Heart Month - Eating healthier fats could reduce heart disease deaths worldwide

American Heart Association Rapid Access Journal Report

January 20, 2016 Categories: Heart News

Study Highlights

• Eating healthier fats could save more than a million people worldwide from dying from heart disease each year.
• Refined carbohydrates and saturated fats should be replaced with heart-protective vegetable oils.
• While estimated deaths related to consumption of trans fats is on the decline in high-income countries, it is a growing problem worldwide because of the use of inexpensive partially-hydrogenated cooking fats in lower-income countries.

Embargoed until 3 p.m. CT / 4 p.m. ET, Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2016

DALLAS, Jan. 20, 2015 — Eating healthier fats could save more than a million people internationally from dying from heart disease, and the types of diet changes needed differ greatly between countries, according to new research in Journal of the American Heart Association.

“Worldwide, policymakers are focused on reducing saturated fats. Yet, we found there would be a much bigger impact on heart disease deaths if the priority was to increase the consumption of polyunsaturated fats as a replacement for saturated fats and refined carbohydrates, as well as to reduce trans fats,” said Dariush Mozaffarian, M.D., Dr.P.H., senior study author and dean of the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science & Policy in Boston. Refined carbohydrates are found in sugary foods or beverages and are generally high in rapidly digested starch or sugar and low in nutrition.

He said this study provides, for the first time, a rigorous comparison of global heart disease burdens estimated to be attributable to insufficient intake of polyunsaturated fats versus higher intake to saturated fats.

Polyunsaturated fats can help reduce bad cholesterol levels in the blood which can lower the risk of heart disease and stroke. Oils rich in polyunsaturated fats also provide essential fats that your body needs – such as some long chain fatty acids. Foods that contain polyunsaturated fats include soybean, corn and sunflower oils, tofu, nuts and seeds, and fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, herring and trout.

To estimate the number of annual deaths related to various patterns of fat consumption, researchers used diet and food availability information from 186 countries, and research from previous longitudinal studies– which study people over long periods of time – on how eating specific fats influences heart disease risk. Using 2010 data, they estimate worldwide:

• 711,800 heart disease deaths worldwide were estimated to be due to eating too little healthy omega-6 polyunsaturated fats, such as healthy vegetable oils, as a replacement for both saturated fats and refined carbohydrates. That accounted for 10.3 percent of total global heart disease deaths.  In comparison, only about 1/3 of this – 250,900 heart disease deaths -– resulted from excess consumption of saturated fats instead of healthier vegetable oils;  accounting for 3.6 percent of global heart disease deaths. Saturated fats are found in meat, cheeses and -fat dairy products, as well as palm and coconut oils.  The authors suggest that the difference is due to the additional benefits of increasing omega-6 polyunsaturated fats as a replacement for carbohydrates.
• In addition, 537,200 deaths, which represent 7.7 percent of global heart disease deaths – resulted from excess consumption of trans fats, such as those in processed, baked, and fried goods as well as cooking fats used in certain countries.

Comparing 1990 to 2010, the investigators found that the proportion of heart disease deaths due to insufficient omega-6 polyunsaturated fat declined 9 percent and that due to high saturated fats declined by 21 percent. In contrast, deaths due to high consumption of trans fats rose 4 percent.

“People think of trans fats as being only a rich country problem due to packaged and fast-food products.  But, in middle and low income nations such as India and in the Middle East, there is wide use of inexpensive, partially hydrogenated cooking fats in the home and by street vendors. Because of strong policies, trans fat-related deaths are going down in Western nations (although still remaining important in the United States and Canada), but in many low- and middle-income countries, trans fat-related deaths appear to be going up, making this a global problem,” Mozaffarian said.

In the study, nations in the former Soviet Union, particularly Ukraine, had the highest rates of heart-disease deaths related to low consumption of heart-protective omega-6 polyunsaturated fat. Tropical nations, such as Kiribati, the Solomon Islands, the Philippines and Malaysia, had the highest rates of heart-disease deaths related to excess saturated fat consumption.

“We should be a cautious in interpreting the results for saturated fat from tropical nations that consume lots of palm oil. Our model assumes that the saturated fats in palm oil have the same heart-disease risk as animal fats. Many of the blood cholesterol effects are similar, but long-term studies have not specifically looked at the heart disease risk of tropical oils,” said Mozaffarian.

“These findings should be of great interest to both the public and policy makers around the world, helping countries to set their nutrition priorities to combat the global epidemic of heart disease,” Mozaffarian concluded.

Co-authors are Qianyi Wang, Sc.D.; Ashkan Afshin, Sc.D., M.D.; Mohammad Yawar Yakoob, Sc.D., M.D.; Gitanjali M. Singh, Ph.D.; Colin D. Rehm, Ph.D., M.P.H.; Shahab Khatibzadeh, M.D.; Renata Micha, Ph.D. and Peilin Shi, Ph.D., on behalf of the Global Burden of Diseases Nutrition and Chronic Diseases Expert Group. Author disclosures are on the manuscript.

The research was undertaken as part of the 2010 Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study which is supported in part by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health (award number R01HL115189).

Additional Resources:

• Fats and oils infographic and healthy fat images are located in the right column of this release link http://newsroom.heart.org/news/eating-healthier-fats-could-reduce-heart-disease-deaths-worldwide?preview=fd72ef448b9822347dc3303f085f0f01 
• American Heart Association nutrition resources
• Fats and Oils
• For updates and new science from JAHA, follow @JAHA_AHA.
• Follow AHA/ASA news on Twitter @HeartNews.

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Statements and conclusions of study authors published in American Heart Association scientific journals are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect the association’s policy or position. The association makes no representation or guarantee as to their accuracy or reliability. The association receives funding primarily from individuals; foundations and corporations (including pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations and fund specific association programs and events. The association has strict policies to prevent these relationships from influencing the science content. Revenues from pharmaceutical and device corporations are available atwww.heart.org/corporatefunding.

**SPECIAL EDITION** Welcome to 2016!

Happy New Year and warm greetings from Practice Transformation Institute (PTI.) January 2016 has arrived and we hope that the business goals you’ve set for the New Year are already headed in the right direction. If you haven’t made a decision on what type of education or staff development programs that are needed for your employees, we’d like to help. In this January 2016 Special Edition of our newsletter, we would like to acquaint you with the programs and services that Practice Transformation Institute (PTI) currently offers.

PTI is a not-for-profit provider accredited by the Michigan State Medical Society (MSMS) to provide CME for physicians. We are also an International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) Accredited Provider and adhere to the highest standards of the training profession. Our training programs and continuing education can be delivered at your facility, a facility of choice, or at PTI’s training center in Madison Heights.

We have a wide range of educational programs for health care professionals that can be customized to fit your organization’s needs. The programs can be done in a live environment, online, or a combination of live and online blended learning.

Blended programs. Some of our current blended programs include:

• Moderate Care Manager Training–The classes are designed to educate health care professionals in the specifics of primary care management for adult and pediatric patients with mild to moderate illness. The ultimate goals are to control and minimize risks associated with chronic conditions while helping to prevent the development of new chronic conditions in at-risk patients.
• Adult Oncology Care Manager Training –You’ll get the general knowledge base and skill set provided in the moderate care manager training, along with addressing the specific needs of the adult oncology patient.
•  High Intensity Care Manager Training – The program is built on the moderate care manager training, but with a focus on the needs of the high risk or geriatric patient. 
• Care Management Training for the Community Pharmacist – This program is specifically designed to integrate Doctors of Pharmacy, Registered Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians into the interprofessional healthcare team.

Evidence-based programs. Our master trainers not only train new leaders, but provide these workshops to the community along with our leaders and yours. Do you want one of these workshops at your office or a community setting? Reach out to us and we’ll be glad to help your organization or work with your leaders.

• National Diabetes Prevention Program –The Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention established the National Diabetes Prevention Program to help prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes with lifestyle modifications. This year-long program helps participants make real lifestyle changes such as eating healthier, including physical activity into their daily lives, and improving problem-solving skills.
•   A Matter of Balance– An eight week group intervention that teaches practical strategies to reduce the fear of falling and increase activity levels.
• PATH (Personal Action Toward Health) Chronic Disease Self-Management Program and the Diabetes Self-Management Program – PATH is Michigan’s name for these two Stanford University programs that provide strategies for the day-to-day management of chronic or long-term health conditions. Workshops are six weeks long.

Custom learning programs designed for your organization. PTI is passionately committed to providing experiential learning for all levels of an organization.  Our goal is for an organization to realize meaningful, sustainable change and positive measurable movement towards established goals and objectives in a health care setting. If you’re interested in a custom program, let us know.We’ll design one specifically for your organization. PTI’s curriculum covers a wide variety of practice operations, team building and leadership topics such as:

• Integration of Behavioral Health into Primary Care
• Decoding CMS’s Hierarchical Condition Categories
• Motivational Interviewing
• Introduction to the PCMH, Interprofessional Collaboration, Chronic Care Model, Population Health, Model for Improvement, Process Improvement, Group Visits
• Self-Management Training, Shared Decision Making
• Quality Improvement and Using Data to Drive Decisions

Udemy. PTI has chosen Udemy.com as our online learning platform. Udemy courses not only can be accessed through your computer, but directly from an iPhone, iPad or Android device after application download. We currently have three standalone courses available on Udemy.com and will continue to add new offerings.

•  Health Literacy and Cultural Competency in Care Planning – Includes advance care planning in end-of-life care and health literacy influences
•  NCQA PCMH 2014 Building Blocks: The Must Pass Elements–This is an essential online course for primary care practices who are thinking of pursuing, or are pursuing, the NCQA Patient Centered Medical Home Recognition. All six must-pass elements are the building blocks of a patient centered medical home and required for recognition at any of the three levels.
•  Care Management: Tools of the Trade–Learn how a care management shared record, caregiver support, and telephonic and electronic outreach impact patient health.

Patient centered medical home. PTI has supported the patient centered medical home model of care from the beginning. Overall patient care improvements include reduced appointment wait times, better access to care, enhanced care coordination, increased patient satisfaction, reduction in emergency room visits, and improved rates of disease management.We can help facilitate the process toward NCQA’s national recognition.

• NCQA PCMH 2014 Building Blocks: The Must-Pass Elements - See the Udemy NCQA narrative above.
• NCQA PCMH 2014 Coaching- PTI has an NCQA CPMH Certified Content Expert on staff with packages available for interested practices.

CME co-providership program. Have you ever thought of attaching CME to your learning event? Let PTI help with our CME Co-Providership Program. Since we are accredited by the Michigan State Medical Society, we will make sure that your CME event is planned, implemented and evaluated in accordance with the MSMS accreditation requirements.What is the process for this? It’s not as hard as you might think. We would need to know the purpose and intended audience for the proposed CME program. Our CME Committee would evaluate if the proposed program qualifies as a CME activity. If it does, we would send out a Co-Provider Agreement. Once the agreement is signed and returned, the CME application and other CME documents would be emailed for completion and return to PTI. The CME Committee would go over all documents and any needed changes would be communicated to the co-provider. After appropriate changes are made, the documents are re-sent to the CME Committee for final approval.

Leadership retreats. Practice retreats can be offered at a site of your choice. Retreats can be designed for physicians, individual practice teams, or large groups of practice teams. Tailored training and more in-depth subject matter related to practice transformation will be developed upon request. Retreats can be designed for half-day to two day sessions, and more than one topic can be covered at a given retreat.Teams who have attended our leadership retreats find them energetic, entertaining and fun.

PTI is working on developing new programs for 2016. Stay tuned to hear more in future newsletters. Check out our website at www.transformcoach.org and follow us on social media.

Remember that programs for your employees are an investment in your most important resource, your people.Just tell us what you want and we will take care of the details. We’ll come up with a plan that meets your organization’s goals and budget. Please contact Harmony Kinkle at hkinkle@transformcoach.org or 248.475.4736 for more information.

We wish you a prosperous and wonderful 2016. Onward!

The PTI Team

Hooray for the Holidays!

The holiday season is upon us once again. While it is a time to be festive and celebrate with friends and family, it can also become the time of year when we overeat and gain weight. If we focus instead on a healthy balance of food choices and keeping our bodies active, the holiday season doesn’t have to mean a time of packing on the pounds.

Here are a few tips to keep those calories down but still enjoy the season:

·         Reduce the amount of fat and calories you consume. Eat white turkey without the skin. Skim the fat off of gravy after refrigeration. Use skim milk, non-fat yogurt or broth to make mashed potatoes instead of whole milk and butter. Substitute egg whites for whole eggs in desserts. Top those desserts with fresh fruit instead of frosting. Use low-fat or non-fat soups for casseroles. Search that unlimited source of information - the Internet - for other healthy alternatives. You’ll be amazed at how fat and calories can be easily reduced without sacrificing taste.

·         Pay attention to portion size. If you eat too much at one meal, go easy on the next. It takes 500 calories or 3500 calories per week above your usual consumption to gain a pound.

·         Keep problem items off the kitchen counter or coffee table and replace with healthier items. We may grab sweets in a holiday bowl or cookie tin without being mindful about them.

·         Watch the office goodies. This is the time of year where well-meaning coworkers bake their special holiday treats and offices receive food gifts from customers. Go easy at those pot lucks. You don’t have to try everything.

·         Don’t skip meals in anticipation of a future one. Eat a healthy snack before you go to that holiday party so you don’t feel like you’re starving and overindulge as soon as you get there.

·         Cruise that buffet table and enjoy the view, but choose carefully. Don’t stand there for hours and graze while you socialize. Skip your least favorite things. Don’t forget fruits and vegetables to keep a balanced plate.

·         Don’t stuff yourself. Eat slow when you savor those holiday treats. Be mindful. Enjoy the taste, smell and texture. Use small plates.

·         Watch not only the alcohol indulgence, but the non-alcoholic beverages with high calorie count. They can pack on the calories while you’re socializing. Alternate with diet sodas or sparkling flavored waters.

·         Become familiar with www.choosemyplate.gov to learn more about food groups, portion sizes and healthy choices. There is no better time than now to start making changes.

·         Keep activity on the forefront during this time of year. It can help relieve the holiday stress and prevent weight gain. Use our glorious Michigan winters to go sledding, ice skating or building snowmen. Go for a walk outside on sunny days. Remember that cleaning your house for guests and running through the mall counts toward activity. Hooray for that!

·         As we move toward the New Year, keep activity as a way of life and try get it most days of the week. Thirty minutes is the goal, but activity can be done in 2 fifteen-minute periods or even 3 ten-minute periods. It doesn’t have to be done all at once. It just needs to get done.

The message? Enjoy the holidays and the food, but in moderation. If you splurge one night, don’t beat yourself up. Get right back on track the next day. Choose your indulgences wisely. Have that piece of pie, but not the second piece. Enjoy one cookie, not four of them. Keep yourself active during the winter. Go to the mall, run up and down your stairs, park farther out in the parking lot, do a workout on television, take the dog for a walk or join a gym. Add some healthier recipes to your holiday portfolio or change up the family recipes that you’ve used for years. Be bold with your choices! Remember that moderation is the key to a healthy lifestyle. Your body will thank you.

Pharmacists Join the Care Management Team

Practice Transformation Institute has a program specifically designed to integrate Doctors of Pharmacy, Registered Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians into the interprofessional healthcare team.  Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians already contribute to the health and wellness of individuals and communities by being the medication experts. Studies have shown they are performing more patient care activities such as health coaching and medical therapy management in a variety of settings and spending less time in the traditional role of dispensing medications. Their role is expanding further to provide leadership in quality improvement initiatives and medication-related measures.

The ability to communicate and collaborate effectively as a member of the interprofessional practice team is essential to improve health outcomes and deliver safe and quality care to all patients. This course provides core competencies to become a member of a high-functioning, patient-centered team as students learn how to manage and use available resources to promote health improvement, wellness and disease prevention. It is a blend of online on-demand courses and one in-person training day. The many topics covered in this program include:

·         Introduction to Care Management Principles

·         Introduction to the Patient Centered Medical Home

·         Integration of the Community Pharmacist into the Practice Team

·         Linkage to Community Services

·         MQIC Evidence Based Guidelines for Diabetes, Heart Failure and Hypertension

·         Patient Registry

·         Group Visits

·         Transitions in Care

·         PatientPing

·         HEDIS

·         CMS STAR Ratings and HCC (Hierarchical Condition Categories)

·         Behavioral Health

·         Pharmacy Data Interpretation/Utilization/Cost

Pharmacists can affect the quality of patient care, increase access to care for patients and provide cost-effective care. They can make an impact on patients every day. Patients want pharmacists on their interprofessional healthcare team. Are your pharmacists ready? Contact Harmony at hkinkle@transformcoach.org or 248.475.4736 for more information about bringing this innovative new program to your workplace or location of choice. 

PTI Online Learning is here!

PTI seeks to empower practices and other organizations with the tools they need to improve patient health outcomes and the individual care delivery experience. We’re always looking for ways to customize learning options to meet the diverse needs of our clients. With that in mind, PTI is excited to announce that we’ve added online learning to our portfolio of educational offerings.

Online learning provides a quality alternative to an in-person course. Although not every course is suited for online learning, there are many courses that can be dynamic and engaging in this format. Online learning offers convenience and flexibility as courses can be taken any time, any place, day or night. We’ve already used a blended format of online and onsite training for our successful Moderate Care Manager Program.

PTI has chosen Udemy.com as our online learning platform. Udemy courses not only can be accessed through your computer, but directly from an iPhone, iPad or Android device after application download. We currently have three courses available on Udemy.com and will continue to add new offerings. These are:

Health Literacy and Cultural Competency in Care Planning

https://www.udemy.com/health-literacy-and-cultural-competency-in-care-planning/?couponCode=HealthLiteracy

NCQA PCMH 2014 Building Blocks: The Must Pass Elements

https://www.udemy.com/ncqa-pcmh-2014-building-blocks-the-must-pass-elements/?couponCode=NCQA2014

Care Management: Tools of the Trade

https://www.udemy.com/care-management-tools-of-the-trade/?couponCode=CareMGT

Let PTI take you to the next level with our quality online programs. The road to education can be driven in many different ways and vehicles. Jump into the driver’s seat with the freedom of PTI’s online courses.  Contact Harmony at hkinkle@transformcoach.org or 248.475.4736 for more information about our current offerings or to customize an online program for your organization. 

PTI is ready to deliver the National Diabetes Prevention Program!

PTI is ready to deliver the National Diabetes Prevention Program!

Practice Transformation Institute has lifestyle coaches who can bring the year-long National Diabetes Prevention Program (NDPP) to prediabetics in an organization or community setting. This empowering program was developed by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention to help prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes. It is evidenced-based with research showing that lifestyle modifications can cut the risk of type 2 diabetes in half. The program encourages collaboration among federal agencies, community-based organizations, insurers, employers, health care professionals and other stakeholders. Due to this nationwide push, it is growing in leaps and bounds to help stop the ongoing threat of prediabetes in the United States.

Prediabetes is identified when a blood sugar level is higher than normal, but not high enough for someone to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Eighty-six million adults in the United States have prediabetes, with nine out of ten people not knowing they have it.

The risk for prediabetes and diabetes is higher if the person is:

·         Overweight or obese

·         Has a family history of the disease

·         Aged 45 or older

·         Not physically active

·         Had diabetes while pregnant

·         Is African American, American Indian, Hispanic, Asian American or Pacific Islander

This lifestyle changing program consists of:

·         A year-long commitment of participants to:

o   Eat healthier

o   Include physical activity into their daily lives

o   Incorporate problem-solving strategies to maintain positive lifestyle changes

·         A small group setting with others making the same achievable changes

·         Sixteen sessions during the first six months to provide core learning

·         Six sessions for the last six months to reinforce and build on content

·         A  lifestyle coach trained by an approved organization

o   Coaches motivate and encourage

o   Build on group dynamics to reach successful outcomes for participants

To participate in the NDPP, a person must be overweight and already have been diagnosed with prediabetes or be at high risk. Prediabetes is determined by one of the following blood test results:

·         Fasting plasma glucose between 100 – 125 mg/d

·         A1C between 5.7% and 6.4%

·         Two hour plasma glucose between 140 – 199 mg/dl

A combination of risk factors such as family history, being overweight or obese, having gestational diabetes and inactivity can also put a person at risk making them eligible for the NDPP.

An online test to see diabetes risk is on our PTI website, along with a CDC video that discusses the program. http://www.transformcoach.org/national-diabetes-prevention-program

We hope that providers will recommend the NDPP to those at risk for type 2 diabetes. Patients look to their health care providers more than any other source for information on promoting health and preventing disease.

If you’d like to learn more about how PTI can deliver the NDPP to your organization or community setting, please contact Harmony at hkinkle@transformcoach.org or 248.475.4736.

Do you want to host a PATH or A Matter of Balance workshop?

Practice Transformation Institute believes in empowering people to take an active role in self-management of their health. Evidence-based programs such as PATH and A Matter of Balance workshops are a great way to acquire new skills to help control and manage conditions, and avoid disabling complications of illness and the aging process. Classes and peer support allow interaction and learning from one another in a group environment.

What is PATH? PATH (Personal Action Toward Health) is Michigan’s name for the Stanford Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP.) The CDSMP focuses on problems common to people with a variety of health conditions. There is also a Diabetic Self-Management Program we call Diabetes PATH for the day-to-day management of diabetes.

These interactive and enjoyable workshops were developed and tested by Stanford University to help people learn techniques and strategies to help manage their ongoing health condition. Two trained leaders conduct six different sessions over a two and a half hour period. Two of the important items that class participants learn in both workshops are action planning, based on their goals, and problem solving.

Other sessions for PATH include:

·         Dealing with not feeling well

·         Communicating with health care providers, family members and friends

·         Relaxing and overcoming stress, fear, pain, frustration and depression

·         Increasing energy and reducing fatigue

·         Staying independent

Diabetes PATH includes the above plus:

·         Avoiding the complications of diabetes

·         Strategies for sick days

·         Meal planning and healthy eating

·         Preventing low blood sugar

·         Learning about the importance of good foot care

What is A Matter of Balance? This national recognized program was developed at Boston University to reduce the fear of falling and increase activity levels among older adults. Many older adults have an ongoing fear of falling. This may cause them to limit their activities which, in turn, make them physically weaker and an even greater fall risk. A Matter of Balance has small group sessions that meet eight times for two hours and are led by a trained facilitator.

Participants learn how to:

·         View falls as controllable

·         Set realistic goals to increase activity

·         Make changes in their home environment to reduce risk

·         Increase strength and balance with exercise

Anyone who is concerned about falls, has fallen in the past, has restricted their activities due to falling concerns or is interested in improving their balance, flexibility and strength should attend this fun and interactive workshop.

If you’re interested in hosting or learning more about these workshops, please contact Carla Irvin at 248.310.8476 or cirvin@transformcoach.org for any questions.

Don’t let injuries from fireworks become part of your tradition this holiday

Source: http://onsafety.cpsc.gov/

Often, when thinking of the Fourth of July, one of the first things that come to mind are big, beautiful fireworks, with vibrant colors that light up a summer night’s sky. In the midst of all this holiday grandeur, it is important to understand fireworks safety and how to prevent tragedy during your July 4 celebration.

In 2013, 65 percent or 7,400, of all firework injuries occurred in the 30 days surrounding July 4th. The majority of these injuries occurred simply because of the malfunction or improper use of legal and illegal fireworks.

Here are some ways fireworks can malfunction:

• Inconsistent flight paths
• Tip-over incidents
• Early or late ignitions
• Debris and blowouts

You, your friends, and family can be put at risk by:

• Purchasing and using illegal fireworks;
• Letting children use fireworks, including sparklers and firecrackers;
• Creating or modifying any fireworks;
• Igniting fireworks too close to someone or something; and
• Setting off fireworks improperly.

Small fireworks, like bottle rockets, sparklers, and small firecrackers can appear harmless to children, but during the 30 days surrounding July 4, these kinds of fireworks injured an estimated 1,000 children under the age of 5.

Did you know that sparklers can burn so hot they can melt copper? A sparkler can burn at 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit or hotter! That’s as hot as a blow torch!

Take a look at our “Un Spark-tacular Celebration” video on children with sparklers.

If you do decide to buy legal fireworks, be sure to take the following safety steps:

• Never allow young children to play with or ignite fireworks.
• Avoid buying fireworks that come in brown paper packaging; often, this can often be a sign that the fireworks were made for professional displays and could pose a danger to consumers.
• Never have any portion of your body directly over a fireworks device when lighting the fuse.
• Move away to a safe distance immediately after lighting.
• Never try to re-light or pick up fireworks that have not gone off or fully functioned.
• Never point or throw fireworks at another person.
• Keep a bucket of water or a garden hose handy in case of fire or other mishap.
• Light one item at a time, then move away quickly.
• After fireworks have gone off and fully functioned, douse the spent device with plenty of water from a bucket or hose before discarding, to prevent a trash fire.
• Make sure fireworks are legal in your area before buying or using them.
• Know the risks. Prevent the tragedies. And, have an injury-free Fourth!

Celebrate with safety this Fourth of July.

For more information on fireworks safety, visit our Fireworks Safety Information Center

Men’s Health Awareness Month

During the month of June we observe Men’s Health Awareness Month. The month is spent raising awareness among men, boys and their families about disease prevention, screening programs and education. Many people across the nation host “Wear Blue” events to spread the word about getting regular checkups, testicular/prostate cancer education and learn about other health issues that affect men. Building awareness can help men begin living a healthy lifestyle by encouraging them to make a wellness checkup with their health care provider and becoming more informed about their health by asking questions.

Did you know that men die younger than women and at higher rates from the top 10 causes of death? Some of these causes include heart disease, cancer, injuries, stroke, suicide and HIV/AIDS.  Men are also the victims of 92% of workplace deaths.  It is the hope that having a Men’s Health Awareness Month will encourage men to adopt healthier lifestyles that will help them live longer.  

For more information, go to http://www.menshealthmonth.org. 

Getting a Good Night’s Sleep

May is Better Sleep Month. It is dedicated to educating people about the importance of sleep to physical and mental health. How you feel during the day can depend on the quality of sleep you received the night before. Getting a good night’s sleep can help the mind and body recover from events of the day. Everyone has a different amount of sleep that is needed. The recommendation by sleep experts is seven to eight hours each night.

The following are some tips on getting a good night’s sleep:

·         Avoid caffeine (found in coffee, tea, soda, hot chocolate) and alcohol near bedtime. They can interfere with sleep quality.

·         Make a bedtime routine by taking time to relax before bed. Some people like to watch television, read a book, take a bath or listen to soothing music.

·         Keep your room cool.

·         Have a comfortable mattress that allows you to stretch and turn back and forth.

·         Experiment with pillows and blankets. Consider egg crate or foam toppers.

·         Use ear plugs.

·         Turn on a fan or other “white noise” to help you relax.

·         Go to bed the same time every night.

·         Get up the same time every day, including weekends.

·         Don’t exercise within three hours of your bedtime. It can keep you from falling asleep.

·         Make sure your room is dark.

·         Get out in the sunlight each day.

·         Be careful with naps. Quick naps are good for recharging, but if you sleep too long, insomnia can be the result. Limit naps to no more than thirty minutes and try not to nap after dinner.

·         Use your mind by practicing a distraction technique such as counting backwards, making plans for the weekend, or counting sheep. Sometimes distraction can help you relax enough to fall asleep again.

·         Avoid big meals late in the evening that may keep you awake as your body digests.

·         Watch liquids in the evening to avoid frequent bathroom breaks at night.

·         If you take diuretics (water pills) before bed, check with your health care clinician about taking these in the morning to avoid being up to the bathroom.

Insomnia is the most common sleep problem that occurs in adults age sixty and older. People who have insomnia have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep during the night. Waking up at night and having difficulty falling back asleep can also be a sign of anxiety or depression. If sleep problems continue, you may need to talk with your health care clinician. But sometimes experimenting to find your solution to good sleep is all it takes. Good luck!