It’s common knowledge that exercise is good for you. But recent research suggests the timing of when you work out may provide additional health benefits you didn’t expect.

Researchers released a new study in the British Medical Journal’s (BMJ) Open Heart publication focused on timing workouts due to the participant’s internal clock. So, what does that mean?

Darrel Gumm, MD, vice president of OSF HealthCare Cardiovascular Institute in Peoria, Illinois, explains, "If we sync that exercise to a person's natural circadian rhythm, there's even more additional benefit on top of what you're already getting," Dr. Gumm says about the recent study. 

"So, if you're a morning person, work out in the morning. If you're a morning person working out at night, you're going to get a benefit, but it won't be as profound as doing that in the morning. Vice versa, if you're a night person and you work out in the morning, you're going to get a benefit, but not as much as if you timed it to your natural circadian rhythm and when you're most alert."

Dr. Gumm says timing your exercise according to when you’re most alert benefits all our modifiable risk factors but especially helps lower our blood pressure. And the best part is, you are your body's top expert. Knowing whether you're a morning person or a night owl will help you decide when to schedule your exercise. 

The type of exercise this study revealed to be better during your natural circadian rhythm were aerobic exercises, which is exercise that works your muscles repeatedly and in a rhythm. “It was a five-minute warmup, 30-minute workout, five-minute cool down,” Dr. Gumm adds.

A study like this offers physicians like Dr. Gumm and other cardiologists at OSF HealthCare Cardiovascular Institute an opportunity to share the research findings with people they see in the clinic and make personalized recommendations for modifying their lifestyle. Knowing whether someone is a morning person or night owl can help tailor the care and recommendations they receive. 

"It's a great opportunity to emphasize the importance of physical activity. It's easy for us to ignore it, put it to the side and forget about it. But our standard recommendation is 30 minutes a day, five days a week," Dr. Gumm says. "If you can do 150 minutes a week, you're really getting a benefit."

The greatest impact the study reveals, Dr. Gumm says, was on lowering participants’ systolic blood pressure. These 150 people were adults in Pakistan, between the ages of 40 and 60, who mainly live sedentary lifestyles.

“But even LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) showed a bigger drop in those who aligned their workout time with their circadian rhythm," Dr. Gumm says. "It dropped in both groups, whether you were aligned or not, but there was a bigger drop in the aligned group."

Exercise also helps increase HDL cholesterol, or the healthy cholesterol. It can also help drop a person's triglyceride level, which in turn can increase their HDL levels. Avoiding simple carbohydrates like white rice, white bread, pasta, sugar, potatoes and alcohol can decrease your triglyceride levels and bump up your HDL levels, Dr. Gumm points out. 

If you can’t make time for 150 minutes of exercise a week, Dr. Gumm recommends "exercise snacking." Examples are walking up and down three flights of stairs, three times a day, three days a week. Parking your car a little further from the office and getting in extra steps – simple things that you can modify easily into your daily routine. 

Your primary care provider can help come up with a plan that fits your lifestyle. 

Video Interview Clips

Warm weather means more outdoor activities involving alcohol.

The dangers

How quickly can binge drinking turn problematic?

“Very easily,” says Andrew Zasada, MD, an internal medicine physician who sees patients at OSF HealthCare.

Dr. Zasada says for women, binge drinking is defined as five or more drinks on one occasion, like a night out on the town that lasts three to four hours. For men, it’s 15 drinks. That takes into account the differences in how men’s and women’s bodies metabolize alcohol.

Dr. Zasada says the internal issues linked with excessive alcohol use can be devastating.

“It can cause brain dysfunction. It can cause liver disease and stomach ulcers,” Dr. Zasada says. “It’s just not a good thing. It can cause a wide variety of problems.”

Not to mention the outward symptoms like: acne, redness on your nose and palms and dry, wrinkled skin that makes you look older. And drinking during pregnancy can lead to a host of problems for the child, like facial abnormalities and developmental deficits.

“A lifetime of misery” for the little one, as Dr. Zasada puts it.

Safety, recovery

Just like there’s no magic way to prevent or cure a hangover, there’s no magic number of drinks to have on a night out that will make you immune to alcohol problems. But for spring and summer revelers, Dr. Zasada has this advice: take it slow.

“If you’re an average size gentleman, probably a beer an hour is just about the max you can drink,” he says.

Dr. Zasada says are there many ways to help people who are drinking in excess. In the short term, such as during a party, call 911 if the person needs immediate medical attention. If they just need a break, take the person away from the clatter to rest. Take their car keys, and give them some water. A painkiller like Tylenol in appropriate doses can help with that hangover headache the next day.

Long term, a patient’s primary care provider can link them with resources to curb drinking, such as Alcoholics Anonymous or treatment centers. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism also has resources. And within OSF HealthCare’s footprint, Illinois and Michigan have phone numbers to call for behavioral health issues.

“If the person is trying to deny that they drink at all; if they are drinking alone when there is nobody else around; if they're trying to hide or cover up their drinking, those are all fairly serious warning signs that this person needs help,” Dr. Zasada says.

Dr. Zasada says it’s never too late to kick the habit of excessive drinking, but sooner is better.

“It's easier to mitigate any problems that have already occurred earlier, rather than wait for the problem to get very, very serious, very bad, and then quit,” he says. “Yeah, you'll get better. But you won't go back to what you were.”

That “getting better” looks like a lot of things.

“You might lose weight. You might lower your blood pressure. It may increase heart health,” Dr. Zasada says. “You'll think clearer. You'll sleep better.”

Interview Clips

After months of winter, the urge to get outside is hard to ignore, and for many people, that starts with a simple walk.

That includes Paige Linstead, a physician assistant with OSF HealthCare. “A lot of patients have sedentary jobs, as do I,” Linstead says. “So, I try to walk on my lunch, walk my dogs when I get home. I really focus on the calorie aspect of it too, and try to increase the walking speed, the distance that you can cover.”

For years, the targeted goal was 10,000 steps, which originated in the 1960s from a marketing campaign to promote the Tokyo Olympics. While the American Heart Association still recommends 10,000 steps a day, the organization says that just a mile of walking can also provide health benefits.

But now, the prevailing thought is that 7,000 steps a day will still do the trick. Walking improves your cardiac health, lowers your risk for diabetes, improves your circulation, can help improve sleep, decreases appetite and helps with weight management. It’s also enough steps to reduce the risk of dementia, cancer and depression.

“So, 10,000 was the gold standard. It's an easy number for people to say they're going to reach,” says Linstead. “But 7,000 is sufficient for most adults. It's a good goal to help minimize health risks and improve your health.”

It’s especially good for older adults.

Walking is good for heart health

According to a study published in the journal Circulation, older adults who walk three to four miles a day - 6,000 to 9,000 steps - are 40% to 50% less likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke than those who walk a mile (2,000 steps) a day.

This study focused on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and the findings were the result of eight studies using data from 20,000 people in the United States and 42 other countries. Their average age was 63 with 52% being women.

“It can improve your cardiovascular health, decrease your risk for diabetes or diabetes progression, help with stability, mobility,” Linstead adds. “It can help with mental health, getting a little bit vitamin D with the sun. Just set small goals for yourself and keep increasing as you can until you can get to that goal of 7,000 steps in a day.”

But if that still seems like a lot, don’t worry. Linstead says the important thing is to get started and work your way up gradually. Start by walking around your block or maybe visiting the local shopping mall.

“Absolutely, any movement is good movement,” she says. “Instead of having a sedentary lifestyle, if you can only get a couple thousand steps in a day, that can help elderly with mobility, stability, mental health, too.”

The Centers for Disease Control encourages people to get in 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise each week. But Linstead says don’t try to squeeze in all 30 minutes at once, at least to start. She recommends breaking up the time into different parts of your day – for example, 10 minutes in the morning, 10 at lunch and another 10 minutes at night might just be the best route to take.

“I think that would be good motivation for people if they had a partner or a group to walk with,” Linstead says. “And you can walk at whatever speed you're comfortable with, the distance that you're comfortable with, but knowing that you have a support system in place.”

Before starting any type of walking program, however, make sure to consult with your medical provider first.


 

Interview Clips 

B-roll 

On one hand, you're gaining an extra hour of sleep. On the flip side, the days get shorter and we say “hello darkness my old friend.”

In March 2023, health experts issued a wake-up call to Congress to make the change permanent.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) says public health and safety would benefit from eliminating Daylight Saving Time in favor of standard time. The AASM says the switch to permanent standard time would more closely align with the body’s internal clock – our circadian sleep-wake cycle – instead of disrupting the body’s natural rhythm.

There is also evidence that Daylight Saving Time can take a toll on your heart, specifically increasing the risk of heart attack or stroke.

The AASM recommends getting at least seven hours of sleep before and after Daylight Saving Time begins while shifting your bedtime 15-20 minutes earlier each night before the change.

Dr. Frank Han is a cardiologist with OSF HealthCare who specializes in pediatric and adult congenital heart disease. He says poor sleeping habits can impact you negatively later in life.

“The act of waking up earlier without gradually changing your schedule can increase your stress hormones,” Dr. Han says. “If added on with unusual sleep schedules, night-shift work, then years down the road it can result in different kinds of cardiovascular diseases.”

Dr. Han adds it’s not just your sleeping habits that can put pressure on your heart. He recommends being aware of any hereditary heart issues that run in your family, and pay attention to lifestyle choices that can impact heart health.

“If that’s added on to less than optimal lifestyle habits, disturbed sleep schedule, disturbed circadian rhythm and other stressors in the lifestyle like tobacco. All of those factors added together can contribute to the hardening of the heart arteries and heart artery blockages as an adult,” Dr. Han says.

Video Interview Clips

Heart-wrenching data to consider for marijuana users was recently released in two separate studies.

In the journal JACC Advances, researchers found that cannabis users under 50 were in grave risk of severe cardiovascular events, even though these participants were relatively healthy individuals.

This is on par with what Michael Grzeskowiak, MD, a cardiologist with OSF HealthCare Cardiovascular Institute, has seen in recent years. Dr. Grzeskowiak says he’s seen more young people having heart attacks.

"They found that those that use marijuana had a six-time increase of heart attack. They had a four-time increased risk of stroke, and in general, they had a three-time increased risk of dying from heart attack, stroke or any cardiovascular disease," Dr. Grzeskowiak says.

To add to the startling news, JAMA Cardiology released findings at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session that chronic marijuana smoking and THC-edible use is associated with endothelial dysfunction. This means the cells in the endothelium, the thin layer of cells inside our blood vessels, don’t work properly. In turn, this can block blood flow to your heart, causing a heart attack.

This meta-analysis took 12 previously published studies that collected data from over 75 million people, with an average age of 41.

Add inflammation from marijuana use to inflammation built up from ultra-processed foods, alcohol and a sedentary lifestyle; it’s a recipe for disaster.

"Inflammation, in general, in our current Western diet affects us a lot. A lot of the things I see in cardiology are due to that and if we fixed a lot of things in our diet and lifestyle, heart disease would go down," Dr. Grzeskowiak says. "Unfortunately, it's been the leading cause of death for 100 years."

Outside of work, more than 25% of the U.S. population live sedentary lifestyles, according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). Additionally, roughly half of the American diet is made up of ultra-processed foods.

This comes as 48 states plus Washington, D.C., have legalized marijuana for medicinal use, and 24 states allow cannabis for recreational use, and nearly 200 million people worldwide are regular marijuana users, according to a United Nations report in 2018.

"It's concerning. A lot of people have the perception that marijuana is safe. It's natural and it's being legalized in many states for either recreational or medicinal use," Dr. Grzeskowiak says. "The common perception is that marijuana is better than tobacco and alcohol and is safer. But more studies are coming out that are making us take a pause on that thought and show that maybe there are some risks involved."

With this clear data on the risks that marijuana use brings, it adds another important topic for doctors and patients to discuss. He encourages patients to be upfront and honest about their marijuana usage with their doctors.

For overall heart health, Dr. Grzeskowiak says it's important to make healthier choices in terms of diet, exercise and lifestyle. 

He calls sodas and most juices "liquid sugar," and says if you just cut out one drink a day, in one year you'll lose up to 12 pounds. 

Aside from commitments to 150 minutes of exercise per week (which is recommended by the American Heart Association), focus on the "little things." If you're on the second floor for work, take the stairs more often. 

To learn about the services offered at OSF HealthCare Cardiovascular Institute, or to get in touch with the OSF cardiology team, visit the OSF HealthCare website.

Video Interview Clips

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Hello darkness, my old friend

Parental instincts and quick reaction time led to two central Illinois parents saving their child’s life.

It started at home when the parents noticed something was extremely wrong with their 2-year-old son. They performed CPR and resuscitated him. He was transported to OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois in Peoria where it was determined he had suffered sudden cardiac arrest and had a malignant heart condition known as Brugada syndrome.

What is Brugada syndrome?

Brugada syndrome is a rare genetic disorder that causes heart arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death.

“Most kids that go through that, unfortunately, don’t survive,” says Harma Turbendian, MD, a pediatric cardiac surgeon with OSF Children’s Hospital of Illinois. “So, this was fast-acting parents who knew what they were doing, then EMS, followed by our team here in the ICU.”

Meet the team

The medical team at OSF Children’s Hospital who treated the toddler was led by Sunita Ferns, MD, the director of Pediatric and Adult Congenital Electrophysiology, Mark Plunkett, MD, the chief of Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery, and Dr. Turbendian, who was the primary surgeon in the procedure.

OSF HealthCare surgical teams have been using a device known as the EV-ICD, or extravascular implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, made by Medtronic, since spring 2024. But the new technology had only ever been used on adults or much older teenagers. The purpose of the device is that if or when a malignant heart arrhythmia occurs in the person, it will shock the heart back into rhythm.

By analyzing the 2-year-old’s response to a trial of antiarrhythmic medications in the ICU and incorporating insights from his preliminary genetic results, Dr. Ferns made the diagnosis of Brugada syndrome and brought together a team of specialists.

“We needed buy-in to trial a new device for the first time ever in a patient his size from the surgeons and good technical support. Medtronic was excellent. We called our field engineers and had a whole team here,” Dr. Ferns says.

Time to start the procedure

Sudden cardiac arrest is quite rare in kids, only happening in approximately one out of 100,000 children each year. However, the survival rate after one of these events is very low as well, with only 5% of pediatric patients surviving an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

Dr. Turbendian explains how the device is inserted.

"They're fairly small incisions that are required for implantation of the device. You actually don't have to access the heart in order to place this thing," Dr. Turbendian says. "You can make a small incision under the breastbone and one part of the device just slides through that small incision to sit under the sternum."

The possibility of implanting an EV-ICD takes away the need for open heart surgery to select patients.

Traditionally, a transvenous pacemaker has been used for older kids and adults. It was determined by Dr. Ferns and her team that the transvenous device was too large for the 2-year-old patient, and the EV-ICD was the better option. The EV-ICD incisions are much smaller, making this the more minimally invasive option.

"The lead was inserted, and the device was implanted outside of his rib cage," Dr. Ferns says. "Given that a 2-year-old is going to grow leaps and bounds over the next decade or two, it's an excellent choice for him. When we tried this, it was the first time in the world that someone trialed it on someone this small.”

Dr. Plunkett calls the device a game changer. One that will send shock waves across the globe in the world of medicine.

“Children in the past had to undergo much larger procedures, oftentimes a sternotomy or thoracotomy. The devices were often bigger, and we were sewing patches on the heart or implanting coils," Dr. Plunkett says. "And some of those devices were not as effective as this new technology." 

History-making procedure

"It’s the first of its kind. This implantation is the smallest and youngest child ever to have this device," Dr. Plunkett says. "So that has expanded its application and market in a huge way. Its design initially was for adults or adult-sized patients. The fact we've proven it to be effective and safely implantable in a child this size really expands its application immensely."

Dr. Ferns agrees, hoping the team’s work will get published soon, which helps medical centers across the world learn when and how to perform this procedure.

"It tells the world that we can now use (the EV-ICD) in a smaller child. That's how a lot of pediatric implants or newer technologies happen. It's one or two centers that do it and they publish their results," Dr. Ferns says. "We expect that to be published shortly. There are kids all around the world who sustain cardiac arrests, and they now have this option." 

EV-ICDs are just a “safety net”

“We don't want it to keep shocking a child, because that's no way to grow up. To keep worrying about when your next shock is going to happen," Dr. Ferns says. "So, we monitor these devices constantly. If we see any arrhythmias in the background, despite the medication he's on, we are able to offer him other technologies. Ablative technologies can help modify the substrate, which is the tissue that's responsible for the bad rhythm.” 

Dr. Ferns is in charge of the child’s post-surgery care moving forward. She says Quinidine, a drug that was initially made to treat malaria and now treats irregular heart arrhythmias, was the perfect match for the patient’s condition.

“He has responded exceptionally well to this treatment,” Dr. Ferns adds.

This decision was made after the child’s EV-ICD did its job and went off while at home. His parents had to bring him back to the team at OSF HealthCare, who then had to ensure everything was meshing correctly.

While Dr. Ferns says the patient will forever be “married” to cardiology, she’s confident in the techniques and technology the Electrophysiology (EP) Lab at OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center has to treat these patients. The EP Lab manages arrhythmias from unborn fetuses all the way to patients in their 70s with complex congenital heart disease. Technology like contact force sensing and high-density mapping are available, along with many other resources.

If the patient’s symptoms were to worsen as time goes on, Dr. Ferns and her team in the EP Lab have the ability to perform ablations which target any abnormal heart tissue causing the arrhythmia, suppressing the abnormal electrical focus.

The generator of the device is in the axillary region, or the armpit. So as the child gets older and bigger, the strain sometimes found on conventional epicardial leads as a child gets taller is eliminated. The battery of the ICD should last 10-12 years.

Saving the patient’s life started at home

All three doctors say they can’t overemphasize the importance of the parents’ actions at home.

“When we look at the magnitude of this, first we have to go back to the fact this child survived an arrest at home, was successfully resuscitated, was neurologically intact and presented to our hospital," Dr. Plunkett says. 

This leads Dr. Ferns to say learning CPR is one of the most important things someone can do. Especially as kids enter middle and high school age and are involved with high intensity sports.

Another benefit of an EV-ICD is that if/when a patient experiences an arrhythmia, it will notify the congenital heart team in the EP Device Clinic.

"Most arrhythmia syndromes tend to happen at higher levels of activity. Many abnormalities can be detected by a simple noninvasive test such as an electrocardiogram (ECG)," Dr. Ferns says. "Universal screening is not yet common in the United States, but it is a part of the health care system in many European countries." 

Strong family history is a sign to get checked out

Strong family history of sudden cardiac arrest or heart disease is a sign to get seen by a cardiologist. Dr. Ferns recommends starting off with an ECG which she advises doing before kids participate in high intensity athletics. 

To learn more about the Electrophysiology Lab at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center, visit the OSF HealthCare website.

Dr. Sunita Ferns Video Interview Clips

Dr. Mark Plunkett Video Interview Clips

Dr. Harma Turbendian Video Interview Clips

A brand-new technology is available for Chicago area patients living with Atrial Fibrillation (AFib).

FARAPULSE is an FDA-approved cardiac ablation treatment, designed by Boston Scientific, to restore and regulate heartbeats and slow the progression of AFib. Now, it’s available in the newly opened Electrophysiology (EP) Lab within OSF HealthCare Little Company of Mary Medical Center.

It’s referred to as a pulsed field ablation, delivering energy to the cardiac tissue that doesn’t injure surrounding tissue.

“It’s completely selective to the cardiac myocytes we’re targeting to treat AFib,” says Dr. William Spear, the lead electrophysiologist at OSF Little Company of Mary Medical Center in Evergreen Park, Illinois. “You deliver the energy, which only takes two and a half seconds, and it targets just the cardiac cells you're focusing on, those abnormal cells that are causing the Atrial Fibrillation (AFib), and it leaves all the other cells around it untouched."

AFib is very common, affecting around 2.7 million Americans, according to the Delaware Journal of Public Health, with an estimated 160,000 new cases each year. Symptoms of AFib include shortness of breath, heart racing, or if you can’t do activities you used to be able to do. It’s when the normal rhythm of the heart is disrupted, and the top chamber of the heart, called the atrium, begins to quiver. When this happens, it makes the heart beat 300-400 times a minute and also results in a very rapid and irregular heartbeat in the bottom chamber, decreasing the efficiency of the heart pump. This can lead to blood stagnating in the upper chamber, then clots can form, leading to stroke, heart failure, or even death.

Dr. Spear calls the new FARAPULSE service “revolutionary.” He adds all the adjacent tissues like nerves, the esophagus or lungs, won’t be damaged in the procedure.

“For the last 20-30 years, the mainstay of ablation has been radio frequency. Radio frequency is very good, but it's more traumatic to the tissue because you're actually burning the tissue,” Dr. Spear says. “With pulsed field ablation, it really leaves the esophagus untouched. We can ablate around the esophagus where the heart meets the esophagus on the posterior side, without having to worry about this major complication which is called atrial esophageal fistula (AEF). This happens because we're not touching the esophagus, we're only touching cardiac tissue.”

Tracy Jendruczek, the Vice President of Surgical and Procedural Services at OSF Little Company of Mary, says FARAPULSE will help community members in nearby areas living with AFib.

“If patients are experiencing any heart concerns or issues they should see their medical provider. From there, a cardiologist will be able to determine if ablation is appropriate for them. If appropriate, FARAPULSE is just another technique to ablate, to help the heart beat normally,” Jendruczek says. “It's a safer technique in that it preserves tissue around the heart, compared to current techniques being used for ablation.”

“It's a very serious problem that faces millions and millions of patients,” Dr. Spear says. “As we age, it becomes more and more frequent. As you get into the 70–80-year range, about 20-25% of patients will develop atrial defibrillation at some point in their life. It's a very serious problem we face as a society, really.”

Dr. Spear notes that many individuals who have AFib are asymptomatic. He says this is a reminder to keep an eye on your overall health, speak with your medical provider, and schedule an appointment with a cardiologist if recommended by your primary care physician.

The FARAPULSE PFA procedure usually takes less than one hour and allows most patients the ability to return home that day.

Video Interview Clips

FARAPULSE BROLL

A new era of advanced cardiology care is on the horizon for patients at OSF Little Company of Mary Medical Center in Evergreen Park, Ill.

"As a cornerstone of this community for the past 90 years, we recognize the profound importance of providing comprehensive care to our heart and vascular patients. Collaborating closely with the esteemed team at Consultants in Cardiology & Electrophysiology, we've observed a growing demand for specialized treatment addressing electrical heart concerns," remarked Kathleen Kinsella, President of OSF Little Company of Mary Medical Center. "In alignment with our unwavering commitment to serving our community, we have embarked on the development of a cutting-edge facility tailored specifically to address these evolving needs in cardiology."

Within our state-of-the-art electrophysiology (EP) lab, our expert physicians will harness precision equipment to diagnose and treat a spectrum of heart rhythm disorders. This dedicated space will feature top-tier technology from industry leaders such as Phillips, Biosense Webster, and Boston Scientific. Among the offerings will be the world's most advanced cardiac mapping systems, empowering our specialists to effectively manage complex heart arrhythmias, including Atrial Fibrillation and Ventricular Tachycardia.

"We are proud to unveil a world-class facility designed to address heart rhythm disorders with unparalleled precision and care," affirmed Dr. William Spear, lead electrophysiologist at OSF Little Company of Mary. "The introduction of advanced technology and equipment within this dedicated EP lab marks a transformative milestone in how we deliver care to our patients in the south suburbs."

These resources are indispensable to our community, as individuals experiencing abnormal heart rhythms may require timely intervention to mitigate risks and improve outcomes.

"In addition to the EP lab, we have established a dedicated prep and recovery area adjacent to the lab, ensuring seamless transition and immediate post-procedure care for our patients," noted Tracy Jendruczek, Vice President of Surgical and Procedural Services. “Depending on the procedure being performed and the patient’s overall status, a patient may have an overnight stay but our goal is to discharge patients the same day whenever possible."

This specialized lab will offer a comprehensive range of procedures, including ablation techniques and device interventions, all tailored to optimize heart rhythm management and enhance patient well-being.

Kathleen Kinsella Video Interview Clips

Tracy Jendruczek Video Interview Clips

Electrophysiology Lab B-Roll

Electrophysiology Lab images

A survivor of a 2019 heart attack, Randy Isham was already on notice.

But Randy and his wife Dawn, retirees in Mansfield, Illinois, couldn’t predict the chaotic events of May 24, 2023. An ambulance took Randy to OSF HealthCare Heart of Mary Medical Center in nearby Urbana, and the man was soon fighting for his life due to a second heart attack.

“I’m glad to be alive,” Randy puts it plainly.

The Ishams and their OSF care team have now joined the chorus of heart health advocates, urging others to know when everyday exhaustion or dehydration is something more serious, especially if you have a history of heart issues.

From garage to gurney

On May 24, Randy was assembling a table in the garage when he began to feel weak but had no pain.

“When I touched his arm, it was a cold sweat,” Dawn recalls. “That’s when I got concerned that this didn’t seem right. Let’s call 9-1-1.”

It was in the ambulance that first responders determined Randy was having a heart attack. That’s when the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the heart is narrowed or blocked. Heart cells begin to suffer damage and die, and the heart no longer works how it should. Serious, life-long health issues or even death can result.

Randy coded at the hospital, adding to the urgency.

“It means there is no pulse. The heart stops. There is no blood reaching the brain and the whole body,” explains Tariq Enezate, MD, one of Randy’s OSF cardiologists. “When that happens, you need to know why and act fast.”

As the hospital pastoral care team and other Mission Partners (employees) kept Dawn informed, Randy was fighting for his life. He was without a pulse for 20 minutes, Dawn says, before Dr. Enezate’s team was able to revive him. Along the way, they removed a blood clot stemming from plaque buildup that they believe was the source of the heart attack. They then put in a stent. Randy is up to three stents, he points out, after his 2019 heart attack. It’s something he can speak about with relative ease now, but the nine-day hospital stay was no laughing matter.

“It could have gone either way,” Dawn says. “They wanted me to call the family in.”

Dr. Enezate describes the scene: “I had to go inside his heart while they were doing chest compressions. I was able to open [the blocked area in] his heart. At that moment, blood flow started back to the heart, and his pulse came back.

“Minutes mean muscle,” during heart attacks, Dr. Enezate adds. “The faster you restore flow in the artery and put a stent in, it’s better for the patient. It relieves their pain. It decreases the risk of complications.”

Lessons learned

Dr. Enezate calls Randy his miracle patient, and the Ishams agree.

“It was lucky he made it,” Dr. Enezate says. “I think the fact he came in early helped him.

“When we saw him coming back, that moment I can’t describe. It’s worth the world for all of us,” he adds.

Dr. Enezate’s affirmations “just gave me a nice warm feeling,” Randy says.

“Everybody there treated me like I was the only patient they had,” he adds, noting daily visits from Pastor Dave Jassman gave the couple strength.

Randy is back at home, doing well and receiving care typical for people who have suffered a major heart event, like therapy through OSF Home Care and cardiac rehabilitation. And he and Dawn are back at the healthy lifestyles that became the norm after Randy’s 2019 heart attack. Exercise is good, but no long work periods in the summer heat, for example. You’ll find Dawn cooking fish instead of steak. A tough, but necessary adjustment, Randy chuckles. Recipes from the American Heart Association also help.

“I used to think I was invincible, but I realize I’m not anymore,” Randy says.

The Ishams are also urging others to research trusted sources and learn not just the signs of a heart attack, but how to tell the difference between those signs and everyday pain like Randy thought he had on May 24. And don’t hesitate to call 9-1-1 when something is wrong.

“It could save your life,” Dawn says.

Dr. Enezate says the classic symptom of a heart attack is chest pain. Some people describe it as an elephant weighing on their chest. You may also be short of breath, sweat, feel anxious or feel like you’re going to pass out. Or you may have no warning signs, and suddenly you’ve collapsed.

“If you have symptoms and you’re not sure why, call [a health care provider] for advice,” Dr. Enezate advises.

What about prevention for people who’ve had a heart attack?

Practice healthy habits, Dr. Enezate says. Don’t smoke. Take medication as directed by your provider. Control risk factors like diabetes, blood pressure and cholesterol. Exercise and eat right.

Learn more

Read more about how to care for your heart on the OSF HealthCare website.

Interview clips - Dawn and Randy Isham

B-roll

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Sneaky symptoms of heart disease
For major health issues, choose an ambulance

Con la vuelta a la escuela, los consultorios médicos se llenan de niños que necesitan chequeos, vacunas y, en algunos casos, chequeos cardíacos.  

Esto se da especialmente en el caso de los deportistas, según el Dr. Frank Han, pediatra cardiólogo de OSF HealthCare.  

"Cada vez que los estudiantes regresan a la escuela, es necesario realizar chequeos cardíacos para ayudar a detectar problemas cardíacos en los niños", afirma el Dr. Han.   

Los Institutos Nacionales de la Salud (NIH) efectuaron una evaluación de 10 años sobre la muerte súbita durante actividades deportivas.  El objetivo era caracterizar los datos demográficos y las causas de la muerte súbita cardíaca durante la práctica deportiva en Australia.  Se realizaron casi 20 000 autopsias entre 2006 y 2015.  La mayoría de las muertes fueron de adultos.  

Los resultados mostraron que la reducida cifra de niños que murieron por afecciones cardíacas eran arritmogénicos o presuntamente arritmogénicos, es decir, que producían o eran propensos a producir arritmia cardíaca.  O bien los niños padecían cardiomiopatías hereditarias, una enfermedad adquirida o hereditaria del músculo cardíaco.  

Por eso, el Dr. Han recomienda a los padres que hablen con los pediatras de sus hijos para asegurarse de que están al tanto de si sus hijos padecen alguna cardiopatía.  Si el pediatra intuye que el niño quizá tenga un problema, le recomendará que lo examine un cardiólogo para una evaluación más exhaustiva.  

"La evaluación general para empezar es un electrocardiograma en el consultorio de atención primaria.  Después de eso, junto con una revisión de los antecedentes familiares, se puede recomendar un ecocardiograma o una prueba de esfuerzo para determinar si hay algún problema en las válvulas cardíacas o si el músculo cardíaco es demasiado grueso", explica el Dr. Han.  "Uno de los principales fines de la prueba de esfuerzo es intentar simular el ejercicio más intenso que podría hacer esa persona.  Posteriormente, reuniremos toda la información en nuestra visita para averiguar si hay algún problema."   

Aunque puede ser difícil, sobre todo para los niños más pequeños, conocer los signos de una afección cardíaca, es importante prestar atención si creen que algo no es normal.   

"Pueden decir cosas como que les 'pita el pecho' o que les 'late con fuerza el pecho'. En el caso de los niños mayores, pueden dar descripciones muy variadas; por ejemplo, que les cuesta hacer ejercicio. Esto puede manifestarse como dolor de pecho, dificultad para respirar o fuertes palpitaciones, sobre todo al hacer ejercicio", explica el Dr. Han.  

El Dr. Han señala que no todas las cardiopatías se detectan cuando la persona es joven.   

"Algunas cardiopatías congénitas no se manifiestan de niño, como las cardiopatías genéticas, que pueden aparecer a una edad más avanzada", afirma.  "El electrocardiograma y la ecografía del corazón están diseñados para detectarlas si aparecen a una edad más avanzada".  

El Dr. Han agrega que es muy importante conocer los antecedentes médicos de la familia.  Si en su familia hay antecedentes de afecciones cardíacas, él recomienda hablar con su médico de cabecera y, en caso necesario, someterse a un chequeo cardiológico. 

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Obesity early in life can lead to life-long physical and mental health challenges, according to a study in Journal Pediatrics.

This comes as childhood obesity has more than tripled since the 1970s, due to unhealthy eating and low amounts of physical activity, says the World Health Organization (WHO). This increase should also serve as a reminder for parents to get their children’s cholesterol checked. The CDC recommends children and adolescents should have their cholesterol checked at least once between ages nine and 11 and again between ages 17 and 21.

What is Cholesterol?

“Cholesterol is one of the molecules that, in limited quantities, is essential for the human body to make cells,” says Frank Han, MD, a pediatric cardiologist with OSF HealthCare. “In larger quantities it has the potential to increase the future risk of heart artery disease or coronary artery disease in kids and future adults.”

Healthy cholesterol vs. unhealthy cholesterol

“There is some influence on your cholesterol numbers from what you eat,” Dr. Han says. “The general idea of what’s healthy cholesterol and what’s bad cholesterol is: HDL is considered the healthy cholesterol and LDL is considered the unhealthy or bad cholesterol. The general idea that people can take home is to have a heart-healthy diet.”

A few things a heart-healthy diet consists of eating a variety of fruits and vegetables every day. Choose foods with mostly whole grains rather than refined grains. Cut back on high fat and processed foods and eat more foods you prepared yourself, and foods containing healthier fats.  You can read more about maintaining a heart-healthy diet here. 

The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) releases cholesterol guidelines for preventive care. The most recent results were released in July 2023, and 2016 before that.

“They commented on how they need more research to determine if routine cholesterol screenings for kids derive benefits in the long-term,” Dr. Han says.

Guidance from the USPSTF has suggested cholesterol screenings are beneficial for kids who have other medical conditions like family-inherited high cholesterol, Dr. Han says.

When is it time to see a cardiologist about your cholesterol?

Dr. Han says kids are referred to cardiologists by their primary care provider.

“When we have those patients in our office, we’ll make sure they’re well-informed about what a healthy diet and exercise looks like,” Dr. Han says. “Then, should the child need it, with or without the assistance of our colleagues in the Healthy Kids University office, or a dietitian, we can work on improving their lifestyle habits.”

Along with maintaining a heart-healthy diet, Dr. Han recommends kids make physical activity a daily habit with an activity they enjoy.

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Sleep is the “keystone of life.”

That’s how Sarah Zallek, MD, medical director of OSF Sleep in Peoria, Illinois sees it.

“Sleep has to be enough and good quality,” Dr. Zallek says. “For an adult, enough sleep is 7-8 hours. Eight is biological, that’s how we’re programmed. Getting six and fewer hours of sleep has significant risk.”

For kids, Dr. Zallek says the amount of sleep needed changes by age.

“Babies need 16-17 hours a day. Toddlers need 14 hours, but by the time they’re 6 years old and out of kindergarten, kids shouldn’t be sleepy at all during the daytime. They should be exquisitely awake and sleep 12 hours a night,” Dr. Zallek says. “A 10-year-old needs about 10 hours of sleep. Teenagers need between 8-10 hours of sleep a night.”

Consistently failing to sleep enough can lead to a variety of health problems. One in particular is heart disease. Frank Han, MD, a cardiologist with OSF HealthCare who specializes in pediatric and adult congenital heart disease says heart disease isn’t something that happens overnight, but over time.

“The link mainly comes in when you don’t have enough sleep. It then triggers some of the stress hormones of the body,” Dr. Han says. “If you’re changing your sleep schedule a lot, that can mess around with your circadian rhythm.”

Another problem is an increase in inflammation in the body.

“Inflammation causes all sorts of things, including heart disease,” Dr. Zallek says.

The plethora of health problems can be caused by a wide variety of daily choices we make. Dr. Zallek says caffeine can keep you from sleeping. Both Dr. Zallek and Dr. Han say screen time before bed needs to be avoided.

“Don’t play your computer games right before you go to sleep. Don’t have a TV inside your room,” Dr. Han says.

Some people use alcohol to help put them to sleep. Dr. Zallek says while an alcoholic drink can make you sleepy, there are negative consequences to your sleep schedule as well.

“The trick with alcohol is that it wakes you up in the second half of the night. Even if you’re not aware of it, you’ll have less good-quality sleep with alcohol on board,” Dr. Zallek says.

Getting a bad night’s sleep isn’t just sleeping too little, it can also be sleeping too much. But if you are sleeping less than six hours a night, you’re at a greater risk for heart disease, Dr. Zallek says.

“I like to think of six as the magic number,” Dr. Zallek says. “And fewer than five hours of sleep almost doubles the risk of coronary artery disease.”

For some people who work the night shift, sleeping eight hours straight is extremely difficult. Dr. Zallek says if you do need to work on a “split sleep” schedule, that’s still better than only sleeping a few hours a night.

“If you’re awake at night, all sorts of systems in your body expect you to be sleeping and feel funny because you’re awake,” Dr. Zallek says. “So when you’re working a night-shift and your stomach feels funny, you’re hungry when you shouldn’t be, not hungry when you should be or even hungry for the wrong foods, that’s very biological.”

OSF HealthCare providers work hand-in-hand to help people develop good sleeping habits, while focusing on good-quality overall health. If you need to see a health care provider for sleep challenges, visit the OSF Sleep website.

You can also find locations and resources for heart care OSF provides.

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Do you really need that extra shake of salt on your fries? Because sodium is not your friend.

That’s according to a study published in the Journal of Internal Medicine that showed any significant reduction in the consumption of dietary salt can improve hypertension.

“Hypertension is high blood pressure, or where our arteries are experiencing too much pressure with the blood flow to our organs, and this can lead to things like end organ damage, and some things that are really serious like stroke and heart attack," says Lauren Hargrave, a physician assistant with OSF HealthCare." 

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), nine out of 10 Americans consume too much sodium and they don’t even know it. The average person eats more than 3,400 milligrams (mg) of sodium a day – the AHA recommends no more than 2,300 mg a day. Ideally, it would be less than 1,500 mg a day, especially for adults with high blood pressure.

Reducing sodium by just 1,000 mg a day can improve blood pressure and decrease the risk of cardiac issues. The study also found that lower sodium consumption reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety in some study participants.

“Hypertension is a very big issue," says Hargrave. "It affects a lot of people across all ages. And it really is something that is not always recognized because people can be asymptomatic or not have any symptoms until they come in and see us.”

Still, sodium is important to the human body. It helps control your body’s fluid balance and is important to nerve and muscle function. But too much sodium can cause your body to retain water increase puffiness, cause weight gain and can lead to high blood pressure.

The ideal blood pressure for adults is a systolic pressure (top number) of less than 120 and a diastolic pressure (bottom number) of less than 80. According to the AHA, Hypertension Stage 1 is when blood pressure consistently ranges from 130-139 systolic or 80-89 diastolic, Hypertension Stage 2 is when blood pressure consistently ranges at 140/90 or higher, and a crisis occurs if your blood pressure readings suddenly exceed 180/120.

“A lot of times the first time people hear that they have high blood pressures is in an office visit after we take vitals," says Hargrave. "They don't always know that they have high blood pressure at home and we call it the silent killer because a lot of times it is something that's not presenting with symptoms. We’re telling people that they have high blood pressure and explaining the importance of treatment. It is very treatable with medications with lifestyle changes, but if it's not recognized, that's when it can become dangerous.”

The best way to reduce the sodium in your diet is to stay clear of prepackaged, processed and prepared foods. Pay close attention to food labels – foods that have the most salt are breads, pizza, sandwiches, cold cuts, soup and tacos.

Other foods that have “hidden” amounts of sodium are cheeses, canned vegetables, frozen dinners, snack foods, and condiments such as ketchup and mustard.

If you’re cooking at home, avoid adding table salt to foods, flavor your meals with herbs, spices, lemon and lime. Opt for chicken, fish and lean meat rather than canned or processed meats, and rinse canned vegetables and beans to reduce the amount of sodium.

Restaurant meals are another source of high sodium. Study the menu before ordering, choose fresh fruits and vegetables when you can, ask for salad dressing on the side and request that your meal be prepared without added salt.

Exercise helps with overall heart health, which can help lower blood pressure. It also helps with weight reduction, which can also improve blood pressure. The key, according to medical experts, is paying attention to what you eat and make modifications when necessary.

“It can be potentially serious but it's treatable and manageable if you watch your salt intake and exercise and have a conversation with your doctor," says Dr. Tianyu Dong, a family practice physician with OSF HealthCare. 

For more information about hypertension, visit OSF HealthCare. 

 

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