Oh, Shoppers... (If You Happen to be in the Silicon Valley)

'GO RED FOR WOMEN' coming to Santana Row!!

I wish I could locate additional information regarding nationwide events taking place for all savvy shoppers out there: save some money (since you're already shopping of course!?) while donating to a cause! 

Bank Day!

I thought today was the final day to turn in any additional money collected, however, I have until Saturday (the day of the Santa Barbara North Heart Walk).  I'm looking forward to seeing people from cardiac rehabilitation on Saturday (nurses and patients). In the mean time, I am trying to finalize what I will say on Saturday.
I was asked to speak about my heart attack experience; I'm getting very nervous.  I screeched by with a C grade in Public Speaking/Speech in college ;o  The instructor jokingly told me to dance at the end of one speech as I had talked too fast (I missed my target time by 1.5 minutes)!  Hope my talking isn't faster than my walking this weekend!

Thank you again for all of your support!!!

Here is How All of You Are Making a Difference:

 $25 could give 50 people educational materials on the risks of heart diseases and stroke

$50 could give an early career scientist an AHA/ASA one-year professional membership that offers access to the latest in cardiovascular and stroke research.

$100 could give one hospital resources to educate patients, the public and health professionals about stroke.

$200 could deliver our innovative 30-minute CPR program to 10 community residents, who can pass the lifesaving skill to others.

$300 could provide our 'Recipes for the Heart' cookbook to 75 people.

$500 could teach more than 1,200 children how to avoid obesity and live longer, stronger lives through our nutrition and exercise materials.

Your life saving support makes a difference in the fight against heart disease and stroke.  It is greatly appreciated! 

Thank You!

Forty-five days into fundraising for the 2009 Santa Barbara North County Start! Heart Walk and there are so many caring people who I am grateful to for their generosity and thoughtfulness!!!  Thanks to all of you, as of today, the total amount is $1021.00!  Only a couple of more weeks until the walk! 

Thank you, to all of J's co-workers (when I say co-workers, I actually mean friends!) and to all family members, for all of your support; not only now, but throughout this last year. 

S

American Heart Association Fundraising Webpage: Why!?

I survived a heart attack on July 12, 2008 caused by a blood clot that formed in my heart. As a result of my experience, I have learned that heart disease is the #1 KILLER for WOMEN. While my heart attack was considered a random occurance, my wish is that we will all lead healthy lives and learn the warning signs for heart attack, as it is frequently misdiagnosed in women resulting in death. I am getting involved by participating in two American Heart Association's (AHA) Start! Heart Walk's. The first walk is in September located in Santa Maria, California. The second walk is in October in San Luis Obispo, California.

Please support this cause by making a donation in any amount you are able, that will help provide cardiac research and education to stop our No. 1 (female) and No. 3 (male) killers.

1. Donation(s) are tax deductible (now there's a silver lining!)
2. Your employer might match donations; find out here: http://www.matchinggifts.com/aha/

I have fundraised in the past (for Special Olympics, collecting donations and running) however, surviving a heart attack and now being able to participate with the AHA in a Heart Walk is an amazing feeling. I'm obviously not the only person affected by cardiovascular problems, I, like many others, know so many people who are all too familiar with heart disease.

If you haven't heard my personal story and you want to hear it, just ask me. Knowing the signs could save a life!

Thank you for taking the time to read this information!

* I have declined any prizes associated with funds raised for participating in either walk.

Meet Joyce Macias...

On April 4th her world drastically changed. She suffered a heart attack. Her outcome was excellent, but most women are not so lucky.Heart disease is the #1 killer of women in America. Not cancer, heart disease. Why? Symptoms for women are different than men's. They are more subtle and easily passed off as fatigue or nausea. The last time Joyce joined the Santa Barbara Heart Walk was in support of her grandson Connor. Connor was born with a set of heart issues that required surgery when he was just 9 months old. Now, Joyce and Connor have a chance to create wonderful memories together because of the reseach funded by the AHA through the funds YOU raise!

Since 1924 the American Heart Association has helped protect people of all ages and ethnicities from the ravages of heart disease and stroke. These diseases, the Nation's No.1 and No.3 killers, claim more than 910,000 American lives a year. The association invested more than $543 million in fiscal year 2005-06 for research, professional and public education, and advocacy so people across America can live stronger, longer lives.

Thanks to all our walkers, donors and volunteers who have accepted the challenge to help fight heart disease and stroke. We cannot achieve our mission without each one of you!

(Above information is from the Start! Heart Walk website - American Heart Association).

American Heart Association Headquarters

American Heart Association, Dallas, Texas

Daniel W. Jones, M.D., President of the American Heart Association

Hi. My name is Daniel Jones, and I am the president of the American Heart Association.

Diseases of the heart are the No. 1 killer in America, and stroke is No. 3. The American Heart Association strongly believes that learning more about these diseases is the best way to reduce disability and death. That's why research is an association-wide priority. The American Heart Association is second only to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) in funding heart research.

To support research, the American Heart Association has invested almost $2.7 billion since 1949 and $145 million in 2005-06 alone. The association currently funds about 2,500 scientists around the United States.

American Heart Association-funded breakthroughs include the first artificial heart valve, techniques and standards for CPR, implantable pacemakers, treatment for infant respiratory distress syndrome, cholesterol inhibitors, microsurgery and drug-coated stents. The association has funded the winners of seven Nobel Prizes.

In recent years, funding from the American Heart Association and NHLBI has enabled University of California-Los Angeles researchers to identify a new molecule that may help regulate the delivery of fats to cells for energy and storage. The finding could lead to a better understanding of how we use fats from the foods we eat.

Digested fats travel to the small intestine, where they are packaged into chylomicrons, which are large, spherical particles filled with triglycerides. The chylomicrons then travel through the bloodstream delivering triglycerides that feed skeletal muscles and the heart  and to adipose tissue that stores the triglycerides for energy. As the chylomicroms pass through the inside walls of capillaries, they are caught by molecules called proteoglycans, which hold chylomicrons steady while the newly-delivered triglycerides are broken down by the enzyme lipoprotein lipase (LpL). The broken-down triglyceride products are then taken up and used by cells.

"Previously, we didn't know what molecule in the capillaries facilitated the capture of chylomicrons and facilitated the interaction with lipoprotein lipase," said Dr. Stephen Young, author of the study and investigator at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. "We think that we've found the missing piece of the puzzle."

American Heart Association funding from 1985 to 1994 laid the groundwork for these studies.

In Minnesota, a scientist development grant from the American Heart Association's Greater Midwest Affiliate helped fund research that discovered that aerobic arm exercises can delay the onset of leg pain that makes walking even short distances difficult for many people with peripheral arterial disease (PAD).

"This is the first study showing that arm-only aerobics can provide results comparable to those seen with treadmill training," said Diane Treat-Jacobson, Ph.D., R.N., lead author of the study and an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota School of Nursing in Minneapolis.

PAD is a progressive atherosclerotic disease in which plaque builds up and narrows the arteries in the extremities (usually the legs), limiting blood supply to the muscles during exertion. Starved for oxygen, these (usually calf) muscles can cramp and hurt after patients walk even short distances. The leg pain goes away with a few minutes of rest. PAD affects more than 8 million Americans, including about 20 percent of people older than 65 years.

Earlier studies have shown that progressive exercise training on a treadmill can help postpone the onset of leg pain or cramps, known medically as claudication, and can extend the distance patients can walk. In this study, researchers used an arm ergometer, a table-top device akin to bicycle pedals operated with the arms, rather than the legs.

The team measured how far 35 PAD patients (average age 67) could walk on a treadmill without leg pain, and how far they could continue to walk before pain forced them to stop. Then they randomly divided the patients into a control group that didn't exercise and three exercise groups. One group exercised on the treadmill, one on the arm ergometer, and the third group used both.

The three groups exercised three times a week for 12 weeks in one-hour supervised sessions. After three months of training, patients in all three exercise groups improved in the total distance they could walk, ranging from 150 to 330 meters (equivalent to two to three and a half blocks). Both treadmill and arm exercisers showed similar improvement in the distance they could walk without pain: more than 100 meters, or about one and a half blocks.

"We were happy to discover that upper-body aerobics can help patients with PAD increase the distance they can walk without pain," Treat-Jacobson said. "We need additional studies to confirm the results, better understand why and how this works, and also identify the best training regimen for patients. In the meantime, our results provide evidence that aerobic upper-body exercise is a pain-free alternative for patients with PAD who cannot or do not wish to perform treadmill exercises because of leg pain or some other disability."

Click here for more information on research funded by the American Heart Association.

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