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ASCENSON ST JOHN JANE PHILLIPS MEDICAL CENTER Heart Month · One on One With a Professional

• 0:05
  Speaker 1: Good morning, good morning, good morning, and welcome, welcome, welcome.
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  Speaker 1: It's time now for our community connection right here on
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  Speaker 1: K one, the one you trust and from Acension Saint
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  Speaker 1: John Jane Phillips.
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  Speaker 2: We have Doctor Merrew.
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  Speaker 1: We've got the you know, heart specialists like the good
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  Speaker 1: doctor here, and care teams to provide a balance to
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  Speaker 1: heart testing and diagnostic and treatments, medication management, surgical heart care,
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  Speaker 1: and cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation. You got it all covered,
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  Speaker 1: I'd say, we're getting to the heart of the matter.
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  Speaker 1: Doctor welcome to the show.
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  Speaker 3: Well, thank you, Tom, and thank you for having me.
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  Speaker 2: You know, it's great to have you back.
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  Speaker 1: I think the last time we spoke is of just
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  Speaker 1: a couple of years ago, but no stranger to our
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  Speaker 1: studios and it is really great to have you. Heart
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  Speaker 1: month is here and we need to kind of check
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  Speaker 1: in on our heart health.
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  Speaker 2: Don't we.
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  Speaker 4: It is a reminder, you know, we spend the year
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  Speaker 4: thinking about our health, or we should, but February's just
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  Speaker 4: kind of a reminder. You know, if you haven't and
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  Speaker 4: looked at lately, know what your numbers are, specifically blood pressure, cholesterol, sugar,
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  Speaker 4: other risk factors for heart disease.
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  Speaker 3: It's time to check in with your doctor.
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  Speaker 2: And we got to do some screening, especially as we
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  Speaker 2: get a little older.
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  Speaker 1: None of us are getting younger, and with age comes
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  Speaker 1: some changes, right it does.
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  Speaker 4: And in fact, you know, screening for younger people even
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  Speaker 4: in their late thirties early forties is very appropriate. So
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  Speaker 4: not only as we hit our fifties and sixties and
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  Speaker 4: we're just wondering, well, now, at this point in my life,
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  Speaker 4: where do I stand? These screenings can be helpful, but
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  Speaker 4: also younger people too.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, my goodness seeks our family history has a play
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  Speaker 1: in this, doesn't.
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  Speaker 4: It does, and especially for our younger, our younger members
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  Speaker 4: of the population. Then if they have, hey, my dad
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  Speaker 4: or my uncle or someone in my family, my brother
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  Speaker 4: had a heart attack, how do I get looked at?
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  Speaker 4: These screenings can be very valuable and they can look
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  Speaker 4: at everything from the heart arteries and a calcium score
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  Speaker 4: explaining a risk there to you, and to looking at
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  Speaker 4: your heart's function, checking your a order, the caroated arteries.
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  Speaker 4: There are several things that can be screened to give
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  Speaker 4: us an assessment of the heart and vascular system for you.
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  Speaker 2: So not just one thing you really break it down.
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  Speaker 4: It can be as detailed and it's and the way
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  Speaker 4: the hospital does it's very nice, is kind of a
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  Speaker 4: menu and you get to pick and choose what screening
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  Speaker 4: test you'd like to have. At this point it's all
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  Speaker 4: confidential and mailed to you at your house, and then
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  Speaker 4: you bring it into your doctor review.
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  Speaker 1: Now what happens if one of these screenings reveals a problem?
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  Speaker 2: Where do we go? How do we move on? Well?
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  Speaker 4: I think of it as thank goodness you had this screening,
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  Speaker 4: not oh they found something right, Yes, because we want
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  Speaker 4: the screening to show us our weak spot, so to speak,
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  Speaker 4: and so we can get it addressed. So you bring
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  Speaker 4: that screening sheet result in to your you can self
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  Speaker 4: refer to your cardiologists where be happy to do that,
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  Speaker 4: or your primary care and let he or she go
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  Speaker 4: with the results with you and then decide on next steps,
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  Speaker 4: which often I mean repeating the tests, but more officially
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  Speaker 4: giving more more specifics.
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  Speaker 3: On the on the on the abnormality.
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  Speaker 1: And then once you find out all the information, I guess,
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  Speaker 1: the plan gets formed and then executed.
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  Speaker 4: That's right, and most of the time we can we
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  Speaker 4: can treat things medically. We have identified the problem. Let's
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  Speaker 4: surveil it. Let's get a plan to keep watching it
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  Speaker 4: for you and use medicines and address risk factors. You
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  Speaker 4: know and underappreciated. But your your father, your grandmother, everyone
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  Speaker 4: has talked about this to you, our entire lives, at
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  Speaker 4: least to me. You know, take care of your body,
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  Speaker 4: eat right, exercise, sleep right, the basic things, and yet
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  Speaker 4: they they are so hard to do for most of us,
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  Speaker 4: you know, these.
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  Speaker 1: Days, it seems like it's almost impossible. Right, everybody lives
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  Speaker 1: for the job instead of you know, the other way around.
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  Speaker 3: That's right.
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  Speaker 4: So we can use medications and we do that at
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  Speaker 4: the same time, we also have a nutrition program. A
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  Speaker 4: nurse calls you at home, goes over your diet, your
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  Speaker 4: barriers to good food. We have the Wellness Center that
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  Speaker 4: offers a variety of programs to help you exercise even
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  Speaker 4: if you've never exercised before. And so there are other
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  Speaker 4: resources out there rather than just medicines that we would
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  Speaker 4: like to get into. And going back to starting, it
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  Speaker 4: is never too late to start. But that's why. Hey,
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  Speaker 4: you're in your late thirties, early forties, let's start now
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  Speaker 4: looking at things.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, we're talking with the doctor Anderson Merrell and he
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  Speaker 1: is with assentient Saint John Medical Center right here in Barbamsvilt.
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  Speaker 1: We're talking about heart month and our hearts. What are
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  Speaker 1: some risk factors and issues to be aware of when
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  Speaker 1: it comes to our heart health. I mean, you're just
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  Speaker 1: kind of going on doing your day, being busy, running around,
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  Speaker 1: running in circles, and sometimes you just don't pay.
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  Speaker 4: Attention well until something gets your exactly And wouldn't it
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  Speaker 4: be nice to identify some of those things before they
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  Speaker 4: get your attention, so to speak. So the risk factors
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  Speaker 4: that we would love to address as early as possible,
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  Speaker 4: there's a top five list, so to speak, but diabetes
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  Speaker 4: is certainly one of them. The better control of sugars
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  Speaker 4: than the lower risk of heart disease, and the same
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  Speaker 4: thing for cholesterol, blood pressure, Your weight and diet play
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  Speaker 4: a big role, and so do certain habits like smoking.
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  Speaker 4: If we can identify those risk factors, say hey, you know,
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  Speaker 4: you're kind of got three of the top five risks
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  Speaker 4: for a heart disease. Let's see what we can do
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  Speaker 4: to mitigate that risk and address them again sooner rather
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  Speaker 4: than later. Then hopefully we can avoid that heart attack.
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  Speaker 4: I've always been told to watch your breath.
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  Speaker 1: If you start getting winded really quickly, that's the time
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  Speaker 1: you better be talking to somebody in the medical field,
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  Speaker 1: like asap.
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  Speaker 4: Well, Tom, you don't know how true that is. It's
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  Speaker 4: not The typical, most commonly described warning sign is this
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  Speaker 4: heaviness on the chest as a sign of a blocked
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  Speaker 4: artery when I'm taking out the trash or chopping wood
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  Speaker 4: or shoveling snow winter time and I have to stop
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  Speaker 4: because I get this heaviness on my chest. And then
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  Speaker 4: everybody really knows has heard that before in some way,
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  Speaker 4: and they know to watch with that. But it is
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  Speaker 4: all too common that the only warning is the shortness
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  Speaker 4: of breath that you're talking about. The common theme there
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  Speaker 4: is I get shorter breath when I'm active, I'm climbing stairs,
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  Speaker 4: I'm walking briskly through the parking lot, and I get
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  Speaker 4: this shortness of breath.
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  Speaker 3: What could that be.
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  Speaker 4: I'm not just coming down with something or I'm not
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  Speaker 4: just going to ignore it until I can't complete that walk.
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  Speaker 3: Maybe I should get that checked out.
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  Speaker 4: And that's and that's a that's a very u that's
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  Speaker 4: a very important warning sign that you that you point out.
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  Speaker 2: Thank you very good.
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  Speaker 1: When we start talking about different things, say here lifestyle interventions.
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  Speaker 1: Some of us haven't seen a doctor for twenty thirty
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  Speaker 1: years until something happens.
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  Speaker 2: And that's really not a good thing.
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  Speaker 1: But anyway, what are some things that we can do
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  Speaker 1: to kind of put off anything or maybe correct or
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  Speaker 1: just keep ourselves helping it in the fast lane when
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  Speaker 1: it comes to our hearts.
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  Speaker 4: Well, and you know, we do have access to more
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  Speaker 4: information now on our fingertips with the Internet than we
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  Speaker 4: ever have before, and there is information out there that's
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  Speaker 4: very helpful. However, you know, getting established with your primary
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  Speaker 4: care doctor and they're improving access to primary care here
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  Speaker 4: in Brlsville as we speak. We'll put you in the
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  Speaker 4: driver's seat now you have a partner with this and
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  Speaker 4: discuss the risk factors as we talked about, and how
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  Speaker 4: to stay healthy. And if we start early, then we
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  Speaker 4: don't have to play catch up when we've ignored it
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  Speaker 4: for ten years and then we get evaluated.
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  Speaker 3: So I'd say, access to.
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  Speaker 4: Your primary care doc, get established early on, get that
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  Speaker 4: partnership that that person will know you very well, and
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  Speaker 4: then the lifestyle changes that you think, well me as
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  Speaker 4: we kind of you talked about earlier, going back to
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  Speaker 4: the basics of taking care of this body. And rest
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  Speaker 4: is as important as it ever has been, and we
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  Speaker 4: don't get enough of it.
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  Speaker 3: Like you said, our body heals during that time.
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  Speaker 4: It calms down, the mind calms down, the heart rest
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  Speaker 4: controlling our blood pressure, so checking checking your blood pressure
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  Speaker 4: on a regular basis. The cuffs are available, the risk
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  Speaker 4: cuffs are fine, is very helpful. And if you notice
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  Speaker 4: that it's above our goal, say of one thirties on
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  Speaker 4: the top number, then ask about it and then keeping
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  Speaker 4: our making good decisions, so to speak, with a diet
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  Speaker 4: with diet choices and making it sustainable. In other words,
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  Speaker 4: it's not like you have to go cold turkey on
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  Speaker 4: everything you love, but you make smart decisions about what
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  Speaker 4: you eat. And so you may treat yourself on a
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  Speaker 4: Friday night, that's fine, but the rest of the time,
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  Speaker 4: you're really making good decisions about a heart healthy diet.
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  Speaker 4: And the diet to kind of explores the Mediterranean diet
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  Speaker 4: that does include more fish and vegetables and all of it,
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  Speaker 4: and it sounds well, wow, I am. I'm not a
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  Speaker 4: fan of that diet, and I'm just suggesting that you
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  Speaker 4: mix it in.
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  Speaker 3: You don't go all or nothing.
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  Speaker 4: We make it sustainable so that long term you're happy
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  Speaker 4: and your body's happy.
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  Speaker 3: So and then exercise is the last part of that.
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  Speaker 4: So well, I'm not a I don't like to do
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  Speaker 4: you know, cross fit things like that.
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  Speaker 3: No.
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  Speaker 4: No, the well a low to moderate level of activity
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  Speaker 4: on a consistent basis that gets your heart going. You're
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  Speaker 4: breathing a little hard, but but it's not taxing on you.
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  Speaker 4: It's all you need for heart health. And the Wellness
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  Speaker 4: Center no matter how what your physical challenges are or
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  Speaker 4: or or you know experience with exercise, the Wellness Center
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  Speaker 4: can get you started with an array of programs.
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  Speaker 1: What I've noticed for people who are in their nineties,
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  Speaker 1: yeah and still active, right, they're active because they've always
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  Speaker 1: been active. One and two they keep that ticker going.
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  Speaker 1: They actually walk after meals. They'll walk after lunch, maybe
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  Speaker 1: around the block or longer. And also after dinner they'll
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  Speaker 1: take a nice little leisurely walk to either on the
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  Speaker 1: treadmill or outdoors and getting some fresh air.
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  Speaker 2: And it has just added many more active years to
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  Speaker 2: their lives.
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  Speaker 1: And they seem to have all the lights on and
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  Speaker 1: functioning just at a much better level than folks who don't.
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  Speaker 3: I think you're exactly right, tom Man.
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  Speaker 1: Now you have your annual community heart talk coming up tomorrow.
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  Speaker 2: How do we get in on this? How do we register?
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  Speaker 2: Where do we go? The four to one? What do
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  Speaker 2: you got?
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  Speaker 3: It's real easy, no registration required.
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  Speaker 4: It's going to be held at the hospital and the
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  Speaker 4: classroom there two thirty to three thirty. The communities welcome,
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  Speaker 4: and we just want to give a short educational speel
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  Speaker 4: on a common disease state and all, well three out
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  Speaker 4: of the four doctors will be there tomorrow, and then
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  Speaker 4: we also want to answer questions from the community some
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  Speaker 4: things that may be on your mind, and just be present,
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  Speaker 4: be part of the community, and give a little advice
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  Speaker 4: during Heart month.
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  Speaker 1: I understand that a lot of couples go to this,
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  Speaker 1: and also younger people who are caring for others attend
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  Speaker 1: to things like this pretty much on a regular basis
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  Speaker 1: because this knowledge is really really good for what they're
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  Speaker 1: going through or what they may be going through. And
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  Speaker 1: you don't have to be fifty sixty years old. You
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  Speaker 1: can meet in your twenties and still.
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  Speaker 3: Come to this right you absolutely can.
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  Speaker 4: This is a unique form that just gives you the
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  Speaker 4: opportunity to kind of get face to face with the
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  Speaker 4: cardiologist here in town and ask questions that are relevant
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  Speaker 4: to you as well as here get a little education.
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  Speaker 1: And beyond the Heart Talk, where can people go in
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  Speaker 1: Bartlesfield to access cardiovascular care?
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  Speaker 4: Well, Jane Phillips Ascension, Heart and Vascular Center on Frank Phillips.
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  Speaker 4: We've been at that location for a number of years now.
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  Speaker 4: They're four cardiologists there and we'll be happy to serve,
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  Speaker 4: happy to have you, and happy to serve you.
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  Speaker 2: Well.
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  Speaker 1: Great, this is gonna be awesome, folks. So if you
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  Speaker 1: can put that down on your calendar. Two thirty to
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  Speaker 1: three thirty I go to the Heart Talk. It's the
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  Speaker 1: annual community Heart Talk at a Sentence Saint John Medical Center.
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  Speaker 2: It's first flour conference room, and you know, just come
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  Speaker 2: in with an open mind and a lot of questions.
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  Speaker 3: I guess right, that's right, Tom exactly.
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  Speaker 4: We hope you leave there with a little bit more
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  Speaker 4: than when you came, and you get questions answered, as
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  Speaker 4: you said, about anything that's on your mind from a father, mother,
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  Speaker 4: or yourself. And then if need be get established with
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  Speaker 4: one of our heart doctors.
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  Speaker 1: Doctor Merl, thank you for being part of our show
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  Speaker 1: today and thank you for sharing with us.
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  Speaker 3: You're welcome. Tom My Pleasure.
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  Speaker 1: All righty folks, you've been watching and listening to our
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  Speaker 1: community connection