The Latest Mikey Network News

For Better Heart Health: More Veggies, Less Meat

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Remember what your mom told you? Well it turns out that eating your vegetables was great advice. Eating more plant based foods and less animal products is not only beneficial to your heart health but also does good for the planet. An increasing number of studies have suggested that eating a more plant-centric diet could reduce your risk to heart failure by 40%. and another suggests that a vegetarian diet cuts the risk of heart disease death by the same percentage.

An Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study followed participants between 1987 and 2016. Researchers of this study found that those who had the highest intake of plant based foods were 16% less likely to develop cardiovascular conditions such as heart attack, stroke, and heart failure, when compared to adults that consumed the smallest amount of plant foods.

People with high plant based diets were also 25% less likely to die from health-related causes along with 32% less of a risk of dying from a heart condition.

While researchers said that you don’t have to give up animal-derived foods completely, their study suggests that increasing your proportion of plant based foods paired with a smaller consumption of meat could help reduce heart complications and risks.

French fries and cauliflower pizza don’t count though! Make sure you are choosing foods that are rich in nutritional value and low in added sugars, sodium (salt), cholesterol, and not-good-for-your-heart trans and saturated fats. Instead of processed foods reach for some fresh fruit, vegetables, and whole grain choices as a healthier snack option.

Learn more about the study here.



Happy International Women’s Day! – Protecting Heart-Health

Heart disease is not only the #1 contributor to premature death in men, but is also the #1 contributor to premature death in women. In light of International Women’s Day, we wanted to share some tips and resources on how to improve your heart-health.

1. Being Active

Doing any kind of physical activity, whether it be walking, swimming or running is good for your heart. Doctors recommend at least  30 minutes of physical activity each day to help reduce the risk of heart disease. Exercise helps to lower blood pressure, which overall helps reduce your risk.

2. Sleep

The recommended sleep per night is  7 to 8 hours. When you receive proper sleep, it gives your body the ability to slow down your blood pressure and heart rate. If you don’t sleep enough, your body constantly produces adrenaline and stress hormones, which keep you awake. That means your blood pressure and heart rate doesn’t slow down as much as it should, and that hurts your heart.

3. Healthy Eating

Eating healthy is essential to having a healthy heart. When you reduce foods with trans fats and replace it healthier food options it aids into a healthier heart.  Fortunately, we have many heart-healthy recipes that you can use towards developing a heart-healthy diet.

Resources

Heart And Stroke Foundation

They have many great resources on what to look out for and how to improve your health.

Participaction

They’re a wonderful resource for learning about and trying new exercises or sports. They not only have great resources for adults, but also for kids on what you can do to stay fit throughout the year.

Identifying Signs and Symptoms of a Heart Attack and Cardiac Arrest

Photo: Nicola Betts

During heart month we’ve discussed many ways that you can help attain a heart-healthy lifestyle through diet and exercise. These are important areas of focus to every Canadian as heart disease is still one of the leading causes of premature death for both men and women in Canada. Although we have talked about ways that you can help to prevent heart disease from occurring, we haven’t discussed how to identify and react if you’re faced with a heart-related emergency. Below we have laid out common signs and symptoms of a heart attack and a cardiac arrest, and what you can do to help.

Signs and Symptoms of a Heart Attack

Identifying signs and symptoms can vary for both men and women, so it’s especially important to listen to your body as the signs tend to be much less noticeable in women. If you experience any of the signs below call 9-1-1 immediately.

Signs of a Heart Attack

Men and Women

  • Chest discomfort (pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain, burning or heaviness)
  • Sweating
  • Upper body discomfort (neck, jaw, shoulder, arms, back)
  • Nausea
  • Shortness of breath
  • Light-head

More Prevalent In Women

  • Indigestion type feeling, or band of tightness in the upper back region.
  • Dizzy, lightheadedness, or shortness of breath with exertion

What To Do If You Are, Or You See Someone Experiencing A Heart Attack

  1. Call 9-1-1
    • This is highly important as you want to get professional medical help to yourself or to the person you’re treating.
  2. Stop all activity
    • Sit or lie down in whatever position is most comfortable.
  3. Take nitroglycerin or Aspirin
    • If you have either of these items available to you, take them. If you have nitroglycerin, take your normal dosage. If you have Aspirin, chew and swallow a tablet. ***Important*** make sure that you or the person you’re treating are not allergic to either of these items before ingestion.
  4. Rest and wait
    • Wait and stay calm for help to come. If you’re by yourself and you know of someone close by who may be able to help you, try to call out to them for assistance.

Signs and Symptoms of a Cardiac Arrest

Signs of a cardiac arrest can happen much more rapidly, as cardiac arrest is defined as the heart stopping, and it’s no longer transferring blood to the rest of the body. It’s extremely important to get help for a cardiac arrest, as the inability to transfer blood to vital organs, can cause death within minutes.

Signs of a Cardiac Arrest

  1. Sudden collapse
  2. Unresponsive to touch and sounds
  3. Not breathing or they’re making gasping sounds.

What To Do If You See Someone Experiencing A Cardiac Arrest

  1. Call 9-1-1 immediately
  2. Yell or try to locate an AED 
    • If you have someone else with you, get them to look for and fetch an AED. AED’s are often available in public places, so if you can’t find one, try to locate an information desk and ask if there is one available.
  3. Start CPR
    • Begin chest compressions by pushing down hard and fast in the centre of the chest. If you become tired, try to sub in another bystander until help arrives.

Mikey Young at Heart App

To better prepare yourself in case of a heart-related emergency, we encourage you to sign up and download the Mikey Young at Heart app. Although the app is meant primarily for high school students, it can be used to educate anyone on how to perform CPR and how to properly use an AED.

The Mikey Network has made a donation to the Advanced Tactical Training Search and Rescue

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The Mikey Network is pleased to announce that we’ve been able to supply The Advanced Tactical Training Search and Rescue in Kitchener, ON with a MIKEY for their second rescue vehicle.

Based in the Waterloo Region, the group supports search and rescue operation needs throughout south western Ontario. They have advanced levels of training in:

  • Ground Search and Rescue
  • Canine
  • UAV (Drone) support and search patterns
  • Assistance of water rescue
  • Urban Search and Rescue, with the emphasis on disasters, including possible plane crash and building collapses.

We’re so glad that groups like The Advanced Tactical Training Search and Rescue exist, as they truly offer invaluable protection and life-saving services. We hope that their new MIKEY serves them well.

Want to know more about MIKEY’s? Check out the MIKEY page here.

Congenital Heart Disease Awareness Week

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From February 7th to the 14th, is Congenital Heart Disease Awareness Week in Canada. Although the disease is not well-known to many Canadians, it is one of the most common birth defects, affecting one in every one hundred children. At the Mikey Network, we understand the impact that this disease can have on individuals and families, as we regularly deal with young men and women who have CHD.

For those that don’t know, the word congenital means “present at birth”. The congenital heart defect occurs when the heart or the blood vessels near the heart don’t develop normally before birth.

There is no known cause for the disease, but in traceable cases, it is often caused by:

  • Viral infections such as measles.
  • Inherited
  • Down Syndrome
  • Drug or alcohol abuse during pregnancy

Although it is one of the more common birth defects, the survival of children with the disease has greatly increased thanks to medical advances in Canada and around the world.  Today, more than 90% that have (CHD), survive well into their adult life.

To learn more about CHD, we recommend the following resources.

Canadian Congenital Heart Alliance – Great resource for both children and adults that are affected by the disease.

University of Ottawa Heart Institute – Provides great insight into CHD, and defines symptoms and specific forms of the disease. They also have a clinic that provides care to adults with congenital heart defects once they become adults.

Canadian Adult Congenital Heart Network – pools the knowledge and experience of congenital heart disease professionals.