Dr. Susmita Parashar comments on a new study that indicates there is evidence that people who live in a neighborhood that is very walker friendly live a heart healthier life.   Neighborhoods that have parks, restaurants and grocery stores within walking distance from the homes encourages people to get out and enjoy the outdoor and therefore this benefits the heart.  Check out the CNN Health Minute on Healthy Neighborhoods.

About Susmita Parashar, MD, MS
Dr. Parashar is a cardiologist at the Emory Heart & Vascular Center. She specializes in preventive cardiology and has special interests in women’s heart disease. She is the newest member of the Emory team and looks forward to helping patients in Atlanta prevent heart disease. She completed her residency in Internal Medicine at Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, and Cardiology fellowship at Emory University. Prior to joining Emory faculty in the Division of Cardiology, Dr. Parashar was Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of General Medicine at Emory for eight years.

If you are young women and have a history of heart disease in your family, have risk factors that could lead to heart disease or are concerned about your chances of developing heart disease, join us on Tuesday, May 15, 2012, at 12:30 p.m. EST for a live chat on Heart Disease in Young Women.

Emory Heart & Vascular Center cardiologist Susmita Parashar, MD, will answer questions about heart disease in young women including:

• Why it is crucial for women to know the symptoms of heart disease in women
• What young women can do to prevent heart disease
• The importance of getting treatment right away
• The research underway to combat heart disease in women

To register, visit Emoryhealthcare.org/mdchats.

In this CNN interview, Dr. Devireddy mentions one cause of sudden cardiac death is  a cardiac disease called Hypertrophic Cardiac Myopathy (HCM) which affects one in 500 people.  Emory has one of the few dedicated HCM Centers in the US.  The center aims to  treat people who are at risk for sudden cardiac risk.   Watch the CNN interview in the video below:

Related Resources:

• Emory Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Program

Admission is free and everyone is welcome! Call 404-778-2850 to reserve your seat, or you can sign up for a HeartWise lecture online.

♥ ABCs of Vitamins
Cheryl Williams, RD/LD
Monday, May 7, 2012
12:00 PM – 12:30 PM

♥ Heart Healthy Cooking Demo
Cheryl Williams, RD/LD
Thursday, May 17, 2012
8:30 AM – 9:00 AM

♥ Nutrition Myths
Cheryl Williams, RD/LD
Monday, May 21, 2012
12:00 PM – 12:30 PM

Admission to HeartWise events is free and everyone is welcome! Call 404-778-2850 to reserve your seat, or you can sign up for one of our May HeartWise lectures online!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup low-fat (1%) buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup soft tub margarine
• 1 tsp vegetable oil (to grease pan)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 OF. Mix together cornmeal, flour, sugar, and baking powder. In another bowl, combine buttermilk and egg. Beat lightly. Slowly add buttermilk and egg mixture to dry ingredients. Add margarine and mix by hand or with mixer for 1 minute. Bake for 20-25 minutes in an 8- by 8-inch, greased baking dish. Cool. Cut into 10 squares.

Yield: 10 servings

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1 square)

• Calories: 178
• Fat: 6 grams
• Cholesterol: 22 milligrams
• Sodium: 94 milligrams

Source: National Institutes of Health – www.nih.gov/ Keep the Beat: Heart Healthy Recipes

Enjoy this recipes and find other heart healthy recipes at  Emory Healthcare’s Recipe’s for Wellness site.

Emory Healthcare is a proud partner of the American Heart Association in the My Heart. My Life campaign that helps consumers learn the 7 simple steps to a healthy lifestyle.

Admission to HeartWise events is free and everyone is welcome! Call 404-778-2850 to reserve your seat, or you can sign up for one of our March HeartWise lectures online!

♥ Chemicals in Food Packaging, What’s the Harm?
Hannah Clark (Kennesaw State University Exercise Specialist Intern)
Friday, April 6, 2012
11:45 AM – 12:15 PM

♥ Healthy Eating Made Easy
Cheryl Williams, RD/LD
Monday, April 6, 2012
11:45 AM – 12:15 PM

AND

Thursday, April 26, 2012
8:45 AM – 9:15 AM

Admission to HeartWise events is free and everyone is welcome! Call 404-778-2850 to reserve your seat, or you can sign up for one of our April HeartWise lectures online!

1. Schedule walks with friends instead of grabbing a happy hour drink or dinner! Enjoy the gorgeous outdoors and catch up with a friend at the same time! You will be shocked how quickly time will fly when you are catching up with an old friend.
2. Instead of sleeping in, take your kids or dogs to a National Park on a Saturday morning. Georgia has some incredible National Parks – visit http://usparks.about.com/od/travelitineraries/l/blGeorgia-National-Parks.htm. You will be amazed how being out in nature will improve your mood!
3. While watching TV, instead of lying on the couch, lie down on the ground and do some sit ups, planks or light weights while watching your favorite show for 10 minutes.
4. Add a little dancing to your cleaning routine! Turn on music and add a bob to your step as you clean around the house. This will burn extra calories while you are dancing.
5. Instead of driving to the park, local restaurant or neighbor’s house – walk there! You will be able to really take in all that your neighborhood has to offer. The kids also will learn at an early age to enjoy the outdoors and exercise.
6. Set your alarm for 15 – 20 minutes earlier than normal and go for a short walk/jog around the neighborhood. You not only will feel better, you will have gotten your metabolic system in action and don’t have to worry about trying to fit a workout in after a long, hard day! Try to make it a habit to exercise at least 10 minutes every morning! It will start your day off right.
7. Always take the stairs instead of the elevator if you are going four flights or less! Make it a contest at work and challenge your colleagues to go further!
8. Volunteer to walk your neighbor’s dog. Seeing a walk through a dog’s eyes makes the adventure that much fun!

Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2008), the American Heart Association and American College of Sports Medicine (2007) state that even short activities performed in 10 minute segments can improve your health. These organizations recommend getting about 2 and one-half hours of exercise over the course of a week!April 4 is National Start Walking Day. Grab a buddy and get your body in motion! Your heart will thank you for it! Emory University and Healthcare employees – get your walking shoes out and meet us for a 30-minute walk on Wednesday, April 4, at one of the following locations:

• Emory University Hospital Midtown, 2:00 pm – meet at the fountain between the Orr and Glenn Buildings
• Emory University Orthopaedics & Spine Hospital, 12:00 pm – meet near the entrance to the Medical Office Building
• Lullwater Preserve, 11:45 am and 12:30 pm – meet at the gates to Lullwater Park
• Grady, 11:45 am and 12:30 pm – meet in the Faculty Office Building lobby
• Saint Joseph’s Hospital, 10:00 am and 10:45 am – meet in the meditation garden between the Harrison Outpatient Building and the Florence Erb Hayes Specialty Center
• The Carter Center,12:25 pm – meet in the parking lot staff entrance

For more information, please contact Melissa Morgan, melissa.morgan@emory.edu or 404-727-4328.

If you are not an Emory employee and want to get your organization involved in National Start Walking Day, contact the American Heart Association by visiting www.startwalkingnow.org and request a toolkit.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

• Emory University Hospital Midtown, 2:00 pm – meet at the fountain between the Orr and Glenn Buildings
• Emory University Orthopaedics & Spine Hospital, 12:00 pm – meet near the entrance to the Medical Office Building
• Lullwater Preserve, 11:45 am and 12:30 pm – meet at the gates to Lullwater Park
• Grady, 11:45 am and 12:30 pm – meet in the Faculty Office Building lobby
• Saint Joseph’s Hospital, 10:00 am and 10:45 am – meet in the meditation garden between the Harrison
• The Carter Center,12:25 pm – meet in the parking lot staff entrance Outpatient Building and the Florence Erb Hayes Specialty Center

For more information, please contact Melissa Morgan, melissa.morgan@emory.edu or 404-727-4328.

If you are not an Emory employee and want to get your organization involved in National Start Walking Day, contact the American Heart Association by visiting www.startwalkingnow.org and request a toolkit.

Take a step to better health and start walking!

Source: CNN

Emory Heart & Vascular Center cardiologist Chandan Devireddy, MD recently sat down with the team at CNN to discuss what likely happened to English soccer player, Fabrice Muamba, when he collapsed from sudden cardiac arrest during a game earlier this month.

In the CNN interview, Dr. Devireddy also the cautions and guidelines athletes need to take to diagnose and prevent sudden cardiac death. To get Dr. Devireddy’s full take on cardiac arrest and athletes, check out his interview with CNN here.

Emory’s Heart & Vascular Center is consistently recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top heart health centers in the nation. The Emory Heart & Vascular Center offers services that cover the entire continuum of care, from prevention and early detection to the latest in cardiovascular treatment. In fact, Emory has one of the few dedicated hypertrophic cardiomyopathy clinics (HCM) in the US. Emory’s specialized HCM center offers comprehensive care (surgery, interventional cardiology, genetic testing, etc.), as well as greater experience and expertise.

Related Resources:

• Emory Heart & Vascular Center
• Emory Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Clinic Website

Barry chose the robotic approach to surgery as opposed to traditional cardiac open heart surgery because of the less invasive nature and faster recovery time associated with robotic surgery.  Barry returned to work after 3 weeks and is now back to living an active life! Learn more about cardiac robotic surgery and Barry’s experience with the procedure by watching his amazing story video story below:

Related Resources:

• Robotic Surgery website
• Cardiac Rehabilitation
• Emory Heart & Vascular Center