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Issue 163 October 2017

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina 29577

“It’s great to be alive – and to help others!”

President: Dan Dallaire (704) 796-0628

Pres. Emeritus: Roger Brewster (843) 281-9808

Vice President: Ruth Keilen (843) 685-3378

Hospital Liaison: Jamie Herman (843) 692-1885

Secretary: Sunday Reiser (843) 685-7680

Treasurer: Bob May (843) 742-5085

Sunshine Committee: Angela Pride (803) 341-2811

Visiting Captain: Dennis Tummino (843) 236-7369

Greeter: Bob Kilby (864) 542- 4487

Speaker Scheduler: Allen Migliaccio (843) 390-4272

Newsletter Editor: Mary Lou O’Brien (843) 742-5085

Inspiring hope and improving

the quality of life for heart

patients and their families

through ongoing peer-to-peer

support

*If you have information

of interest to our members for our

next newsletter, you can call me at

(843) 742-5085 or email me at

marylou7@sccoast.net

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Dear Mended Hearts members:

Fall is here. The days are getting cooler and the colors are changing. The

beauty is in front of us if we just take a moment to stop and look around. What a

beautiful time to take a walk.

The AHA Heart Walk will be held October 21st. Our email reaches over

1,000 people. Can you imagine if each person donated just $2! Let’s all chip in and

support our chapter. If you can’t donate then volunteer or maybe walk.

Below is a link to our donation page. I set our goal at $450 but would love to

surpass it. Let’s stand up and be counted by supporting this great cause.

Here is the link:

http://www2.heart.org/site/TR?fr_id=2434&pg=team&team_id=253133&s_hasSec

ureSession=true

“Kindness is …anything that lifts another person” - C. Neil Strait

Our next MH meeting is Monday, October 11th at 11:30AM. Our speaker is

Michelle Bessett from AHA to talk to us about the heart walk. See you then!

Dan Dallaire, President

Mended Hearts Chapter 117

Myrtle Beach, SC

Monthly Visits GSMC

September:

Patients: 64 Families: 29

Days Missed: 0

a.m.

Mended Hearts Meetings

for October and November

Mon. October 9, 2017

Mon. November 13, 2017

11:30 a.m. at Mercy Care east on 82nd, R. on Nigels, L. on Devon Ct.

Our President’s Letter for October 2017

Mended Hearts Member Birthdays

November

11/5 – Marsha Zub

11/9 - Diane Mabe

11/11 - Bob Holland

11/12 Rich Nelson

11/15 - Sam Mastandrea

11/19 – Sunday Reiser

October

10/03 - Mary Lou O’Brien

10/4 - Ken Kushen

10/17 - Mary Lou Bates

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South Strand/Georgetown Satellite of Mended

Hearts Chapter 117

will hold its monthly meetings at 12 noon on the

fourth Tuesday of the month at Tidelands Health

Waccamaw Hospital, Murrells Inlet (1st floor

classroom). For more information contact Ruth

Keilen at (843) 685-3378 or by email at

rkeilen@mercyhospice.org.

Contact Information for your Mended Hearts

Mid-Atlantic RD and ARD:

Gerald H. Kemp, Jr.

Assistant Regional Director, Mid-Atlantic Region

215 Oakwood Ave., York, SC 29745

Tel: (803) 684-9512

ghkempjr@hotmail.com

Bill Carter

Regional Director, Mid-Atlantic Region

2222 Cardigan Drive, Aiken, SC 29803

Tel: (803) 270-2496

wmcar1939@gmail.com

The Horry County Literacy Council

welcomes its new Director, Angel Parry and

Program Coordinator, Erin Ortiz. The Council has

been hard at work creating a new web site. As

always, students remain on the waiting list for a

volunteer to assist them with their reading, writing

or math skills. Low literacy costs the nation $1

billion to $2 billion just in the area of health and

safety issues. Please consider volunteering to help

improve literacy in Horry County. 843-839-1695 or

literacyhc@gmail for info.

Don’t forget to Save-the-Date for the 2017

Waccamaw Heart & Stroke Walk!

To sign up to walk, click on this link:

http://www2.heart.org/site/TR?fr_id=2434&pg=team&team_i

d=253133&s_hasSecureSession=true

Saturday, October 21, 2017

Festival Starts at 8:30am I Walk Starts

at 10:00am I Activities thru 1:00pm

North Myrtle Beach Park &

Sports Complex

FREE PARKING!!

MICHELLE BESSETT

Director of Development - Waccamaw Heart & Stroke Walk

1113 44th Avenue N Suite 200I Myrtle Beach SC 29577

michelle.bessett@heart.org I www.heart.org

P 843-282-2903 I F 843-626-2856

My dad is why

SAVE THE DATES:

October 21, 2017 – Waccamaw Heart & Stroke Walk

(November 1-5, 2017 – AHA Beach Ride)

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Hospitals Miss a Golden Opportunity to

Help Heart Patients Quit Smoking

After a heart event is a prime time to encourage

medication to help smokers quit.

Many hospitals miss a

golden opportunity to

help patients quit

smoking, based on a

recent study that found

40% of U.S. hospitals

fail to offer smoking

cessation medication to

patients with heart

disease.

Published in JAMA Internal Medicine, this

study included nearly 37,000 smokers hospitalized

for heart disease—the majority of which were

hospitalized for heart attack. The goal was to see

how many patients received smoking cessation

treatment during their stay, as patients may be more

motivated to make lifestyle changes after a heart

event.

Overall, only 23% of patients received at

least one smoking cessation treatment during their

visit. The average age of participants was 58 and

nearly 70% were male.

The most common smoking cessation

medication used was the nicotine patch, while

additional treatments included nicotine gum,

nicotine lozenge and inhalers. Patients were

significantly more likely to receive smoking

cessation therapy if they had other health issues

such as lung disease, depression or alcohol abuse.

Researchers found that the biggest factor

that influenced treatment, however, was the

hospital. The highest performing hospital started

64% of patients on smoking cessation treatment,

while more than 40% of hospitals administered

treatment to less than 20% of eligible patients.

An analysis of past data also showed that

from 2004 to 2011, initiation of smoking cessation

treatment increased by 6% among U.S. hospitals,

although progress slowed toward the end of this

period.

The take-home message, according to

authors, is that most hospitals are missing an

important opportunity to help patients quit smoking.

For patients with heart disease, quitting

smoking is one of the best ways to reduce risk for

heart events, along with healthy lifestyle changes.

Patients may be more willing to quit smoking

during their hospital visit after a life-threatening

heart event.

Findings also show that some hospitals are

doing better than others at starting heart patients on

smoking cessation treatment. Authors hope findings

will push doctors and hospital leaders to take a

closer look at their performance and take steps to

increase the use of smoking cessation treatment.

Questions for You to Consider

Are the health effects of smoking irreversible?

Absolutely not. Smokers experience many

benefits by quitting, some of which begin just

minutes after stopping smoking. Twenty minutes

after quitting, blood pressure and heart rate will

drop, and the benefits continue to improve over

time. One year after quitting, risk of heart disease

will be half that of a smoker; within years, risk

for stroke, heart disease and other health

conditions can equal that of a non-smoker.

What smoking cessation aids exist to help

smokers quit?

A variety of tools exist to help smokers quit.

Aside from quitting cold turkey without the use

of aids, adults can be prescribed smoking

cessation drugs that help to fight nicotine

withdrawal and tobacco cravings. There are also

various types of nicotine replacement therapy,

including patches, inhalers, lozenges, gum and

nasal spray that can help wean smokers off of

cigarettes. Find this CardioSmart article and more cardiologist-reviewed

news, patient tools, and videos at www.CardioSmart.org.

Does Knowing Heart Disease Risk

Change Bad Habits?

A vacationer hearing about rain in the

forecast might alter his plans. A traveler hearing

about a plane crash might even take the bus. But,

will a person who hears they are at risk for heart

disease change his or her lifestyle?

Surprisingly, no.

A 2016 report in the British Medical

Journal analyzed 18 studies and found that even

when people were shown genetic tests indicating

increased risk factors for heart disease, they weren't

likely to change their diet, exercise more, or quit

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smoking. This finding flies in the face of simple

logic saying that a person would want to act in a

way that keeps them alive longer.

Genetic testing, according to The National

Institute of Health, has become much more popular

and affordable lately with companies like 23andMe

and Sure Genomics offering personal testing for

anywhere from $100 to $2,000. These tests can

uncover inherited disorders and genetic risk factors

that would leave a person predisposed to developing

a heart problem. Researchers speculated that testing

might lead to informed patients taking prevention

into their own hands, but it seems this theory was

not correct.

On one hopeful note, knowing their

genetic predisposition to disease didn't inspire

healthy behavior, but it also didn't inspire new risky

behaviors either. Testing didn't make people more

or less depressed or anxious.

Experts at the U.S. Preventive Services

Task Force concluded that knowledge of risk

factors coupled with behavioral counseling seems to

help people take action. A program that has

multiple sessions with patients over several months

can help with setting goals to lose the weight and

get healthy. Pages: October Issue

Celiac Disease Awareness Month:

What's All the Fuss About Gluten?

It's nearly impossible to go to a restaurant

or a supermarket now and not be bombarded with

labels touting "gluten free" ingredients and recipes.

Today people are acutely aware of an

allergy to a protein in wheat, barley and rye. This

allergy is called celiac disease.

With all of the sudden attention to this

disease, it almost seems like a recent discovery.

But, according to the Celiac Disease Foundation, it

has been acknowledged for nearly 2,000 years.

It was ancient Greece, in fact, where a

physician first noticed patients that presented with

diarrhea and malabsorption. They used the term

"coeliac," from the Greek word for abdominal, to

describe the condition and the modern name

evolved from there. Much later, during the food

supply shortages of World War II, European doctors

noticed that fewer children were dying from this

disease as wheat became a rare commodity. This

link started the decades-long research of wheat,

gluten, and celiac disease.

The Mayo Clinic explains that when those

with celiac disease eat gluten, it creates an immune

reaction in the small intestine. With continued

exposure, this response will damage the lining of

the intestine and affect the way the body digests

food and absorbs nutrients from it. Side effects

from this malabsorption can include chronic

diarrhea, weight loss, fatigue, and more. At this

time, there is no reliable cure for this disease but

abstaining from gluten entirely can prevent nearly

all of the complications from the disease.

Despite the widespread coverage of celiac

disease recently, Stefano Guandalini, a doctor at the

University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center, points

out that gluten has been around since wheat was

cultivated over 10,000 years ago and has remained

largely unchanged over the years. It is estimated

that about 1 percent of the population has celiac

disease and many of those people are currently

undiagnosed. More alarming is that celiac disease

does seem to be becoming more common as only

about .2 percent of the population were estimated to

have it in the 1950s. Although many people

probably don't have to worry about this affliction,

greater awareness of any illness is always helpful

with prevention and finding a cure.*

Pages: October Issue

Air Pollution Quickly Puts Added

Stress on the Body

Breathing in polluted air for just a short period

of time can have immediate health consequences.

Breathing in polluted

air for just a short

period of time puts

added stress on the

body, based on a

Chinese study that

studied the short-term

health effects of fine

particulate matter.

wheat barley rye

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Fine particulate matter is tiny particles in the

air that can be inhaled and go deep into the lungs. It

is one of the most dangerous types of air pollution

that has been linked to increased risk for high blood

pressure, diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

In a recent study published in the American

Heart Association journal Circulation, researchers

explored the driving force behind these adverse

health effects. Findings suggest that even days of

exposure to fine particulate matter triggers stress

hormones, changes in metabolism and

inflammation.

Conducted in 2015, this study included 55

young, healthy students living in college dorms at

the Fudan University in Shanghai, China. The study

used air purifiers to manipulate air quality in the

dorms and test the short-term impact of air pollution

on key markers of health.

On two separate occasions, participants had

both a real and fake air purifier in their dorm rooms

for nine days. The real air purifier helped remove

fine particulate matter from the air, while the sham

device had no impact on air quality. During these

periods, researchers tracked blood pressure and took

blood samples to assess changes in stress hormones,

metabolism, and inflammation.

Overall, the real air purifiers cut exposure to

fine particulate matter in half when compared to the

fake devices. After analysis, researchers found that

greater exposure to fine particulate matter was

associated with changes in metabolism and an

increase in stress hormones. Researchers also note

that greater exposure to air pollution increased

blood pressure, blood sugar and markers of

inflammation—all of which can increase

cardiovascular risk.

According to authors, findings demonstrate

a possible way by which air pollution leads to

increased cardiovascular risk. Evidence suggests

that fine particulate matter triggers stress hormones,

which over time may increase risk for high blood

pressure, diabetes and heart disease.

However, findings also suggest that air

purifiers effectively reduce exposure to air pollution

at home, which could potentially minimize health

effects down the road. With future research, experts

hope to better understand the health effects of fine

particulate matter and continue to identify strategies

for minimizing exposure.

Questions for You to Consider

How can I reduce inflammation?

Although some drugs might help reduce

inflammation, reducing risk factors that cause

inflammation is important, like quitting smoking,

reducing blood pressure and lowering cholesterol.

How is inflammation linked to heart health?

Inflammation is the body’s response to injury or

infection. Although it’s not proven that

inflammation actually causes heart disease,

research shows that many heart disease patients

have heightened markers of inflammation. It’s

possible that inflammation may be a sign of heart

disease or a response to it, and further research is

needed to better understand the role of

inflammation on cardiovascular risk. Find this CardioSmart article and more cardiologist-reviewed

news, patient tools, and videos at www.CardioSmart.org.

The Other Side of the Opioid Crisis:

People in Pain

Opiods in prescription painkillers have

ruined lives, families, and even decimated entire

communities.

According to the American Society of

Addiction Medicine, 100 million people are in

chronic pain and 2 million of them had an addiction

to opioids in 2015. More than 20,000 deaths

associated with prescription pill overdoses occurred

in that same year.

With more people suffering from the

effects of this epidemic, drug authorities have

cracked down on prescribers and users.

The problem with taking away opioids,

however, is that it leaves real people in real pain.

Injuries, accidents, and chronic health

conditions can all leave people with debilitating

pain, and sometimes opioids are the only thing that

can provide relief. But, with relief, comes the real

danger. Tolerance to the medications builds up,

breathing becomes increasingly depressed at higher

doses, and movement is impaired. It doesn't take

long before a real person in real pain is at risk for

overdose.

Some solutions are on the horizon,

however.

James Zadina of the Tulane School of

Medicine, has been working for two decades to

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develop a painkiller with the power of opiates

without the addiction. Traditional painkillers work

by binding to mu receptors in between nerve cells.

The painkillers flip a switch, making nerves unable

to send pain signals to the brain. The problem with

this approach is that in addition to blocking pain,

the drugs also activate other cells, called glia. These

cells can actually cause the body to feel more pain

after the drug wears off. This leads to an increase in

drug tolerance and a higher likelihood of overdose

over time.

Zadina's research is centered around

finding a synthetic version of a chemical already

present in the human body that helps to mitigate

pain - endomorphin. This compound, related to the

endorphins that make people feel better during

exercise, doesn't activate the glia cells like opioids

do. It is likely that they would provide many of the

benefits that traditional painkillers have without

many of the side effects.

In a 2016 report in the journal

Neuropharmacology, Zadina's team reported

success in tests on rats. Human trials will be next

but the process could take years.

Pages: October Issue

Knee Replacements Not For Everyone

In older adults, cartilage in the knee joint

can wear away, causing pain and limited movement.

A new study shows that, for the most

serious cases of arthritis, knee replacement did

improve quality of life.

However, for most people the

improvements were minimal.

The study published in The BMJ observed

the results of 7,400 middle-age and older adults

who had arthritis of the knee or were at high risk for

the condition.

If your knee pain is not severe, you might

be able to get some relief and postpone knee

problems by strengthening the muscles of the thigh.

Losing weight also helps. Each additional

pound adds four pounds of pressure on the joints.

Less weight equals less pressure and happier knees.

But avoid high-impact jogging, aerobics, or

jumping while you lose the weight.

According to the Harvard Health Letter,

people with good range of motion in the knee have

fewer pain symptoms. It's important to be able to

straighten out the knee. Try sitting on a bed with a

pillow under the ankle. Then use your leg muscles

to gently move your knee down and straight.

Osteoarthritis symptoms often get worse

by standing on a hard surface for long periods or

squatting (as an example, while gardening). Sitting

on a low stool is better than squatting.

You can also wear cushioned shoes or gel

inserts. Pages: October Issue

Be a Good Neighbor on Halloween

Many people enjoy

handing out candy to

their little visitors on

Halloween. To make

sure your visiting

trick-or-treaters stay

safe in your yard:

* Clear away lawn equipment and any

clutter from the yard, walkways, and steps so kids

don't trip over them.

* If you have lighted jack-o'-lanterns,

position them far enough away from where kids will

stand so their costumes won't catch on fire. Better

yet, use glow sticks instead of candles.

* Make sure paper or fabric decorations

can't blow into the flame of a jack-o'-lantern.

* Keep all of your outside lights on during

the evening.

* If you are driving during trick-or-treat

time, watch for kids.

Before sending your children on their

rounds, make sure they eat so they won't be tempted

to dig into their goodie bags before you can

examine them.

Check

to make sure no

parts of their

costumes drag on

the ground. Kids

could step on

them, trip, and

fall.

If they are wearing masks, be sure they

have a good field of vision. Face paint is better.

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Tell them to walk, not run, stay on

sidewalks, and cross streets only at intersections,

not between parked cars.

Advise kids to approach only those houses

with outside lights burning. Never go inside a

house. They should wait at the door for their treat.

Young children should be accompanied by

an adult. Older kids should travel with a group of

friends.

Pages: October Issue

THE SPOON:

A lesson on how consultants can make an

organization… Very Impressive!

Last week, we took some friends to a new

restaurant, “Steve’s Place”, and noticed that the

waiter who took our order carried a spoon in his

shirt pocket. It seemed a little strange.

When the busboy brought our water and

utensils, I observed that he also had a spoon in his

shirt pocket. Then I looked around and saw that all

the staff had spoons in their pockets.

When the waiter came back to serve our

soup I inquired, “Why the spoon?”

“Well”, he explained, “the restaurant's

owner hired PWC Consulting to revamp all of our

processes. After several months’ analysis, they

concluded that the spoon was the most frequently

dropped utensil. It represents a drop frequency of

approximately 3 spoons per table per hour. If our

personnel are better prepared, we can reduce the

number of trips back to the kitchen and save 15

man-hours per shift.”

As luck would have it, I dropped my spoon

and he replaced it with his spare. “I'll get another

spoon next time I go to the kitchen instead of

making an extra trip to get it right now.”

I was impressed. I also noticed that there

was a string hanging out of the waiter's fly. Looking

around, I saw that all of the waiters had the same

string hanging from their flies. So, before he walked

off, I asked the waiter, “Excuse me, but can you tell

me why you have that string right there?”

“Oh, certainly!” Then he lowered his voice.

“Not everyone is so observant. That consulting

firm I mentioned also learned that we can save time

in the restroom. By tying this string to the end of

our you-know-what, we can pull it out without

touching it and eliminate the need to wash our

hands; shortening the time spent in the restroom by

76.39%.”

I asked quietly, “After you get it out, how do

you put it back?”

“Well,” he whispered, “I don't know about

the others, but I use the spoon.”

THE BOSS WONDERED…

The boss wondered why one of his most

valued employees was absent but had not phoned in

sick. So, he dialed the employee’s home phone

number and was greeted with a child’s whisper.

‘Hello?’

‘Is your daddy home?’

The small voice whispered, ‘Yes, he’s out in

the garden.’

‘May I talk with him?’

The child whispered, ‘No.’

So, the boss asked, ‘Well, is your mommy

there?’

‘Yes, she’s out in the garden, too.’

The boss asked, ‘May I talk with her?’

Again the ‘No’.

Hoping there was somebody with whom he

could leave a message, the boss asked, ‘Is anybody

else there?’

‘Yes,’ whispered the child, ‘a policeman.’

Wondering what a cop would be doing at his

employee's home, the boss asked, ‘May I speak

with the policeman?’

‘No, He's busy.’ whispered the child.

‘Busy doing what?’

‘Talking to Daddy and Mommy and the

police dog men.’

Growing more worried as he heard a loud

noise in the background, the boss asked, ‘What is

that noise?’

‘It's a helicopter.’ answered the whispering

voice.

‘What is going on there?’ demanded the

boss, now truly apprehensive.

‘The search team just landed a helicopter.’

‘A search team?’ said the boss.

‘What are they searching for?’

Still whispering, the young voice replied

with a muffled giggle…. ‘ME!’