Welcome to the NVFC Heart-Healthy Firefighter E-News. The NVFC Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program was designed to help firefighters become more heart-healthy and lower the incidence of heart attack related deaths in the fire service. We hope that you enjoy this newsletter and that it benefits not only you, but others in your fire department, family and community.

1. Heart-Healthy Challenge Winners Announced
2. NVFC Conducts Free Health Screenings and Unveils Cookbook at Fire Expo
3. Stand Down for Safety on June 17-23
4. Exercise May Boost 'Good' Cholesterol Levels
5. Focus on Health During Men’s Health Week, June 11-17
6. Health Tip: Swim, Swim, Swim

Heart-Healthy Challenge Winners Announced

The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) and Merck/Schering-Plough (MSP) have announced five of the winners of the Heart-Healthy Challenge contest. The contest is part of the Sounding the Alarm for High Cholesterol program, a partnership between NVFC’s Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program and MSP’s Strike Out High Cholesterol program to alert firefighters to the risks of high cholesterol and its role in heart disease.

As part of Sounding the Alarm for High Cholesterol, firefighters and EMS personnel nationwide are encouraged to take the Heart-Healthy Challenge, an online quiz available at www.cholesterolalarm.com to test how their heart-health knowledge stacks up. Ten markets across the nation were chosen to participate in a Heart-Healthy Challenge contest. The winning station in each market receives a $1,500 donation, as well as 75 tickets to a Minor League Baseball game and recognition at the game in conjunction with the Strike out High Cholesterol program.

Winners in five of the contest markets have been identified. They are:

• Memphis Fire & EMS Department Engine 35, Shelby County, TN
• Earl Township Volunteer Fire Company #1, Berks County, PA
• David Crockett Steam Fire Company #1, Jefferson Parish, LA
• Willard Fire Protection District, Greene County, MO
• Durham Fire Department Station 12, Durham County, NC.

The first baseball game took place on May 31 in Memphis, TN, where the Memphis Redbirds took the field. Members of Memphis Fire Department Station 35 and their families attended the game as part of their prize. Maurice Tolliver, a spokesperson for the station, addressed the stadium before the game to thank his station for winning the contest and to speak about the importance of firefighters’ health. “As a firefighter, I realize it is important to take care of my heart so I can protect yours,” Tolliver told the crowd.

Tolliver was accompanied on the mound by Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Palmer, the spokesperson for the Strike Out High Cholesterol program. Palmer was present to throw out the first pitch, which was followed by Tolliver throwing the second pitch.

To learn more about Sounding the Alarm for High Cholesterol or to take the Heart-Healthy Challenge, visit www.cholesterolalarm.com.  For more information about the winning baseball games, including photos, visit www.healthy-firefighter.org.

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NVFC Conducts Free Health Screenings and Unveils Cookbook at Fire Expo

The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) made its presence felt at the Lancaster County Fireman’s Association’s 35th Annual Fire Expo on May 18-20 in Harrisburg, PA. In an effort to teach firefighters, EMS providers, and their families the importance of living a heart-healthy lifestyle, the NVFC partnered with L&T Health and Fitness to conduct free screenings for blood pressure, glucose, and cholesterol.

This year, the NVFC Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program and Fire Corps teamed up to provide both booths in one location. As a result, attendees were able to take full advantage of the free health screenings while also learning how to increase the capacity and capabilities of their fire/EMS department through the Fire Corps program. The booth also featured cooking demonstrations performed by Chef Kevin Harris of Food for Love, Inc. to show attendees how to make meals that are both good for your heart and taste great. The recipes are available online at www.healthy-firefighter.org.

Additionally, the NVFC unveiled its new Heart-Healthy Firefighter Cookbook at the event. The Cookbook includes over 60 delicious recipes that firefighters and EMS personnel can use either at home or at the station. To order your free copy of the Cookbook, go to www.healthy-firefighter.org/page/649/Cookbook.htm. The newly-released second edition of the Heart-Healthy Firefighter Resource Guide was also available at the booth. The Resource Guide can be viewed online at www.healthy-firefighter.org.

For more information on the Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program and to view a full schedule of upcoming events, visit www.healthy-firefighter.org. To learn more about Fire Corps, visit www.firecorps.org.

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Remember that the Third Annual Fire and EMS Stand Down will take place on June 17-23. This year’s theme, “Ready to Respond,” focuses on the proper training, preparation, and equipment necessary to answer a call and return safely. The Stand Down has an expanded schedule this year to provide departments with maximum flexibility for participating in the exercise, including weekend opportunities to better accommodate volunteers.

The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) urges every fire and EMS department to participate in the Stand Down by suspending all non-emergency activity in order to focus entirely on firefighter and EMS safety until all shifts and personnel have taken part. The NVFC joins the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), the IAFC Volunteer and Combination Officers Section, the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), and other emergency service organizations in encouraging participation in this event.

For more information regarding the Stand Down and related activities, visit www.iafc.org/standdown.

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Regular exercise seems to help boost levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), the "good" cholesterol, say Japanese researchers. A low level of HDL cholesterol is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The article was published in the May 28 issue of the journal Archives of Internal Medicine.

The analysis, which reviewed 25 studies published between 1966 and 2005, assessed the effects of aerobic exercise on HDL cholesterol in a total of more than 1,400 adults ranging in age from 23 to 75. The studies lasted an average of 27.4 weeks. On average, participants exercised 3.7 sessions per week for 40.5 minutes each session, burning an average of 1,019 calories per week.

The combined findings showed that exercise resulted in an average increase in HDL cholesterol of 2.53 milligrams per deciliter. The minimum amount of exercise required to change HDL cholesterol levels was 120 minutes a week or 900 calories burned. Exercise had a greater impact in people with a higher total cholesterol level (220 milligrams per deciliter or greater) and in people with a body mass index (BMI) of less than 28 (obesity begins at a BMI of 30).

"In a previous observational study, every 1-milligram per deciliter increment in HDL cholesterol level was reported to be associated with a 2 percent and 3 percent decreased risk of cardiovascular disease in men and women, respectively," the review authors wrote. "If this observation were applied to our results, the increase in HDL cholesterol level by exercise determined by this analysis would, by a rough estimate, result in cardiovascular disease risk reduced by approximately 5.1 percent in men and 7.6 percent in women."

The authors noted that their analysis showed that only exercise duration, not frequency of intensity, was associated with a change in HDL cholesterol levels. To view the article online, go to http://archinte.ama-assn.org/current.dtl.

Courtesy of HealthDay

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Men’s Health Week will be held June 11-17. The purpose of Men's Health Week is to heighten the awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys. This week gives health care providers, public policy makers, the media, and individuals an opportunity to encourage men and boys to seek regular medical advice and early treatment for disease and injury. Hundreds of awareness activities have already been scheduled in the U.S. and around the globe. The Men’s Health Network (MHN) has also created a web site at www.Checkmensfacts.com that details male health issues. For more information about Men’s Health Week, visit www.menshealthweek.org.

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Health Tip: Swim, Swim, Swim

Exercise should be part of everyone's healthy lifestyle, but some people may have difficulty with high-impact exercise like running. Swimming is a low-impact activity that offers a great workout for all muscles of the body. According to Epigee Women's Health, swimming may be a good option for people who need to be extra careful during exercise, including those who are:

• Pregnant.
• Extremely overweight.
• Elderly.
• Disabled.
• Recovering from an injury.

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