Nearly 800,000 Americans die each year from heart disease and stroke, and about 200,000 of these could be prevented, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Knowing the signs and acting FAST can reduce the chances for long-term effects.

Signs

• Numbness or weakness in the face, arm or leg – especially one side of the body.
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or difficulty understanding speech
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes or severe headache
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or lack of coordination

Call 9-1-1 immediately if you or someone else has any of these symptoms.

Acting FAST can help a person experiencing a stroke get the best treatment. Make note of the time. Some treatments only work within the first 3 hours after symptoms appear. If you think someone may be having a stroke, act FAST and do the following simple test:

F—Face: Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?
A—Arms: Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
S—Speech: Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Is their speech slurred or strange?
T—Time: If you observe any of these signs, call 9-1-1 immediately.

Many of the risk factors for stroke can be prevented. See the infographic from the CDC below.

Resources:

http://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/heartdisease-stroke/infographic-text.html

http://www.cdc.gov/stroke/signs_symptoms.htm

-rb

Cardiac disease is the number one killer of American men. Men over age 40 who have erectile dysfunction (ED) are 52 times more likely get heart disease, according to SIU urologist Dr. Tobias Köhler, a specialist in men’s sexual health. “ED predates a man’s first heart attack by about 3-5 years,” Dr. Köhler says.

Plaque build-up in the vessels of the penis will eventually occur in the vessels supporting the heart. “If I run tests and find very low blood flow, I immediately send him to the cardiologist,” Dr. Köhler says. “I know that if he has low blood flow to the penis, he’s at a greater risk for cardiac event.”

ED a very serious, frightening topic for most men. A man may not seek treatment for problems with an erection due to embarrassment, but studies also show that most believe that the issue is a normal consequence of aging.

Dr. Köhler disagrees: “It’s not normal, and it is a problem if a man can’t get an erection, because death may be coming soon in the form of a heart attack,” Dr. Köhler says.

Read aspects 34-3 to learn more about Dr. Köhler and his work on ED-cardiac connection.

-rb

Memorial Day weekend is one of the biggest cookout weekends of the year! But it doesn’t mean you have to exit the healthy eating lifestyle. Often simple recipe adjustments can make a great deal of difference for your health.

Check out these BBQ-ready recipes from SIU dietitian Sara Lopinski. (These and other great recipes are also available in the Healthy U Cookbook available for sale in the lower level of 751 N. Rutledge, SIU Clinics building.)

TURKEY BURGERS
A tasty alternative to beef burgers; just make sure you get ground turkey breast for the lowest fat.
INGREDIENTS
½ # ground turkey breast
2 Tb. dried bread crumbs
1 tsp. Mrs. Dash® Onion and Herb
Seasoning Blend
1 tsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp. Tabasco sauce

PREPARATION:  Combine the turkey breast, bread crumbs, Mrs. Dash®, dried parsley, Worcestershire sauce, and Tabasco sauce in a medium bowl.  Mix well.  Divide the turkey mixture into 2 equal portions and form into patties.  If using a counter top grill, preheat according to manufacturer directions and grill the patties for 6 ½ to 7 minutes.  If using a charcoal or gas grill, prepare the fire or light the grill and cook the burgers until nicely browned on both sides and cooked through, about 7 minutes each side.  Serve the burgers on toasted whole wheat buns.  Please note the nutrient analysis doesn’t include the bun.

YIELD: 2 servings
CALORIES PER SERVING  150
FAT CALORIES  15
CHOLESTEROL 45 mg.
SODIUM  170 mg.
CARBOHYDRATE  5 gm.
FIBER  0 gm.
PROTEIN  27 gm.
CALCIUM  0 mg.

CREAMY COLESLAW
No one will ever miss mayonnaise in this salad.
INGREDIENTS
¼ c. low fat Miracle Whip™ salad dressing
¾ c. nonfat plain yogurt
3 Tb. granular Splenda® or white sugar
2 Tb. green onions, thinly sliced
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 Tb. white vinegar
¼ tsp. celery seed
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground pepper
16 oz. bag (8 cups) classic coleslaw mix (shredded green cabbage & carrots)

PREPARATION
Whisk together all ingredients except coleslaw mix in a large bowl.  Add coleslaw mix to dressing; stir to mix.  Refrigerate at least 2 hours to allow flavors to blend.  For an even creamier slaw, add an additional ¼ cup of nonfat plain yogurt.

YIELD: 9 servings – ⅔  cup each
CALORIES PER SERVING 45
FAT CALORIES 15
CHOLESTEROL < 5 mg.
SODIUM 150 mg.
CARBOHYDRATE 7 gm.
FIBER 2 gm.
PROTEIN  2 gm.
CALCIUM 80 mg.

BANANA SPLIT DESSERT
A perfect dessert for company.
INGREDIENTS
3 Tb. tub margarine, melted
1½ c. graham cracker crumbs
1½ c. powdered sugar
2 – 8 oz. pkgs. fat-free cream cheese
16 oz. strawberries, fresh (sliced) or frozen (if frozen, drain)
3 small bananas, sliced
16 oz. can unsweetened crushed pineapple, drained
8 oz. container Cool Whip Free® whipped topping, thawed

PREPARATION
Combine margarine and graham cracker crumbs and press into bottom of 9X13-inch baking dish.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes.  Using a mixer, beat together powdered sugar and cream cheese until smooth.  Spread on the crust.  Layer strawberries, then bananas, and finish with pineapple. Top with fat-free whipped topping and refrigerate.

YIELD:15 servings
CALORIES PER SERVING 190
FAT CALORIES 35
CHOLESTEROL < 5mg.
SODIUM 280 mg.
CARBOHYDRATE 32 gm.
FIBER 1 gm.
PROTEIN  6 gm.
CALCIUM 60 mg.

Though men tend to be reluctant patients, when something unusual is going on “down there,” it’s important for them to seek treatment.

The acronym BPH likely means nothing to the average male aged 40 or younger, but those three letters become significantly more important as a man ages. Benign Prostate Hyperplasia (BPH), or an enlarged prostate, is present in the majority of men over age 40. The most common symptom of BPH is frequent urination, more often occurring at night. As the prostate enlarges, it puts pressure on the urethra. Like a garden hose with a kink, the urine can’t flow properly through the urethra, making the bladder muscles work harder to push the urine through.

The symptoms : Over time, the man’s bladder may begin to contract even when only a small amount of urine is present. The pressure on the urethra may also cause him to linger in front of the urinal waiting to go, and when it finally starts, he may find it takes a lot longer to empty his bladder.

According Dr. Kevin Mcvary, SIU urologist, medications such as prostate-shrinking pills can help those with bothersome BPH symptoms. However, Dr. McVary says that improvement is often temporary and symptoms will recur.

The next step: surgery. One of the more common surgeries involves shrinking the prostate tissue by blasting it with a laser or electricity while the patient is under general anesthesia.

Vapor therapy is a new, minimally invasive type of therapy now offered at SIU in a phase 2 clinical trial. Unlike the traditional surgeries for BPH, vapor therapy is an in-office procedure done with the patient under local anesthesia.

Here’s how it works: A camera scope is passed up the urethra and a tiny needle goes into the prostate. It delivers a drop of vapor (steam), rather than using laser or electricity to ablate the tissue. “Its heat destroys a large volume of prostate cells quickly, without creating a big mass effect,” Dr. McVary says. “It’s so fast that the patients can’t feel it. It may prove to be a big improvement over other therapies.”

Men who are interested in learning more about treatment of BPH can contact SIU’s Division of Urology at 217-545-8000.

Read our latest edition of aspects magazine to learn more about the ways SIU is helping men toward optimum health.

Watch videos of SIU urologists discussing men’s health topics here.

Men are notorious for putting off health screenings or routine physical exams. We often joke about their reluctance to seek medical treatment, but it’s not a laughing matter, according to physicians.

“It’s a common notion that men are reluctant patients,” says SIU urologist Dr. Kevin McVary. “Often it’s the spouse or family member who brings them in. In fact, most men’s appointments are made by their spouses.”

According to the National Institutes of Health, men are also more likely than women to smoke, drink alcohol and make other unhealthy choices. These poor lifestyle choices can lead to health problems such as diabetes, infertility and erectile dysfunction. Despite advice from medical professionals, men are also less likely to adopt preventative measures to avoid certain health risks. The result of these bad behaviors: cancer and heart disease rank as the top two killers of American men.

It may indeed take something wrong with the penis to get a man to see a doctor, but men who take greater control of their lifestyle and pay attention to their bodies’ signals can have a dramatic, positive influence on their health — long before it reaches a level of emergency.

Stay tuned for a series of blogs on men’s health topics over the next few weeks. You can also read our latest edition of aspects magazine for more articles on the ways SIU is helping men toward optimum health by addressing and treating their urological problems, prostate cancer and sexual health.

Nearly one third of adults in the US have high blood pressure according to the American Heart Association.  High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is associated with many complications including stroke, heart disease, diabetes and kidney disease.

Most people don’t have symptoms with high blood pressure, according to SIU internal medicine physician Dr. Susan Hingle. However, Dr. Hingle suggests having your blood pressure checked by your doctor if you have any of the following symptoms:

• headaches
• dizzy spells
• chest pain
• fluttering of the heart
• swelling in the legs

This infographic from the CDC offers tips about how to control high blood pressure.

May is International Mediterranean Diet Month – the perfect time to implement changes in your eating habits.

One benefit of the Mediterranean regimen: you’ll consume foods that contain healthy fats and less cholesterol, such as monounsaturated fats like olive and canola oils and polyunsaturated fats, which are found in corn oil and flaxseed. The diet features simple, easily found foods including fish, shellfish, high-fiber whole grains, beans, lentils, legumes, vegetables, fruit and Greek yogurt.

Practical tips to implement this way of eating:

• Always eat breakfast. Fiber-rich foods such as whole grains and protein such as Greek yogurt fill you and help sustain you longer than sugary, empty-calorie breakfasts.
• Make meat less of a main attraction by adding it as protein to grains or vegetables.
• Eat seafood twice a week, selecting omega-3 fatty and acid-rich sources such as salmon and tuna.
• Cook a vegetarian meal one night a week. Build your meal around beans, whole grains and vegetables.
• Eat lots of fresh veggies in different forms – cooked or eaten at the peak of freshness.
• Feature the healthy fats in your meals: avocado, nuts, olives, sesame seeds and the preferred oils.

You‘ll be eating the Mediterranean way in no time!

-sl (Sara Lopinski is a registered dietitian for SIU School of Medicine)

Springfield’s medical district is blessed with a bounty of great nurses, and SIU HealthCare is thankful to the more than 300 registered nurses, licensed practi­cal nurses and certified nurse practitioners who add a personal touch to our patient care. In the last year, they helped care for more than 100,000 patients.

These women and men act as advocates for patients and their families, and they work to ensure that SIU patients get the best care possible. Our nurses expedite home delivery of medical equip­ment, coordinate with family to assure proper home care, and help the uninsured find more affordable prescription medica­tions. They know it’s the little things that make a big difference.

SIU HealthCare nurses Ashley Ingram, RN, and Amanda Hutton, RN, are just two of the hard-working nurses who go above and beyond to treat patients like family. Thank you for being part of our team!

Ashley Ingram, RN, and Amanda Hutton, RN, are two of the hard-working nurses at SIU HealthCare.

Amanda has been recognized for her compassion and commit­ment to quality at the Simmons Cancer Institute’s infusion center, where she strives to improve the experience for patients and their caregivers. “Patients spend so much time here that they become family,” she says.

Ashley is a nurse administra­tor for the Department of Surgery and has worked in many differ­ent capacities during her years in health care. “I tell everyone that nursing is the best career,” she says. “It gives you lots of op­portunities; you can change from one realm of nursing to another.”

Nurses have few typical days and many difficult assignments, but Ashley sees the diversity and challenges as learning opportu­nities. “Nursing enables you to positively affect society and make a big difference in people’s lives,” she says. “I’ve loved every mo­ment of my employment at SIU.”

Find more information about nursing careers at siumed.edu/jobs or contact the SIU School of Medicine’s human resources office at 545-8000.

One of the best messages a man can hear about his health issues is that he’s not alone. Tobias Köhler, MD, has taken this concept into motion by introducing group shared medical appointments for men. Dr. Köhler specializes in men’s health and fertility.

These appointments are becoming more prevalent across the country, especially in the area of men’s health. Dr. Köhler began the group shared medical appointments five years ago for those who were interested in getting vasectomies. “We’re going to continue to use this model for other types of appointments such as low testosterone, erectile dysfunction and urinary problems,” Dr. Köhler says.

The 60-minute appointments are in the evening, after work hours. The men watch a video, listen to Dr. Köhler and ask questions. “A lot of times the guys forget the questions they want to ask, but since there’s ten of them, they’re more likely to get all their questions answered because someone else will ask.” After the discussion, the men are examined privately, just as they would be at a regular medical appointment.

“If the patient has a private question, he can ask me in the exam room,” Dr. Köhler says. If the men choose to have a vasectomy, they can make their appointment that night. “Group shared medical appointments are very efficient and a great way to make men more comfortable addressing their health.”