CARDIAC ATHLETIC SOCIETY EDMONTON

Heart Murmurs
May 2011

FORGETFUL?

Are you concerned about your memory? Do you think you are the only one that forgets? Come and learn how your memory works. Explore various strategies that will help you maintain optimal brain functioning. We will also briefly examine causes of memory decline and age related changes. Clearly, this will not be a forgettable CASE Education Session!

The topic for the evening is Improving your Memory which is being brought to you by the Healthy Aging Resource Team with Alberta Health Services. The presenters are an Occupational Therapist and a Public Health Nurse.

The program will be held Monday May 30 at 7:00 PM in the Edmonton Room at The South East Edmonton Seniors Assoc., 9350 82nd Street, Edmonton. Volunteers to bring snacks are always welcome. Please speak to Lynn Bohuch at
780-449-1881 if you can bring something to share with the group.

IN MEMORIUM

Meryn Kowton a recent member of CASE died on April 13, 2011 at the age of 86. In a message to Bob Hutchinson, Meryn's son noted that he had spoken fondly about the conversations he had with the group and that he enjoyed the exercise program and the companionship. Also, we were sorry to hear of the passing of Lu Trahan on April 22, 2011 in Okotoks, Alberta. Lu was the spouse of a long time member of CASE who had predeceased her.

ANOTHER MEMBERSHIP BENEFIT

The City of Edmonton has announced that members organizations participating in the Corporate Wellness Program can now enjoy discounts at Fort Edmonton Park. CASE members can enjoy a 20% discount off adult and family annual passes to Fort Edmonton Park (they will need to show their CASE membership cards to purchase a pass).

Prices with the 20% discount are: Adult Annual Pass is $28.40 including GST (regular price is $35.50) and a Family Annual Pass is $99.60 including GST (regular price is $124.50). It is not clear from their news release whether we can also obtain the 20% discount from the advertised senior price but, since we do get this at Kinsmen Sport Centre, it seems to be a reasonable assumption. If so, the discounted Senior Annual Fort Edmonton Pass price would be $21.40 including GST. There is also an unlimited ride option that can be purchased only by annual pass holders that provides unlimited ride access for the summer but this option is an extra fee and is NOT included in the Corporate Wellness discount offer. The unlimited ride price are Adult $10.00 and Family $25.00

These annual passes can be purchased at any City of Edmonton Recreation Facility, or right at Fort Edmonton Park. For more information about opening times of Fort Edmonton Park please visit www.fortedmontonpark.ca

GET YOUR MEDIC ALERT - IT IS A 24 HOUR A DAY LIFESAVER

When we exercised at the School for the Deaf, we had a membership requirement that each member put on a CASE file their medical history and medications. The intent was that if a medical emergency arose, information would be available for the paramedics use. Naturally, this was sensitive, confidential information. We were able to store it in a locked room at the ASD but this is not possible at the Kinsmen Sport Centre. CASE is strongly urging all members to register for MedicAlert and wear a Medic Alert Bracelet at all times.

The MedicAlert is much more than just a bracelet! It is a comprehensive emergency medical information service. Emergency personnel, around the world, are taught to look for a medic alert identification. This will significantly improve access to critical information in an emergency situation. The former CASE information really was only accessible for 2 hours per week (1.2 % of the time) but a MedicAlert bracelet will provide essential information 100 % of the time that you wear it!

If you, or someone you love, has any medical condition that may put you at risk in an emergency, then you need MedicAlert. MedicAlert ensures your vital medical information is immediately known to emergency health care providers and will speak for you when you cannot. MedicAlert offers more than 80 different medical identification styles.

Burn Evans has been distributing MedicAlert applications or you can visit the MedicAlert Canada website at http://www.medicalert.ca/en/join/ to become a member and purchase a bracelet.

BITS OF ADVICE ON PROTECTING YOUR HEART.

The following items were taken from a recent magazine article and offer a potpourri of points to think about in trying to identify, prevent and treat heart disease...

Get serious about sleep For every hour under the optimum eight hours a night, the risk of high blood pressure can zoom 37%, according to a 2009 University of Chicago study of people ages 33 to 45. If you or your partner snores, ask your doctor to check for obstructive sleep apnea. The sleep related breathing condition is now considered an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease and is often the underlying cause of hard-to-control high blood pressure.

Limit outdoor activities on smoggy days Exposure over several weeks to ground-level ozone, a major component of smog, may cause heart cells to die, according to a Texas study reported at a 2010 meeting of the American Heart Association. “From recent research, we know that cardiac events rise in correlation with days when there’s a high level of pollutants,” says the study. "We don't have enough data about long-term exposure, but the data about acute exposure is disturbing."

Get moving A sedentary lifestyle doubles your risk of heart disease and stroke. You don’t have to run marathons or even join a gym. Just half an hour of brisk walking every day can help prevent or control obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes — all major risk factors.

Be alert to symptoms If you have any new pain, pressure or heaviness in your chest, neck, jaw, throat, shoulder or arm, call 911 immediately. Every minute counts.

Eat wisely Shun high-fructose drinks, including pop, sports drinks, fruit drinks, iced tea and vitamin water. They can pack on belly fat and raise blood pressure and cholesterol. According to a 2010 review from Louisiana State University, “…fructose is hazardous to the cardio-metabolic health of many children, adolescents and adults.” Change out the use of refined flour for whole grains. Three daily portions of whole grains, after only four weeks, can lower the risk of heart disease by at least 15% and stroke by 25%, reports a 2010 study by the University of Aberdeen in Scotland.

Lose the salt. New Canadian guidelines recommend cutting sodium intake by one-third, to 2,300 milligrams a day — the amount in a teaspoon of table salt. (Some organizations recommend limiting sodium to no more than 1,500 milligrams.) The biggest culprits: pizza, prepackaged or deli-meat sandwiches, subs, hamburgers and hot dogs.

Don’t go to a low-carb/high-meat diet. That combination is associated with higher mortality from all causes, including heart disease, reports a 2010 study from the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston.

Eat dark chocolate! But no more than three times a month. A 2010 study from Harvard Medical School found that moderate consumption offers protection against heart failure, but that protection vanishes with daily consumption. Monitor your alcohol Any more than one or two drinks a day — a total of nine per week for women, 14 per week for men — can raise your risk of heart disease. Binge drinking, defined as four or more drinks over a two-hour period for women, six for men, boosts your risk of stroke.

UPCOMING EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES

 

Event	Date	Time	Place
Education Self Help and Activities	Mon. May 30	7:00 PM	SEESA
Executive Meeting	Mon. June 13	9:00 AM	SEESA
Annual Barbeque	Fri. June 24	4:30 PM	Malmo
Executive Meeting	Mon. Sept.12	9:00 AM	SEESA
Social Breakfast	Wed. Sept. 21	9:00 AM	SEESA
Education Self Help and Activities	Mon. Sept 26	7:00 PM	SEESA
Executive Meeting	Mon. Oct. 17	9:00 AM	SEESA
Social Breakfast	Wed. Oct. 26	9:00 AM	SEESA
Education Self Help and Activities	Mon. Oct. 31	7:00 PM	SEESA
Executive Meeting	Mon. Nov. 14	9:00 AM	SEESA
Social Breakfast	Wed. Nov. 23	9:00 AM	SEESA
Education Self Help and Activities	Mon. Nov. 28	7:00 PM	SEESA
Christmas Social	Sun. Dec. 4	4:30 PM	Malmo

Notes: SEESA: (The South East Edmonton Seniors Assoc).            address is 9350 82nd Street, Edmonton

            Malmo: (Malmo Community League)                    address is 11525 48th Avenue Edmonton

            Mazankowski Heart Institute                                 address is 8840112 Street, Edmonton