Health Resources for Heart Disease | Fidelis Care
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Heart Disease Resources

People of all ages need to keep their heart healthy. Eating well, exercising regularly, and seeing your health care provider can help you keep your heart healthy. Work with your healthcare provider and adopt good lifestyle habits to help lower the risk of heart disease.

Heart disease describes conditions related to plaque building up in the walls of the arteries. Other conditions include arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythms), congenital heart failure, and heart valve problems.

What is your risk?

Heart disease can happen to anyone, including children. You can be born with it, and a family history of heart disease may increase your risk.

Most heart disease develops over time due to poor habits such as smoking or eating an unhealthy diet. Having high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or diabetes also increases your risk of heart disease. Talk with your provider about ways to prevent or manage diabetes and control other risk factors.

What is a good resting heart rate?

A normal resting heart rate for adults ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute (bpm). Remember, factors such as age, physical activity, and overall health can affect what is considered your normal resting heart rate.

Talk to your provider if you have concerns about your heart rate.

How does high blood pressure affect heart health?

The higher your blood pressure levels, the more risk you have for heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. Causes for high blood pressure include:

  • Diabetes
  • Being overweight or obese
  • Smoking
  • Not getting enough regular physical activity
  • Unhealthy diets, including high amounts of sodium and alcohol

Talk to your provider about how you can lower your blood pressure to help avoid heart disease and stroke.

How can you lower your risk of heart disease?
• Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, poultry, and fish; avoid having too much salt or sugar
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Exercise at least 150 minutes per week
• Keep your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar at a healthy level
• Don’t smoke or use any tobacco products
• Follow your doctor’s recommendations
Can heart disease be treated?
Yes. Talk to your provider about how to safely reduce the risk of heart disease. You can also talk about setting goals for a healthier heart. Your provider may also prescribe medication.
What are symptoms of a heart attack?

A heart attack occurs when the flow of blood to the heart is severely reduced or blocked. Be aware of the following symptoms:

  • Fatigue
  • Cold sweat
  • Nausea
  • Chest pain
  • Dizziness
  • Shortness of breath
  • Pain in the jaw, neck, arms, shoulder, or back

Call 911 if you or someone you know is having a heart attack.

What can cause Congestive Heart Failure?

Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a chronic condition that makes it harder for your heart to pump blood and meet your body's needs. The following factors may increase your risk of CHF:

  • Diabetes
  • High cholesterol levels
  • High blood pressure
  • Poor diet
  • Not getting enough physical activity
  • Smoking and/or using tobacco
  • Being overweight or obese
  • Stress

Talk to your provider to learn more about CHF.

What can cause heart arrhythmia?

A heart arrhythmia is an irregular heartbeat. Factors that may cause arrhythmia include:

  • Blood sugar levels that are too low or too high
  • Caffeine, illegal drugs, and certain medications
  • Dehydration
  • Low levels of electrolytes, such as potassium, magnesium, or calcium
  • Physical activity
  • Strong emotional stress or anxiety
  • Vomiting or coughing
  • Smoke
  • Use illegal drugs, such as cocaine or amphetamines
  • Drink alcohol more often and more than is recommended (no more than 2 drinks per day for men and 1 drink per day for women)
  • Take certain antibiotics and over-the-counter allergy and cold medicines

Talk to your provider about how to prevent arrhythmias.

Here are some resources to help you prevent or manage heart disease:

 

Managing Blood Pressure Flyer

American Heart Association

 High Blood Pressure Resources Page (CDC)

Heart Health Articles and Videos (Healthwise)


 

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More Heart Health News:


TV Host Evette Rios to Join Fidelis Care at The 2017 Great New York State Fair
8/22/2017 • Posted by Fidelis Care

SYRACUSE (August 23, 2017) – Fair goers will find healthy school lunch ideas and unique cooking tips from TV host and lifestyle expert Evette Rios, who will highlight Fidelis Care’s presence at The Great New York State Fair this year. The local health plan is also planning free vision screenings for students and a school supply giveaway in addition to its sponsorship of Senior Citizens’ Days and the Adopt-a-Family program. 

Fidelis Care will be on-site during all 13 days of the Fair with an exciting series of events designed to help families get ready for back to school. Each day, representatives will be available at Fidelis Care’s booth in front of the Art and Home Center to answer questions about health insurance and help eligible residents apply for enrollment. 

Youth Day, August 31:

Wegmans Demonstration Kitchen with Evette Rios at 12:30 PM in the Art and Home Center. Evette will be creating crispy cauliflower crust pizza, kale salad with avocado dressing, and superfood brownies. 

“Ask the Expert” with Evette Rios at the Fidelis Care booth from 2-3 PM

Student Day, September 1: 

Fidelis Care will give away over 6,000 free school supplies to help families prepare for the start of the new school year. Fidelis Care Representatives will give backpacks, spiral notebooks, calculators, and pencils to children beginning at 10 AM at Fidelis Care’s booth. 

Fidelis Care will also offer free student vision screenings provided by Davis Vision and Empire Visionworks.

Adopt-a-Family and Senior Days:

Fidelis Care is once again supporting the Adopt-a-Family program, which provides local, low-income families with free admission to the Fair as well as food and entertainment vouchers. In addition, Fidelis Care continues its sponsorship of the Fair’s Senior Citizens’ Days on August 28 and August 29 when visitors age 60 and older are offered free admission to the Fair.

“As a Statewide health plan, Fidelis Care is pleased to have a strong presence at the Fair each year,” said Chief Marketing Officer Pamela Hassen. “It’s always a great opportunity for us to promote health and wellness for children and adults of all ages.” 

"We are pleased to renew and extend our partnership with Fidelis Care because of the value they provide for fairgoers through several public events. I encourage everyone to take advantage of these excellent opportunities," said Troy Waffner, Acting Fair Director.

About Fidelis Care:

As a faith-based, mission-driven health plan, Fidelis Care offers quality, affordable coverage for children and adults of all ages and at all stages of life, including products available through NY State of Health: The Official Health Plan Marketplace. With more than 1.6 million members Statewide, Fidelis Care was founded on the belief that all New Yorkers should have access to affordable, quality health insurance. For more information, call Fidelis Care at 1-888-FIDELIS (1-888-343-3547) or visit fideliscare.org.

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