Denton County Living Well Magazine Winter 2014 | Page 37
GETTING TO THE HEART OF THE MATER:
New Screening Could Be Life-saver for Denton County Seniors
Courtesy Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Denton
A
new preventative screening offered by Texas Health
Presbyterian Hospital Denton
is tailor-made to citizens of Denton
County with heart. This service is offered through the Heart Health Center, a preventative health center that
is new to the Denton County area
from Texas Health Denton.
cardiovascular disease is the number-one cause of death and a major cause of disability? Unfortunately,
most people who die suddenly from
cardiovascular-related disease have
no previous symptoms. Because of
this, it is important to know your numbers and be aware of your heart
health risks.
“We care about your heart,” says
Tim Harris, MD, Chief Medical Officer
of Texas Health Denton, who heads
the program. “We are so excited to
offer this kind of help for our patients
right here in our area––because we
know what it takes to take on heart
disease.”
The good news is that getting started
is easy! A free,
online
Heart
Health Risk Assessment
can
help you discover your heart’s
“age” and determine if you
are at risk for
heart
disease
by
answering
a few, simple
questions that
take
approximately 10 minutes to answer. Once
complete, you will receive a personalized report indicating your current
heart health and providing valuable
heart health tips for you.
KEEPING TICKERS IN
TIP-TOP SHAPE
At the Heart Health Center at Texas
Health Denton, hospital clinicians
helps patients who have taken the
heart risk assessment and been identified to have risks for heart and vascular disease. From screenings to
nutrition, to fitness and lifestyle counseling, as well as physician specialist
referrals, this center surrounds patients with the expertise, help, support
and advice they need to optimize
their heart’s health, as well as creating a plan for heart-health that is tailor-made to each individual person.
“Your heart is the center of your cardiovascular system, and it is ultimately responsible for feeding all of your
body’s processes, so it is critically important to keep this organ healthy,”
says Harris. “We each have both the
opportunity and responsibility to positively affect the overall health of our
heart and cardiovascular system by
knowing our numbers and making
good lifestyle choices.”
GETTING STARTED
ON A HEART-HEALTHY
LIFESTYLE
Did you know in the U.S., according
to the American Heart Association,
The online heart health
assessment:
• Compares your actual age to your
heart’s relative age;
• Calculates your 10-year risk of developing cardiovascular disease; and
• Prioritizes your most harmful cardiovascular risk factors.
The assessment helps estimate a person’s risk of cardiovascular disease
during the next 10 years, as well as
the next 30 years, if you are younger
than 60.
Simply visit www.yourheartage.com
to complete your custom assessment.
If you are shown to have moderate
to high risks for developing heart disease, you may want to visit the Heart
Health Center at Texas Health Denton for a heart health screening.
THE HEART HEALTH CENTER AT TEXAS
HELATH DENTON
People in Denton County have expertise on their side, in the form of experienced registered nurses, physicians
on the Texas Health Denton medical
staff and other well-trained clinicians
who provide care at the Heart Health
Center at Texas Health Denton. The
clinical professionals at the
center
conduct
screenings to help
determine
a
patient’s opportunity
for
cardiac health
improvement
and then lead
that
person
through counseling with information on important changes in
fitness, nutrition and lifestyle that can
make a difference for someone who
has developed, or could develop,
cardiovascular disease.
The screening is just $139 and
includes:
• One-on-one consultation with an
advanced practice nurse
• Blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes checks
• EKG
• Ankle brachial index
• Carotid imaging
• Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm imaging
• A personalized plan to help reduce
your risks for heart disease
“We are here to help patients take
their health into their own hands,”
says Harris. “This center offers an empowering, supportive environment
that gives patients the tools, knowledge and inspiration they need to
make lasting changes, and, ultimately, improve their health.”
Sounds like it might be time to put your heart into it!
For more information about the center or to make an appointment, please call 1-877-THR-WELL
or visit www.texashealth.org/heart. For more information on heart disease, the resources above
and information on diagnosis and treatments, please visit www.texashealth.org/denton-heart.
See Ad Inside Front Cover
DENTON COUNTY Living Well Magazine | WINTER 2014
37