Heart health and diabetes information will be provided by representatives from the American Heart Association and a variety of Sherman Health departments, including Cardiac Rehabilitation, Radiology, Education and Community Wellness, Heart Failure Recovery Center, Cardiac Cath Lab, Non-Invasive Cardiology, Cardiac Arrhythmia Center, Diabetes Center and more.  The fair will also feature:

• A presentation on the link between heart disease, heart failure and diabetes at 9:30 a.m. by Dr. Azmey Matarieh, cardiologist
• Free blood pressure screenings
• Free cholesterol screenings for the first 100 attendees ($10 after). Fasting required.
• Free sweatshirt blanket for the first 100 attendees
• Nutritious snacks and other giveaway items

Dr. Maciej Malinski is on the medical staff at Sherman Hospital. He has been kind enough to answer some frequently asked questions related to maintaining a healthy heart in his Ask the Cardiologist series. To see all posts Dr. Malinski has written, just type “Ask the Cardiologist” into the search bar on the right.

Jeff Green of the Boston Celtics, a 25-year-old in peak physical condition, was recently sidelined for this NBA season after being diagnosed with an aortic aneurysm. Dr. Malinski knows more about the condition than we can even comprehend, so we asked him a few questions about what Green and others with AAs go through.

How common are aortic aneurysms?

Aortic abdominal aneurysm (AAA) is fairly common in the elderly, reaching a prevalence of 5.9% in men 80-85 years old. In general, prevalence ranges from 1.3% in men 50 years old up to 12.5% in men 75 to 84 years old. For women these percentages are 0% and 5.2%, respectively. Obviously, it’s quite rare for a person as young as Green to have the condition.

The prevalence of AAA varies with a number of demographic factors, including advancing age, family history, male gender, and tobacco use.

What is the typical recovery time for non-athletes who have surgery to repair it?

The recovery time after surgical repair of an aortic aneurysm varies depending on the patient’s condition before the surgery (age, kidney function, lung function, etc). Usually, the average patient should be able to resume all daily activities and be able to return to work after 6-8 weeks.

Is AAA as serious for athletes as this article makes them out to be?

AAA is a very serious condition for a professional athlete if he wants to continue his career, likewise for any other patients who have jobs that require regular heavy lifting. After surgery, patients usually have restrictions placed on the amount of weight they can lift. Lifting heavy objects increases stress tension on the wall of the artery (aorta) and potentially can cause recurrence of the aneurysm, even after the surgery.

Do you have a question for Dr. Malinski? To submit your question, post it in the comments section below, visit the Sherman Health Facebook page, or email luke@shermanhealth.com with the subject line “Question for Dr. Malinski.”

This post is published by Sherman Health to provide general health information. It is not intended to provide personal medical advice, which should be obtained directly from your physician.

Patients have long been advised to have a low sodium intake, especially those with heart disease. It’s undeniably true that too much sodium is bad for heart health. However, a new study in the Journal of American Medicine reveals that low sodium intake can also be detrimental to heart health.

From the New York Times:

Researchers conducted a study on 28,880 men and women over the age of 55 for about 5 years. The results of the study showed that a high sodium intake did in fact increase the risk for heart problems. Little did they know that a low sodium intake yielded the same results. Compared with those who excreted 4 to 6 grams of sodium daily, people who excreted 2 to 3 grams were at 19 percent greater risk for death from a cardiovascular event, and the less they consumed the greater their risk.

There is a sweet spot for salty intake, it turns out. Talk to your doctor about the amount of sodium intake that is right for you.

If you try to eat fruits and vegetables consistently, you’re already well aware of strawberries and a lot of their benefits. On top of having a characteristic scent, color, and a wonderfully sweet and tart taste, they’re filled with wonderful antioxidants. In case you need a refresher, antioxidants help to protect our cells against heart disease and cancer. But what you may not know is just how powerful strawberries can be.

From Healthline:

In a fascinating study published in the British Journal of Nutrition, 20 obese test subjects were given either dried strawberry powder equivalent to about 2 cups of whole strawberries or a strawberry flavored product that contained no fruit at all. Everything else in the diet, including calories and fat, was kept the same for both groups. After just three weeks on the strawberry supplement, total cholesterol levels dropped, good cholesterol (HDL) numbers rose, and the size of the bad cholesterol (LDL) particles enlarged, rendering it less harmful.

Other great antioxidant sources include oranges, cherries, spinach, and broccoli. Replace empty carbohydrates or unnecessary desserts with these options, and your heart will thank you in the long run.