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Doctors take local approach to healthier hearts Personal touch helps, they find By BILL KETTLER It just might. Starting this week, Jackson County physicians will begin distributing a new "healthy heart" brochure created by two Medford cardiac surgeons. Drs. John Forsyth and Rick Schaefer wrote "Preventing Heart Attacks - A Practical Guide" to share information they acquired after decades of working with cardiac patients. The doctors' advice is simple: eat low-fat foods, exercise, and don't smoke - the same message that surfaces periodically in books, magazines, and talk shows. Three things set their campaign apart: They developed the brochure themselves; they've targeted local people who have a high risk of heart attack; and they're asking nurses, technicians and clerks to help them share the brochure with patients. "It's time to acknowledge that we need a team approach to taking care of patients," Schaefer said. "A doctor may be the captain of the team, but he can't score many touchdowns by himself." Schaefer said 50 percent of all Americans die of heart trouble, but research shows that individuals who follow the program outlined in the little eight-page brochure can reduce their personal risk for heart attack to less than one in 10. "When you see data like that," he said, "it's time to shift gears and try to get people to start doing these things." Forsyth recognized the need for a more preventive approach to treating heart disease several years ago while working with cardiac patients at the Medford Clinic. Patients did better at reducing the cholesterol in their blood (a prime cause of heart attacks) when a doctor or a nurse personally told them about simple things they could do to reduce cholesterol. Before the education campaign, fewer than 8 percent of 500 high-risk cardiac patients had an acceptable cholesterol level. Eighteen months into the education campaign, 62 percent of the high-risk patients had lowered their cholesterol level to the goal. Schaefer came to similar conclusions in his work. Together they decided to find a way to share the information with Jackson County residents whose family history or health conditions put them at high risk. Money to produce the brochure came from the county's three hospitals and PrimeCare, the physicians association that negotiates contracts between doctors and physicians. Mike Bond, who manages PrimeCare, said the brochure is the only locally produced healthy-heart project he knows of. Bond said large organizations such as the American Heart Association usually develop education materials for national audiences. The Jackson County medical community decided it was important to reach local people whose family history or medical condition makes them prime candidates for heart attack. "We have a real interest," he said, "in reaching patients in our community who are at high risk of heart attack." Bond recruited several retired physicians to explain the program to nurses, aides and technicians in physicians' offices. Dr. Roger Bernard said he was sold on the program because it uses the people who have the most contact with patients - nurses, aides and technicians - to share the information. "To me it makes a lot of sense to do it this way," he said. Bernard said the brochure's diet recommendations have scientific research to back them up, unlike many of the fad diets that surface as people look for painless ways to lose weight. The brochure recommends what's been called a "Mediterranean" diet: more fish, less meat and dairy products, whole grains, pasta and olive oil. "This program really has a lot to recommend it in a relatively painless way," said Bernard, himself a former cardiac surgeon. Retired psychiatrist Robert Luther, who will explain the program in doctors' offices this week, said reading the brochure has persuaded him to eat more fish. "The bottom line is when those guys (Forsyth and Schaefer) speak, guys like me should listen." Forsyth and Schaefer won't be able to measure the long-term impact of their healthy-heart campaign. There's no central database or computer system that ties together all of Jackson County's medical records. "What we're hoping to do," Forsyth said, "is to present these fairly simple concepts, hoping over a period of time that we can get to at least 50 percent of the people who are at high risk. We think the number of heart attacks could be reduced by 50 percent." Reach reporter Bill Kettler at 776-4492, or e-mail [email protected] Rx for a healthy heart Drs. John Forsyth and Rick Schaefer have outlined a few basic steps anyone can take to reduce the likelihood of a heart attack. Their new brochure, "Preventing Heart Attacks - A Practical Guide" will be distributed to Jackson County physicians' offices over the next few weeks. Here are several key points for a healthy heart: * Lower your cholesterol level: Eating right can lower the amount of cholesterol (fat) in your blood and reduce your risk of heart attack by one-third. Avoid foods that are loaded with saturated fat (red meat, butter, cheese, fried foods). Eat more of what's called a "Mediterranean" diet: fish, fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans and pasta. * Quit smoking: Smokers who quit reduce their chances of having a heart attack by 50 percent. People who need help to quit can call the Oregon Tobacco Quit Line, 877-270-7867. * Take an aspirin: Even a small dose of aspirin can help lower the risk of heart attack by up to 25 percent. Aspirin stops blood clots from forming, and blood clots in the heart muscle cause heart attacks. Ask your doctor how much aspirin you should take. * Exercise: Besides reducing the risk of heart attack by as much as 25 percent, exercise improves circulation and prevents osteoporosis. Talk to your doctor about how to ease into a fitness program if you haven't exercised for a long time. Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.