February is Heart Month, and Maria Parham Health is holding a Healthy Heart Day heart fair on Tuesday, Feb. 28, featuring information and resources to help the Henderson/Vance County community live longer and stronger.
According to the World Health Organization, cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death globally, claiming an estimated 17.9 million lives each year. More than four out of five CVD deaths are due to heart attacks and strokes, and one-third of these deaths occur prematurely in people under 70 years of age. Heart disease is also the leading cause of death in the United States, for both men and women.
Healthy Heart Day at Maria Parham Health will offer tools and resources that individuals need to live a heart-healthy lifestyle and to reduce or prevent cardiovascular disease, according to information from Donna Young, the hospital’s Marketing & Communication Coordinator.
Registered nurses will be on hand to provide free blood pressure and pulse/oximeter readings, and exercise physiologist Chris Cole will be there with Maria Parham athletic trainers, to consult with attendees about the best heart-healthy exercises for their lifestyles. Guests of the heart fair can speak with a registered dietitian about heart-healthy eating, and Director of Cardiac Services Lisa McGhee will give virtual tours of Maria Parham’s state-of-the-art heart catheterization lab, and is available to share information about the cardiac care services the hospital offers.
It’s also a time to learn how to properly administer Hands-Only CPR from emergency medical services professionals. Hands-Only CPR is performed with chest compressions only, and can be crucial to helping heart attack victims to survive until medical assistance arrives.
Also important to heart health is the mind-body connection. Mental health professionals will be on hand at this event to talk to attendees about how mental health is directly connected to heart health.
Heart fair attendees will also be treated to free samples, giveaways, and can register for door prizes.
The Maria Parham Health Healthy Heart Day is free and open to the public, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 28. No registration is necessary; the event will be held in the front lobby of the hospital, and all are invited to simply come through the hospital’s main entrance to participate.
To learn more, call 252.436.1408, or email donna.young@lpnt.net.
(This story was originally published on WIZS.com on Feb. 15, 2023.)