You and Your Health and Safety

Health Awareness Offers Programs at Center City And Ford Road

Center City campus Health Awareness programs include National Heart Month observances and the kickoff of two new programs. Ford Road employees can take advantage of a new program, as well as programs on osteoporosis and sleep problems.

CENTER CITY CAMPUS

• Heart Month ­p; on Thursday, February 1, Wednesday, February 14, and Thursday, February 29, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., in the east Atrium cafeteria, Jefferson's cardiac clinical nurse specialists will offer information and answer questions about your heart health.
• Feel Like a Million ­p; registration: Monday through Friday, February 5 through 9; classes: Monday, February 12 through Friday, March 29. Fee: $5. Also at Ford Road. This fun-filled, motivating eight-week stress management program will help you feel your best. Using a financial theme and a variety of physical, mental, emotional and social activities that you practice on your own, you'll learn to cope better when the inevitable stress-producer hits. This self-paced program even allows you to earn incentive prizes. Look for the announcement and registration form in interoffice mail or call 6319 for more information.
• Eating Well With Diabetes ­p; five Wednesdays, February 28, March 6, 13, 20 and 27; noon to 1 p.m; 202 College; fee: $50; registration deadline, Friday, February 23. Healthy eating is the first step in taking better care of diabetes. When you couple conflicting information about this condition with your unique lifestyle and food preferences, eating right can be a difficult juggling act. This five-week class taught by a registered dietitian will make you better able to control your daily food choices while aiming for better control of your blood sugars. Topics include: the relationship between nutrition and diabetes, overview of basic diet goals and principles, the importance of self-monitoring, balancing food groups, food sources of carbohydrates and their effect on blood sugar, carbohydrate control, sugar ­p; not a poison, fiber ­p; a friend, cutting back on fat, label reading, food preparation and meal planning. Preregistration is required. To register or for more information, call 6319.

FORD ROAD CAMPUS

• Feel Like a Million; see description above.
• Osteoporosis ­p; Friday, February 9; noon to 1 p.m.; Boardroom; free John L. Abruzzo, MD, director of the Jefferson Osteoporosis Center, will address advances in preventing, detecting and treating this brittle bone disease, including bone density scanning, estrogen replacement therapy and newly approved medications. To reserve your seat or for more information, call 6319.
• SleepWell! Program ­p; Monday, February 5; noon to 1 p.m.; Boardroom; free. You need a good night's sleep to keep yourself productive, safe and healthy. If you're among the one third of adults not getting their necessary sleep, you'll want to hear Karl Doghramji, MD, medical director of Jefferson's Sleep Disorders Center. Dr. Doghramji will help you understand what constitutes "normal" sleep, determine whether you have a sleep problem, provide you with simple self-care techniques and discuss when to seek professional help. To reserve your seat or for more information, call 6319.

Adult Vaccinations Can Help Save Your Life

If you thought adulthood meant the end of immunizations, think again. Kenneth R. Epstein, MD, internal medicine, says that you're never too old to be at risk for serious illnesses. Below are the immunizations Dr. Epstein recommends for adults:

Adolescents and young adults ­p; hepatitis B if in high-risk group (check with your physician); primary series of tetanus-diphtheria if there is no documentation of childhood vaccination and then a booster shot every 10 years; measles-mumps-rubella if there's no evidence of live-virus immunization against measles after the first birthday, physician-documented measles infection or laboratory-proven immunity.

Age 25 to 64 ­p; annual flu shots if in high-risk group (check with your physician); tetanus-diphtheria every 10 years; measles-mumps-rubella for adults born after 1956 who have no evidence of live-virus immunization against measles after their first birthday, physician-documented measles infection or laboratory proven immunity.

Age 65 and over ­p; annual flu shots; tetanus-diphtheria every 10 years; pneumococcal vaccine, given once in a lifetime to protect against pneumococcal pneumonia, the most common type of bacterial pneumonia.

For Your Heart's Sake, Heed These Warning Signs

February is American Heart Month, and this year's campaign focuses on the early warning signs of a heart attack. Incidentally, heart disease is the number one killer of women, so females also need to be aware of symptoms that signal their heart is in distress.

"The most prominent symptom of a heart attack is pain, tightness, pressure or ache in the chest, neck, jaw, back or arms," says Jefferson cardiologist Albert N. Brest, MD. "Rest does not make the pain go away, and if it occurs in association with any of the following symptoms, go immediately to the nearest emergency room," urges Dr. Brest. These symptoms include:

• Faintness, dizziness, weakness, excess sweating
• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• A feeling of severe indigestion

The sooner you seek treatment, the less damage to your heart muscle and the better your chance of surviving. Chest pain that occurs during exercise and subsides when you stop exerting yourself, may mean a coronary artery is partially blocked and a heart attack could be lurking in your future. See your doctor for a complete check-up if you suffer chest pain or shortness of breath while exercising.

Rethinking Weight Gain

Your bathroom scale may be the best barometer of heart disease risk, according to a recent study that rebuts the acceptability of midlife weight gain. The study, which focused on women, showed that even gaining as little as 11 pounds after age 35 increases heart disease risk. Weight gain, not merely obesity, joins the list of heart disease risk factors: high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, a family history of heart disease and harmful habits, such as cigarette smoking and sedentary living. Jefferson cardiologist Marc L. Schwartz, MD, says that women whose weight has been creeping up every year should see their doctor to discuss their risk of developing heart disease, especially if they have other risk factors.

Women whose doctors advise them to lose weight should take a sensible approach, cautions Jefferson registered dietitian Cheryl Marco, RD. Stay away from crash diets. Adding physical activity to your life, along with a diet rich in carbohydrates and fiber, will boost your metabolism and help you lose weight gradually and safely.