By Mary O’KEEFE

“Every year about 735,000 Americans have a heart attack. Of these, 525,000 are a first heart attack and 210,000 happen in people who have already had a heart attack,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

When people have a heart attack, or are diagnosed with a heart condition, their concerns might be centered on the future. Will there be another heart issue or another attack? Should a nutrition plan be created? Is exercising good and, if so, how much of a workout is safe?

Exercise is important for heart health and USC Verdugo Hills Hospital is making it easier for heart patients to work out with confidence.

“It is very important for [heart patients] to exercise,” said Michelle Sullivan, PT, DPT, director of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, USC VHH Keck Medicine.

Sullivan directs the Cardiac Rehabilitation Services (CRS) at USC-VHH where those who have been diagnosed with a heart condition can work out with medical support. Those who use the CRS have the advantage of having their blood pressure monitored, and even an EKG machine hooked up to them, allowing them to exercise confidently knowing how their heart is reacting as they work out.

“The heart is a muscle and like every [muscle] it needs to build to get stronger,” Sullivan said.

People can start off slow and build their fortitude as their body gets stronger.

“Throughout the course they can gain endurance,” she said. “[CRS] is part of the whole socialization piece of the [therapy].”

In addition to strengthening the body, it is important to strengthen the emotional side that accompanies heart issues.

“We don’t have a television [at the gym] so people socialize and keep track of each other’s [progress],” Sullivan said.

She added some of the CRS participants have worked out at the gym for over 10 years. They develop relationships with other patients and help each other deal with the various issues they all face. A diagnosis of heart disease can be very lonely but with CRS people feel less alone.

In addition to workouts being monitored, there is always a doctor nearby.

“Dr. Eric Lee, [MD, cardiologist and medical director] is in the hospital [almost] every week day,” Sullivan said.

Dr. Lee stops by often to see those exercising. This is another part of the comfort level that keeps stress down for those working out at the facility. Sullivan added the hospital has included nutritional services to their program designed for cardiac patients ¬– a suggestion by Dr. Lee.

People who would like to learn about nutrition can register with the CRS and enjoy a free meal with a dietician. The program is offered on the first Tuesday of each month from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., and on the third Wednesday of each month from noon to 1 p.m. A 10-event Mindful Eating Series begins later this month and is open to the general public. It takes place Wednesday mornings from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. from Jan. 23 to March 27 at USC Verdugo Hills Hospital, 1812 Verdugo Blvd. in Glendale 91208. Registration is required for each event. The topic for the Jan. 23 session is “Defend Your Health.”

For those interested in the CRS and/or the nutritional program, they can contact USC-VHH at (818) 952-2229. Those wanting to attend the CRS must first contact their physician for a prescription.

  Mary Okeefe