New Toolkit Can Help You HaveA Healthier Life (NAPSA)—Nearly 30 million Ameri- cans have been diagnosed with heart dis- 7” ease, accordingto the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.If one of them is you or someoneyou care about, you may feel confused about how to go aboutit. Research by the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American Stroke Introducing My Cardiac Coach” Association has shown that many heart attack survivors have trouble understanding their condition,sticking to their treatment plan and makingthelifestyle changes necessary to prevent a recurrent heart attack. And then about a fifth of them over the age of 45 will have another heart attack withinfive years. Fortunately, the AHA has comeup with solution. It developed a free mobile app that can help you find your wayto a health- Even with the best of intentions, many people have trouble keeping up with the recovery process after a heart attack or cardiac surgery—but a free app can help. its a personalized toolkit that people recovering from heart attacks can carry in their smartphones. It gives anytime, anywhereaccessto: Trustworthy information from the ex- disease, boils down the information and ier future. Called My Cardiac Coach, perts at the American Heart Association Interactive lessons to help you know what you need to, including how to ask your doctor questions about everything from nutrition to exercise to medicine Progress trackers for monitoring blood pressure, weight and cholesterol Tools for logging physical activity and managing medications e Connections to other an information tsunami with different opinions across a whole spectrum of data,’ he added. “This app is very intuitive and educational. It walks people through a variety of topics related to cardiovascular makes it easy for a layperson to understand. Andit’s all there right on your phone. “After a heart attack, many patients have other heart- and stroke-related conditions, including high blood pres- sure, high cholesterol and diabetes. One of the most important features is a way to keep track of medications needed to treat a wide range of conditions,’ Dr. Osbornesaid. “Reminders pop up to tell you to take your medication at the appropriate amount and time, which is real- er and founder of State of the Heart Cardiology. ly helpful,” he explained. “A big issue for some people after a heart attack is they're going very quickly from taking no medications to trying to remember to take a handful of different medications a day. “Putting people together with others who've had similar experiences is extremely helpful, psychologically,” Dr. Osborne added. “It makes you feel you're not alone.” Heart attacks are unique to each individual—andsois the recovery pro- Coach for AHA,said trying to recover from a heart attack can be confusing in the information age. recovery kit to help all types of people, no matter if they had a heart attack last weekor severalyears ago. patients have no idea where to start. And if you go on the Internet, you find For further facts, go to wwwheart. survivors through social media and AHAs own support network. It’s designed to be a one-stop shop in aiding recovery and reducing recurrent heart attacks through better self-managementskills and personalgoalsetting. Doctor’s Opinion “It gives patients a whole variety of easy-to-use tools,” said John Osborne, M.D., Ph.D., a cardiologist, research- Dr. Osborne, who tested My Cardiac “After a catastrophic event occurs, cess. The app serves as a personalized Learn More org/mycardiaccoach.
