart-Healthy Firefighter E-News list click here. ^ Back to Top |
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