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HomeMemberHelpful ToolsHealth ResourcesHeart Disease

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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Fidelis Care and the Centene Foundation Announce $1.1 Million Commitment to Develop Wellness and Entrepreneurial Center with the Buffalo Urban League
8/22/2023 • Posted by Fidelis Care

Fidelis-Care-and-Centene-Foundation-Graphic

BUFFALO (August 22, 2023) – Fidelis Care, a leading health insurer providing quality, affordable coverage to New Yorkers, and the Centene Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC) focused on investing in economically challenged communities, announced today a $1.1 million funding commitment to the Buffalo Urban League to develop a Wellness and Entrepreneurial Center (“the Center”) designed to nurture social entrepreneurship, facilitate wellness and strengthen organizations focused on Black, Indigenous and People of Color in Buffalo’s East Side.

The Centene Foundation, Fidelis Care, the Buffalo Urban League, and the Community Health Center of Buffalo, a federally qualified health center serving Erie and Niagara counties, are partnering on this project. The Center will provide services and support to a community healing in the aftermath of the  May 2022 mass shooting at a supermarket in Buffalo through the convening of strategically aligned community-based organizations including, but not limited to, the Community Health Center of Buffalo, Buffalo Federation of Neighborhood Health Centers and the Community Action Organization of Western New York. Additionally, the Center will help accelerate opportunities for new social entrepreneurs by providing business services and resources, as well as health-focused programming.

"At Fidelis Care, we are deeply committed to fostering strong partnerships in the communities we serve,” said President and CEO, Fidelis Care, Tom Halloran. “We are proud to join the Centene Foundation in support of the Buffalo Urban League, an organization at the forefront of securing economic self-reliance, parity, power and civil rights. As we seek to provide tangible solutions and promote sustainable economic growth and community resilience in the Buffalo area, we believe the Center will foster positive change and have a significant impact on the lives of children and adults for generations to come

I am extremely grateful to Fidelis Care and the Centene Foundation for their generous and impactful donation in support of the Wellness and Entrepreneurial Center,” said President and CEO of the Buffalo Urban League, Thomas Beauford, Jr. “This remarkable contribution will ignite positive change within and provide essential resources to our community.”

The Buffalo Urban League, in partnership with Centene Foundation and Fidelis Care, will determine whether the funding will be used for new construction or renovation of an existing building.

In addition to the financial contributions, Fidelis Care employees will also volunteer at the Center in support of new initiatives and programming to serve the community.

 

About the Centene Foundation
The Centene Foundation (the "Foundation"), a private nonprofit focused on investing in economically challenged communities, is the philanthropic arm of Centene Corporation ("Centene"). The Foundation supports projects and initiatives strategically aligned with Centene's purpose-driven culture and enhances the work Centene is doing to remove the barriers to wellness underserved and low-income populations face. The Foundation is committed to addressing social determinants of health and improving health equity in three distinct areas of focus: healthcare access, social services, and education. To learn more, visit the Centene Foundation's website.

About Fidelis Care
Fidelis Care is a mission-driven health plan offering quality, affordable coverage for children and adults of all ages and at all stages of life. With more than 2.6 million members statewide, Fidelis Care believes all New Yorkers should have access to affordable, quality health insurance. Follow us on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/fideliscare, on Twitter at @fideliscare, Instagram at @fideliscare, and on Facebook at facebook.com/fideliscare. For more information, call Fidelis Care at 1-888-FIDELIS (1-888-343-3547) or visit fideliscare.org.

About the Buffalo Urban League

Since 1927, the Buffalo Urban League has brought positive change and opportunities for a better future to hundreds of thousands of lives in the Buffalo-Niagara region. Our services build strong and stable families by empowering disadvantaged individuals to secure economic self-reliance, parity, power, and civil rights. Our programs serve individuals from birth through senior years by providing family support and stabilization services, foster care, adoption, education, job training, employment, scholarships, health awareness, financial management, business development, technical assistance, and loan and housing counseling to renters and first-time homeowners, as well as to existing homeowners to prevent foreclosures to families and individuals in our community.