Michigan

There are a growing number of students going into sudden cardiac arrest while participating in athletic activities, making it the leading cause of death in young athletes. For every minute that defribillation is delayed the survival rates drops 7 - 10%.  By placing an automated external defbrillators (AEDs) in schools the chance of survival for these young athletes increases dramatically. Just ask Chris Fowler, a Ovid-Elsie High School football player who went into sudden cardiac arrest during football practice last year.  Luckily, the Ovid-Elsie high school had an AED and with the quick thinking and action of staff, Chris is able to play sports once again.  Click here to read Chris' story

This story highlights why the American Heart Association is encouraging lawmakers to support House Bill 4272. This legislation would require all schools to develop and implement a cardiac emergency response plan (CERP) that would include the following components: 

• Regular, coordinated cardiac emergency response drills which provide for training in the identification of and response to cardiac emergencies.
• Use and regular maintenance of automated external defibrillator(s) (AED), when available
• Activation of a cardiac emergency response team during an identified cardiac emergency
• A plan for effective and efficient communication throughout the school campus
• A plan for training all students (grades 9-12) in AED use and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) techniques
• Incorporation and integration of the local emergency response system
• A plan for evaluation of the implementation of the plan after each cardiac emergency response drill

You can learn more about this issue and help advocate for it's passage by joining our "You're the Cure" network at www.yourethecure.org

Did you know that May is American Stroke Month?  Stroke is the No. 4 cause of death among adults in the U.S. It kills 128,000 people a year – that’s about one in every 19 deaths.  Every 40 seconds, someone in America has a stroke. On average, every four minutes, someone dies from stroke. 

Calling 9-1-1 gets stroke patients to the hospital fast during a stroke emergency.  Yet, according to new research in an American Heart Association journal, more than a third of stroke patients don’t go to the hospital via ambulance.  When someone recognizes a stroke and acts fast by calling 9-1-1, the patient has a greater chance of getting to an appropriate hospital quickly and improving the outcome.

F.A.S.T. is an easy way to remember the sudden signs of stroke. When you can spot the signs, you'll know that you need to call 9-1-1 for help right away. F.A.S.T. is:

F - Face Drooping: Does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Ask the person to smile.
A - Arm Weakness: Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
S - Speech Difficulty: Is speech slurred, are they unable to speak, or are they hard to understand? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence, like "the sky is blue." Is the sentence repeated correctly?
T - Time to call 911: If the person shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 9-1-1 and get them to the hospital immediately.

Being transported to the hospital by ambulance is associated with:

· Early arrival – getting to the hospital within 3-hours of symptom onset to be evaluated for clot busting drugs or potential medical procedures or devices
· Quicker evaluation – getting a brain scan within 25 minutes of hospital arrival
· Faster treatment – receiving clot busting drugs within 60 minutes of arrival

Also, a free mobile app is available to help people to recognize a stroke F.A.S.T. and 9-1-1 may be dialed directly from the app. For more information visit StrokeAssociation.org.

Curious to learn more about Michigan's CVD prevention funding?  Check out these handy fact sheets:

Janine Krolikowski Michigan

As an Echocardiographer, I knew all about the heart and heart disease.

I knew all about the heart and heart disease.  I worked as an  Echocardiographer (heart ultrasound technician) for many years and I lost both of my parents to heart disease at a young age.  Despite my knowledge and family history, I shrugged off my own symptoms.  One week prior to my heart attack, I felt pain between my shoulder blades.  I told myself I must have pulled a muscle when I was doing yard work.  Even as the pain began to worsen, the denial grew.  But when the pain wrapped all the way around my chest and I became clammy, sweaty and started vomiting, I finally admitted something serious was happening.  Even then, instead of immediately going to the hospital, or calling 911, I took an aspirin and slowly began getting ready for the day.

After I took the aspirin, my symptoms subsided enough that I took a shower, did my makeup. Did my hair and got ready to go to the doctor.  I called and made an appointment, which was a few hours later.  My doctor sent me to the emergency room at our local hospital.  Once there, an abnormal blood test led to an ultrasound of my heart, using the same type of machine I had used at this same hospital for many years.  That’s when I knew, the minute the technician came in and put the probe down on my chest, I knew immediately that I had had a heart attack.

I received a stent in a main coronary artery, which was found to be 98% blocked.  The healing process that began after my heart attack was a bit more difficult than I had thought.  I found myself emotionally drained and the realization of what had happened to me, hit home.  I was afraid that I was following in my parent’s footsteps.   I was basically in the same position they were in and I didn’t think I would make it. Could this the end for me?

Fortunately, I found the spirit to take my life in a different direction.  I decided I would take control, exercise and do what the doctors said because I was going to be a survivor.  I believe my life took a huge turn after my heart attack.  I work daily to make good heart healthy dietary choices, exercise, and reduce stresses.  As women, we try to control everything.  We often live in the future, worrying about tomorrow, and in the past, second-guessing our choices.  We need to stop, focus on today, live in the moment and capture and enjoy what is happening  right now.  We need to trust ourselves and tap into our instincts, by doing this we can reduce our daily stress, which I believe is one of our major risk factors for disease.  I Go Red for all of you lovely ladies out there, my two daughters, husband and my parents!

Here's a great new resource for you to check out!  You can visit http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/, click your state and then see where your county stacks up against others when looking at morbidity or mortality, or numerous different health factors.  Do you live in one of the healthies counties or one of the least healthy?  No matter where you land, you can always visit our AHA Action Center and contact your lawmakers about making your state a healthier place to live, work and play!

On February 5th, members of the House Health Policy Committee heard testimony from Sarah Poole, Government Relations Director with the American Heart Association, regarding Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation / Automated External Defibrillator (CPR/AED) use.  Tom Perna was on hand to give a demonstration to member of the committee. 

Below, State Representative Bob Genetski (R-Saugatuck) assists Mr. Perna during a simulated medical emergency.

Recently, Bridge Magazine wrote an article about the obesity epidemic in Michigan.  Click below to check it out! 

http://bridgemi.com/2013/02/michigan%e2%80%99s-obesity-straining-more-than-waistlines/

"Now ranked fifth in the nation in obesity, state residents are on track to rack up 1.4 million new cases of type 2 diabetes, 2.9 million cases of coronary heart disease and 2.6 million cases of high blood pressure over the next 20 years, a national study found."

Are you motivated to make a change in your lifestlye? You can visit the American Heart Association's website: http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/ to learn more about nuttition, physical activity, weight and stress management and more.

Welcome to the new You're the Cure members (and old ones!) I met at the 2013 Kalamazoo Go Red for Women luncheon!  It was great to see you and thank you for supporting the mission of the American Heart Association!  Remember to visit the Take Action area on the website to see how you can help advance our public policy priorities here in Michigan.

As you know, February is Heart Month.  This year we're also celebrating 10 years of the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women campaign!  Here in Michigan we kicked off Heart Month with our annual Go Red at the Capitol event in Lansing.  Thanks to all of the advocates, volunteers and state lawmakers who made the event such a great success!

According to a report by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, the amount of money Michigan spends on tobacco prevention and cessation programs represents 0.1% of the estimated $1.2 billion Michigan gets annually from settlement payments and tobacco taxes.

Read the whole story at the Detroit Free Press here: http://www.freep.com/article/20130112/BUSINESS06/301120021/Michigan-42nd-in-U-S-in-spending-on-anti-smoking-efforts?odyssey=nav%7Chead