Palm Beach County Walks Its Way to Good Heart Health
Palm Beach County Walks Its Way to Good Heart HealthSAVE THE DATE / NOVEMBER 18
Walking only 30 minutes per day can make a real difference on your overall heart health. Not only does it make you feel better, but it can reduce your cholesterol, lower your blood pressure and be the all-important first step in leading a healthier life.
It really is this easy, and this is why Bill Perry, Managing Shareholder of Gunster and Palm Beach County Heart Walk Chairman, wants you to walk with him at this year’s Heart Walk. Keeping your heart healthy can save your life. Knowing CPR could help you save the life of someone you love. Here’s what Bill Perry and Diego Sadler, MD, Cardiologist at Cleveland Clinic Florida in West Palm Beach had to say:
An Interview with Bill Perry:
Why did you want to get involved with the Palm Beach Heart Walk 2017?
Chairing the Heart Walk provides me with the opportunity to engage with our community by spreading awareness of the signs and symptoms of Heart Disease and Stroke, which are our number 1 and 5 leading causes of death.
What is your ‘why’ or reason to live a longer, healthier life?
My father passed away when I was 16 from a cardiac related event, so the mission of the American Heart Association, building healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke, hits home for me. My father is why.
Why did you want CPR training at this year’s event?
Together, Palm Beach County Fire & Rescue and the American Heart Association have trained over 2,000 Palm Beach County residents in CPR, creating a community filled with additional bystander lifesavers! There are more people to train which will mean more lives saved and that is why it is important to me. Of cardiac arrests which don’t happen in the hospital, 70% happen in homes. Unfortunately, only 46% of people get the immediate help that they need before professional help arrives
How do you see the American Heart Association’s Mission working in Palm Beach County?
Their mission comes to life in many ways. Raising awareness for the importance of living a heart healthy lifestyle through efforts like our Heart Walk campaign is just one of them. The American Heart Association’s local Board of Directors has a strong focus on spreading awareness for the importance of knowing your numbers and empowering people to monitor and control their blood pressure through a campaign called ‘Beat the Odds’. This past April the American Heart Association, alongside the Palm Beach County School Board, passed policy that will require all high-school students through-out the Palm Beach County school district to receive hands-only CPR training at least one time prior to their high school graduation.
Getting more bystander lifesavers trained in hands-only CPR has been a huge focus of the American Heart Association over the last year. You can learn this valuable skill at this year’s Palm Beach County Heart Walk.
An Interview with Diego Sadler, MD:
What is CPR and how does it work?
CPR, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, is a way of keeping oxygenated blood circulating around the body in the event of a cardiac arrest.
When is CPR needed?
CPR is needed in the event of a cardiac arrest to keep oxygen circulating around the body to keep the vital organs alive. This is extremely important as the brain, the most sensitive of organs in the body, will start to be significantly affected by lack of oxygen in 4-5 minutes.
Why is it important to know Hands Only CPR?
70% of all out of hospital cardiac arrests happen in the home, so being trained in CPR can be the difference between life or death for a loved one.
How are your chances of surviving a cardiac event increased by receiving CPR?
When a person has a cardiac arrest, survival depends on immediately getting CPR from someone nearby. Almost 90 percent of people who suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrests die. CPR, especially if performed in the first few minutes of cardiac arrest, can double or triple a person’s chance of survival.
Where can I find CPR training in my area?
You can receive hands-only CPR training at this year’s Palm Beach County Heart Walk from 8 am on November 18th, 2017 at Meyer Amphitheater in downtown West Palm Beach (www.palmbeachheartwalk.org). This will place thousands of life savers into our community each year and ultimately make Palm Beach County a safer place to live.
If you can’t make this year’s Heart Walk, the American Heart Association also offers a location-based service for finding CPR courses and two-minute tutorial videos on www.CPR.Heart.org. You can call the American Heart Association CPR call center at (877) 242-4277 for details on classes near you.
