Health Watch: Heart Health and AFib
February was American Heart month and now that it is March it is time to commit to a healthy heart lifestyle. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the US, affecting 2.7 million Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It can come in many forms. If you suffer from atrial fibrillation (AFib), an irregular heartbeat, it is important to know that it can lead to complications such as blood clots, stroke and heart failure. But what can you do to stay on track and have a healthy heart? Good heart health starts with regular visits to the doctor and taking medications as prescribed. That is why The Hype Magazine took the time to talk with Dr. Moe Jalloh, a pharmacist who helps people understand their medications and stick to their treatment goals. Now get the information you need to have a healthy heart and learn the importance of health and wellness throughout the community.
What is AFib and what are the potential complications?
AFib is when you have an irregular heartbeat. The problem is an increased risk in blood clots as well as heart failure and probably the biggest concern is stroke.
What are the most effective ways to reduce the risk of AFib complications?
The best thing to do if you have AFib is to take medications called blood thinners! They decrease the number of clots in your body to help prevent the risk of a stroke. The tradeoff is that you have an increased risk of bleeding. But what is accepted in the medical community is the benefit of preventing a stroke typically out ways the risk of bleeding in most cases.
Sometimes people don’t always take medication as prescribed. What impact can this have?
Unfortunately, this can increase the risk of people going into the hospital. There have already been a couple of studies where people were not able to take their medication or weren’t taking their medications, resulted in over a 100 billion dollars spent in hospital costs.
What role do you think pharmacists can play in helping people understand their medicines and take them as prescribed?
As pharmacists, we are like the medication experts of the healthcare team. So, what we can do is make it easier for people to understand their medications, as well as, provide tips to make it easier for them to take their medications. We can tell people how medications work, why it works, what are the benefits, or the side effects. We can even give you some tips about what you can do to prevent those side effects from happening!
Where can we go for more information?
If you want more information I think the best thing you can do is go to the American Heart Association website. http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG. They do a very good job of making information easy for anyone to read and understand the different types of heart disease, what AFib is and what are the things people can do to prevent it from happening. Or if you want more information to see if you are at risk for it.
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About the Author
David Morales is the Executive Editor of The Hype magazine. A graduate of Eastern Michigan University, David has a background as an artist manager, writer, blogger, drummer, and in the human services industry. He is passionate about helping others, learning and has a deep empathy for the creative process. You can follow his social media @dcypherstudios
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