Health

HARLEM COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS

Heart Attacks and Cholesterol: What You Need to Know

(Statepoint)

Sponsored by Amgen. Did you know that 25 percent of the 805,000 heart attacks per year in the U.S. are recurrent heart attacks? The American Heart Association reports that once you’ve experienced a heart attack, your chances of having another one is higher. In fact, nearly one in five patients who’ve had a heart attack will have another cardiovascular event, such as a heart attack or stroke, within one year.

While there are various factors that contribute to a heart attack, cholesterol is one of the most important modifiable risk factors. Over time, high levels of bad cholesterol can build up in your arteries and create clogs, making it difficult for blood to flow to where your body needs it. This can ultimately lead to a devastating heart attack. Here are six tips you can implement to help manage your cholesterol numbers: 1. Get checked: Stay on top of your numbers by having your cholesterol checked regularly. This is particularly important if you have already experienced a heart attack. 2. Eat a heart-healthy diet. A heart-healthy diet is low in saturated fat and trans-fat. You can reduce these fats in your diet by limiting your intake of fried food, red meat and dairy products made with whole milk, and by cooking with healthy oils, such as vegetable or olive oil. Emphasize fruits, vegetables, whole grains, poultry, fish and nuts, while curbing sugary foods and beverages. Eating this way increases your fiber intake, which can help lower your cholesterol. 3. Be physically active. A sedentary lifestyle lowers HDL (good) cholesterol, which is needed to remove LDL (bad) cholesterol from your arteries. Stay physically active to not only improve your cholesterol, but to also manage your blood pressure. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that adults get 2.5 hours of moderate in-

PHOTO SOURCE: (c) udra / iStock via Getty Images Plus Managing cholesterol helps reduce the risk of another heart attack.

tensity exercise per week in order to lower high cholesterol. 4. Quit smoking. According to the CDC, smoking damages your blood vessels, speeds up the hardening of the arteries and greatly increases your risk for heart disease. 5. Manage weight. Being overweight tends to raise LDL (bad) cholesterol and lower HDL (good) cholesterol. Losing excess weight can improve your cholesterol levels. 6. Take proper medication. Bad cholesterol can be lowered by lifestyle changes, but diet and exercise alone may not be enough to lower LDL-C. Medications like statins USA-14582348 are important in lowering LDL-C, but patients who’ve had a heart attack may need to talk to their doctor about additional treatments to lower cholesterol even further.

To learn more about cholesterol and your heart attack, visit www. heartattackfaq.com.

Managing cholesterol requires a multifaceted approach. Understanding the factors involved can help you make lifestyle and treatment tweaks to reduce your risk of another heart attack.

THIS YEAR’S FLU VACCINE COULD BE THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE YOU EVER GET

WITH COVID-19 STILL AROUND, IT’S ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR LOVED ONES FROM GETTING THE FLU AND NEEDING MEDICAL CARE. GET VACCINATED TODAY! Flu vaccination is safe and quick and is covered by most insurance. Flu vaccine is available at low cost or for free at many locations around the city. For more information or to find a location to get your flu vaccine, visit nyc.gov/flu, call 311 or text "flu" to 877877.

Health

Genetics, Diagnosis, Treatment: NIH Takes on Sickle Cell Disease Globally

Each year, some BI), part of the National wide occur. SPARCo, with Africa, which has a grow- new rapid result test that the disease, as part of a 150,000 children Institutes of Health. “As a a hub in Tanzania, and ing electronic registry of is relatively inexpensive, newly announced NIH colin Nigeria are born country, we can do better additional sites in Nigeria more than 10,000 individu- accurate, and can provide laboration with the Bill & with sickle cell disease, the than that. After all, this is a and Ghana, works to de- als with sickle cell disease. a timely diagnosis of sickle Melinda Gates Foundation. most common—and often disease where children die velop an infrastructure for “The genetic diversi- cell disease. The test does The goal of the partnerlife-threatening—inherited undiagnosed, and largely sickle cell disease research, ty of Africa’s population not require sophisticat- ship, which also addresses blood disorder in the world. from preventable causes health care, education, and allows scientific research ed laboratory equipment, HIV, is to advance possible

“I was not happy when I such as bacterial infec- training to take place in Af- that will increase our un- electricity, refrigeration, gene-based cures to clinical read that Nigeria will have tions.” rica. derstanding of how a dis- or highly trained person- trials in the United States the highest contribution to Sickle cell disease af- “We are showing that ease caused by a single nel—a critical advantage and relevant countries in the global burden of sickle fects 20 million people with effective partner- gene can manifest in such for countries with few re- sub-Saharan Africa within cell disease by 2050—if worldwide, including at ships, significant advances different ways,” Makani sources. the next seven to 10 years. we continue at the pres- least 100,000 in the Unit- in health and biomedical explained. On the treatment “A person’s health ent birth rate and the level ed States, mainly African science can be achieved,” Newborn screening, as front, a large multination- should not be limited by of inactivity in newborn Americans, but Hispanics said Tanzania-based Julie Nnodu noted, is the first al NHLBI-funded clini- their geographic location, screening,” said hematolo- and Asian-Americans, too. Makani, M.D., Ph.D., who step to reduce mortality and cal trial found that a daily whether it’s in rural Amergist Obiageli Nnodu, M.D., To help address the prob- leads the SPARCo con- suffering for these children, hydroxyurea pill was safe ica or sub-Saharan Afrithe lead researcher in Ni- lem on a global scale, the sortium. SPARCo, in col- and for that, they need good and effective for young ca,” said Gary H. Gibbons, geria for the Sickle Pan NHLBI has been support- laboration with the Sickle tests readily available at the children living with sickle M.D., director of the NHLAfrican Research Consor- ing programs in sub-Sa- Africa Data Coordinating point of care. That’s why cell disease in sub-Saharan BI. “Harnessing the power tium (SPARCo), funded by haran Africa, where more Center, led by Ambroise NHLBI supports research Africa. The NHLBI also of science is needed to tranthe National Heart, Lung, than 75 percent of the sick- Wonkam, M.D., in South towards development of has its sights on develop- scend borders if we want to and Blood Institute (NHL- le cell disease births world- Africa, created Sickle In diagnostics, such as a ing genetic therapies for improve health for all.”

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