Taking control of your heart health

Did you know heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States? But here’s the good news: Heart disease is preventable in most cases.

According to the CDC, “when people adopt a healthy lifestyle, which includes not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, controlling blood sugar and cholesterol, treating high blood pressure, getting at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week and getting regular checkups,” their risk for heart disease drops. 

One of the best ways to stay on top of your heart health is to measure your blood pressure. Because high blood pressure and elevated blood pressure often have no symptoms, the CDC says that checking your blood pressure is the only way to know for sure whether it is too high.

You can check your blood pressure at home , or you can visit your doctor or nurse to have your blood pressure checked.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, more and more people are delaying or avoiding going to a hospital for heart attacks and strokes. But the hospital is the safest place to go when you have symptoms.

Don’t put your health on hold. The Johnson County Healthcare Center has a cardiopulmonary and wellness department that provides a variety of services ranging from cardiac rehabilitation to pulmonary rehabilitation to therapeutic respiratory services, which include holter monitoring, exercise stress tests, overnight oximetry, pulmonary function tests, EKGs and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring.

To schedule a test or treatment or to participate in a program, call 684-6320.

About JCHC’s cardiopulmonary wellness director

Julia Bettinger is a University of Wyoming graduate with a master’s degree in kinesiology and health. She has been the Director of Cardiopulmonary Wellness at Johnson County Healthcare Center since February 2015. 

She works daily to help individuals restore their health and well-being following a heart attack, after having a heart procedure, while living with COPD or other lung diseases, and when trying to establish healthy lifestyle behaviors such as moving more, eating healthy, reducing stress and quitting smoking. 

In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and kids, family, and friends; skiing; golfing; and enjoying the outdoors.