12/22/2009 - Adventist Medical Center Tips for Avoiding Holiday Heart Syndrome

Five Tips from Dr. Nickolas Juliano on Sustaining Heart Health During the Holidays

Portland, Ore. -- According to the American Heart Association (AHA), the holiday season is usually accompanied by an increase in cardiovascular events. Dr. Nickolas Juliano, MD, a cardiologist for Adventist Medical Center's Northwest Regional Heart Center, has released the following tips about sustaining heart health during the holidays:

• Everything in moderation. People who overdo it during the holidays -- be it eating, drinking, or staying up late -- may experience the "Holiday Heart" syndrome, a change in the normal heart rhythm. To help prevent this syndrome and avoid putting excess strain on your heart, try not to overindulge.
  
   


• Watch what you eat. Salty, fatty foods and alcohol can cause fluid retention, while high carbohydrate side dishes and sugary desserts can trigger diabetic crises. When straying from your usual diet, pay special attention to your weight, salt balance and glucose levels.
  
   


• Shovel with care. Shoveling snow is one activity that combines several risky behaviors: stress, isometric exercise (weight-lifting), cold weather, and early morning hours. While staying physically active is important for your health, the first snow storm of the year is not the time to push yourself, particularly if this is the first time you have exercised in a while.
  
   


• Remember Your Medication. Traveling for the holidays often leads to the interruption in your routines. Combined with the hectic nature of the holiday season, it is easy to miss medication doses. To avoid complication, take a moment to properly review and pack your medications.
  
   


• Monitor Your Stress Level. There is a general acceptance that stress around the holidays can trigger or exacerbate illness. Depression can peak during the holiday seasons, and is particularly dangerous to cardiac patients. Pay attention to "blue" feelings that might be otherwise swept under the rug during the generally celebratory season.

You Can Always Call

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. If you think that you are experiencing symptoms of a cardiac condition -- such as chest pain, shortness of breath, or excessive heartburn -- call 9-1-1 immediately. Some problems cannot wait until after the holidays.

Adventist Medical Center's Northwest Regional Heart Center is recognized by the AHA as among the top 10 percent of hospitals in the nation for the treatment of heart attack patients. Adventist Health achieved a perfect score on every measurement component of the AHA's heart failure treatment survey in April. Additionally, Adventist Health has treated more than 33 percent of all ambulance transported cardiac arrest patients in Multnomah County since spring 2007.

About Adventist Medical Center

Adventist Medical Center (AMC), located in southeast Portland, Ore. is a nonprofit, 302-bed acute care facility, offering a full range of inpatient, outpatient and emergency services throughout the Portland/Vancouver metropolitan area. The faith-based health system prides its self on providing care you can have faith in and is home to the Northwest Regional Heart Center (NRHC), respected nationally for their care of cardiac patients.

Adventist Medical Center is part of Adventist Health, a not-for-profit, faith-based health system operating in California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington. Founded on the Seventh-day Adventist heritage of Christian health care, Adventist Health is comprised of 18 hospitals with more than 2,800 beds, nearly 18,000 employees, numerous clinics and outpatient facilities, the largest system of rural health clinics in California, 15 home care agencies and three joint-venture retirement centers with a fourth on the way. For more information, visit www.adventisthealth.org.

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