November is Diabetes Awareness Month

November is Diabetes Awareness Month! 

Did you know that 1 in 3 Canadians are living with diabetes or prediabetes? So many lives are touched by this chronic disease, yet so few Canadians know they are at risk for developing diabetes. 

What is Diabetes?

It’s a chronic disease where the body cannot make enough insulin or cannot use insulin properly. Insulin is a hormone that helps to control blood sugars. A high amount of sugar in the blood over a long period of time can damage organs, blood vessels, and nerves.  

Are you at risk?

Not much is known about definite risk factors for Type 1 Diabetes, but there are quite a few risk factors for developing Type 2 Diabetes. Some we can have some control over, but some we cannot. 

Here’s a list of risk factors for developing Type 2 Diabetes:

• Have a parent, brother, or sister living with diabetes.

• Member of high-risk group (Indigenous, Hispanic, South Asian, Asian, African descent)

• Have given birth to a baby weighing more than 4kg or 9lb

• Have had gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy)

• Prediabetes diagnosis

• Have high blood pressure

• Have high cholesterol  or high blood fats

• Have extra weight around abdomen, overweight

• Have polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) diagnosis

• Have acanthosis nigricans diagnosis

• Have obstructive sleep apnea diagnosis

• Have diagnosed psychiatric disorders: schizophrenia, depression

Ask your doctor to test if you have diabetes if you are over 40 years old or if you have several risk factors after taking this risk test: https://www.healthycanadians.gc.ca/en/canrisk

Don’t have a doctor?  Find one here: www.albertafindadoctor.ca

Fight the Risk

Here are some healthy habit ideas that can help lower your risk of diabetes:

• Eat a high fibre breakfast everyday

• Eat 1 cup of vegetables at each of your meals

• Eat 2-3 servings of fruit each day (1 serving =0.5 cup or tennis ball size piece of fruit)  

• Go for a 10-15 minute walk at lunch everyday

• Try deep breathing or visualization technique to manage your stress or check out other stress management techniques at https://myhealth.alberta.ca/Health/tests-treatments/pages/conditions.aspx?hwid=rlxsk&

Your Team

You have a team of Registered Dietitians, Exercise Specialist, Registered Nurses, Behavioural Health Consultants and Mental Health Therapists that can support your health journey through the Team-Based Care program at the PCN.  You can access this team for support by asking for a referral from your family doctor.  

World Heart Day

 September 29th is World Heart Day!

Created by the World Heart Federation, World Heart Day informs people around the globe that cardiovascular disease (CVD), including heart disease and stroke, is the world’s leading cause of death claiming 17.9 million lives each year, and highlights the actions that individuals can take to prevent and control CVD. It aims to drive action to educate people that by controlling risk factors such as tobacco use, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity, at least 80% of premature deaths from heart disease and stroke could be avoided. 

The term ‘cardiovascular disease’ (CVD) refers to any disease of the heart, vascular disease of the brain, or disease of the blood vessel. 

There are many risk factors associated with coronary heart disease and stroke. Some risk factors, such as family history, cannot be modified, while other risk factors, like high blood pressure, can be modified with treatment.

You will not necessarily develop cardiovascular disease if you have a risk factor. But the more risk factors you have, the greater the likelihood that you will, unless you take action to modify your risk factors and work to prevent them compromising your heart health.

Risk factors that you can change include:

• Physical inactivity
• Unhealthy diet
• Raised blood pressure
• Tobacco use
• Cholesterol
• Obesity and being overweight

Risk factors you can't change include:

• Family history
• Diabetes

Other common risk factors include:

• Age: simply getting old is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease; risk of stroke doubles every decade after age 55.
• Gender: a man is at greater risk of heart disease than a pre-menopausal woman. Once past menopause, a woman’s risk is similar to a man’s. Risk of stroke is similar for men and women.
• Ethnicity: people with African or Asian ancestry are at higher risks of developing cardiovascular disease than other racial groups.
• Socioeconomic status: being poor, no matter where in the globe, increases your risk of heart disease and stroke. A chronically stressful life, social isolation, anxiety and depression also increase the risk.

Know your risks and learn the warning signs at the World Heart Federation website.

Information from the World Heart Federation.

June is Stroke Awareness Month

June is Stroke Awareness Month

A stroke happens when blood stops flowing to any part of your brain, damaging brain cells. The effects of a stroke depend on the part of the brain that was damaged and the amount of damage done. Learn more...



Are you at risk of a stroke? Take the stroke assessment test.

Our PCN healthcare providers can help those who are at risk or who have had a stroke. Ask your PCN family doctor to our Team-Based Care program.

June is Stroke Awareness Month

June is Stroke Awareness Month - do you know the signs of a stroke?

For more information on stroke and to find out if you are at risk, visit the Heart & Stroke Foundation website: http://www.heartandstroke.ca/stroke/signs-of-stroke

http://www.heartandstroke.ca/stroke/signs-of-stroke

February is Heart Month!

Heart Healthy class at the PCN!

Learn about risk factors for stroke and heart disease, how to eat healthy and read nutrition fact labels for managing blood pressure and cholesterol . Also learn how medication, stress management and tobacco cessation can affect heart health.

This is a FREE class and is open to the public; a referral from your family doctor is NOT required. 

Register online or call our PCN office at 780-986-6624.

June is Stroke Awareness Month

Quick facts about stroke, risks and how to reduce the chance of a stroke:

• •         Stroke survivors often have a more sedentary lifestyle which leads to loss of muscle mass and are also at increased risk for falls. 
• •         Studies have found that participation in regular physical activity is lower in stroke survivors than those of elderly persons with other chronic health conditions. 
• •         Those who have suffered a previous stroke are at risk for recurrent stroke and other CVDs.

Some of the risk factors you can change for prevention of stroke:

• •      monitor your blood pressure
• •      Find out if you have Atrial fib (an irregular heartbeat which allows blood to pool in the heart and cause blood clots)
• •      Quit smoking
• •      Limit alcohol
• •      Monitor cholesterol and manage especially – LDL
• •      Manage diabetes
• •      Exercise regularly
• •      Eat foods low in sodium and saturated or trans fat
• •      Monitor any circulation problems with doctor visits

 Some of the benefits of regular physical activity for prevention of stroke:

• •         Improve circulation and blood flow
• •         Increase oxygen flow to the brain and heart
• •         Decrease blood pressure over time
• •         Increase efficiency of the heart and lungs 

       Talk to your PCN family doctor if you would like additional support from our PCN healthcare team.

 Corinne Cutler is an Exercise Specialist at the Leduc Beaumont Devon Primary Care Network.

June is Stroke Awareness Month

When you or someone around you is experiencing these signs, call an ambulance to get help. Do not drive yourself to the hospital as the Paramedic has the skills and equipment to treat you. This is vitally important as the quicker you can get help, the better the outcome can be. 

What is the difference between a Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) and a stroke?  Both are medical emergencies and require you to be seen by a medical professional. A TIA is caused by a small clot that briefly blocks an artery that leads to your brain. It is sometimes called a mini-stroke or warning stroke. TIA symptoms might last only a few minutes or hours. No lasting damage occurs, but TIAs are an important warning that a more serious stroke may occur soon. A stroke happens when blood stops flowing to any part of your brain. This interruption causes damage to the brain cells which cannot be repaired or replaced. The effects of your stroke depend on the part of the brain that was damaged and the amount of damage done.

For more information, please visit www.heartandstroke.ca

Cherie deBoer is a Registered Nurse at the Leduc Beaumont Devon Primary Care Network. 

What is it like to have a stroke?

Check out this video, created by the Heart & Stroke Foundation, on what it's like to experience a stroke through the eyes of the victim or through the eyes of the witness.

Learn the signs of a stroke by experiencing one video.

Heart & Stroke Foundation

Preventing stroke through regular physical activity

One of the many benefits of regular physical activity is helping to manage blood pressure and to help improve circulation and blood flow. When it comes to preventing strokes and cardiovascular issues, these are two key factors in promoting prevention. 

If blood pressure remains elevated for any length of time there is more damage done to the blood vessels and increased build up of plaque and increased possibility of clots forming the blood vessels. 

Helping to keep the blood vessels healthy and avoiding plaque build up is an important component of preventing the onset of a stroke from a blockage or from lack of blood and oxygen getting to where it needs to be.  As this is Stroke Awareness Month, please help spread the word about the importance of staying active!

Heart & Stroke Foundation brochure: Taking Control - Lower your risk of heart disease and stroke

Corinne Cutler is an Exercise Specialist at the Leduc Beaumont Devon Primary Care Network. 

June is Stroke Awareness Month - Know the signs

February is Heart Month

Heart disease and stroke are a leading cause of death in Canadian men and women. Know the risks and how to prevent heart disease and stroke.

Facts:

• More than 1.6 million Canadians are living with the effects of heart disease and stroke.

• 9 in 10 Canadians have at least one risk factor for heart disease and stroke.

• The average Canadian will spend their last 10 years in sickness due to heart disease, stroke and other chronic conditions.

• There are nearly 50,000 strokes each year, many of which are preventable with a healthy lifestyle.

• Every 7 minutes in Canada, a life is taken by heart disease or stroke.

Know your risk factors, what you can change and what you can't.

Take the Heart & Stroke Risk Assessment.

For more information, please visit the Heart and Stroke Foundation website.

February is Heart Month.

Heat exhaustion and heat stroke

The temperatures are soaring and most people are happy to get outside and enjoy the beautiful weather. Cherie deBoer, Registered Nurse at the LBD PCN, provides helpful information to help minimize your risk of heat illness this summer.

What is heat exhaustion?

Heat exhaustion is a mild form of heat-related illness and associated with a core body temperature of 37 - 40°C (98.6-104°F).  Heat exhaustion causes a person to become unable to continue activity because of environmental conditions, like hot weather, or over exercising.  It is caused when body’s thermoregulatory responses (sweating, dilation of veins, etc.) are inadequate to cool the body down. .

Symptoms of heat exhaustion:

• Heavy sweating
• Feeling weak and/or confused
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Headache
• Fast heartbeat
• Skin appears pale or ashen
• Dark-coloured urine, which indicates dehydration

What should I do if I think I have heat exhaustion?

If you think you have heat exhaustion, get out of the heat quickly. Rest in a building that has air-conditioning, or if you can't get inside, find a cool, shady place.  Drink plenty of water or other fluids, but do NOT drink alcohol or caffeinated drinks (such as pop). These can make heat exhaustion worse. Take a cool shower or bath, or apply cool water to your skin. If you can, lay on your back, preferably with your legs elevated. Take off any tight or unnecessary clothing.

If you do not feel better within 30 minutes, you should contact your doctor. If heat exhaustion is not treated, it can progress to heatstroke.

What is heatstroke?

Heatstroke (also known as sunstroke) is when the internal temperature of the body reaches 40°C (104°F). It can happen when your body gets too hot during strenuous exercise or when exposed to very hot temperatures, or it can happen after heat exhaustion isn't properly treated. Heatstroke is much more serious than heat exhaustion. Heatstroke can cause damage to your organs and brain. In extreme cases, it can kill you.

How can I prevent heat illness?

When the temperature is high, stay indoors and/or in air-conditioned areas, when possible. If you must go outside, take the following precautions:

• Wear lightweight, light-coloured, loose-fitting clothing;
• Protect yourself from the sun by wearing a hat or using an umbrella;
• Use sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or more;
• Drink plenty of water before starting an outdoor activity. Drink extra water all day. Keep in mind that heat-related illnesses are not only caused by high temperatures and a loss of fluids, but also a lack of salt in the body. Some sports drinks can help replenish the salt in your body lost through sweating;
• Drink fewer beverages that contain caffeine (such as tea, coffee and pop) or alcohol;
• Schedule vigorous outdoor activities for cooler times of the day -- before 10:00 a.m. and after 6:00 p.m.;
• During an outdoor activity, take frequent breaks. Drink water or other fluids every 15 to 20 minutes, even if you don't feel thirsty. A good indicator of hydration is urine. If you have clear, pale urine, you are probably drinking enough fluids. Dark-coloured urine is an indication that you're dehydrated;
• If you have a chronic medical problem, ask your doctor about how to deal with the heat, about drinking extra fluids and about your medicines.

Risk Factors for Heat-Related Illness:

• Age older than 65 years or younger than 15 years
• Cognitive impairment
• Heart and lung diseases
• Limited access to air-conditioning
• Mental illness
• Obesity
• Physical disabilities/impaired mobility
• Poor fitness level
• Sickle cell trait
• Strenuous outdoor activity during hottest daytime hours
• Living on higher floors of an apartment building

Sources
Ainsworth, S. (2009). Staying healthy if the heat rises. Practice Nurse, 38(3), 43-44.
Becker, J., & Stewart, L. (2011). Heat-related illness. American Family Physician. 83(11), 1325-1330.
Glazer, J.L. (2005). Management of Heatstroke and Heat Exhaustion. American Family Physician. 1(11), 2133-2134.

June is Stroke Awareness Month

What is a stroke?

A stroke is a sudden loss of brain function. It is caused by the interruption of flow of blood to the brain (ischemic stroke) or the rupture of blood vessels in the brain (hemorrhagic stroke). The interruption of blood flow or the rupture of blood vessels causes brain cells (neurons) in the affected area to die.

• There are estimated 50,000 strokes in Canada each year. That’s one stroke every 10 minutes (Hakim, Silver, & Hodgson, 1998).

• About 315,000 Canadians are living with the effects of stroke (PHAC, 2011c).

• Stroke is the third leading cause of death in Canada. Six percent of all deaths in Canada are due to stroke (Statistics Canada, 2012).

• Each year, over 14,000 Canadians die from stroke (Statistics Canada, 2012).

• Each year, more women than men die from stroke (Statistics Canada, 2012).

The effects of a stroke depend on where the brain was injured, as well as how much damage occurred. A stroke can impact any number of areas including your ability to move, see, remember, speak, reason and read and write.

Stroke is a medical emergency. Recognizing and responding immediately to the stroke warning signs by calling 9-1-1 or your local emergency number can significantly improve survival and recovery.

Learn more about what a stroke is and the different types of stroke, please visit the Heart & Stroke Foundation's website.

What are the warning signs of a stroke?

Weakness - sudden loss of strength or sudden numbness in the face, arm or leg, even if temporary.
Trouble speaking - sudden difficulty speaking or understanding or sudden confusion, even if temporary.
Vision problems - sudden trouble with vision, even if temporary.
Headache - sudden, severe and unusual headache.
Dizziness - sudden loss of balance, especially with any of the above signs.

If you experience any of these symptoms, call 9-1-1 immediately.

Are you at risk of a stroke? Assess your risk and receive information and tool to reduce your risk with this online tool.

Learn about risk factors you can control and stroke prevention, here.

Eat a healthy diet to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Adults should aim for 150 minutes of moderate to intense physically activity each week. Being active can significantly reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke and it can be as simple as going for a walk each day. Learn more about the basic principles of activity and determine your basic needs here.

Read the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines.

June is Stroke Awareness Month

What is a stroke?

A stroke is a sudden loss of brain function. It is caused by the interruption of flow of blood to the brain (ischemic stroke) or the rupture of blood vessels in the brain (hemorrhagic stroke). The interruption of blood flow or the rupture of blood vessels causes brain cells (neurons) in the affected area to die.

• There are estimated 50,000 strokes in Canada each year. That’s one stroke every 10 minutes (Hakim, Silver, & Hodgson, 1998).

• About 315,000 Canadians are living with the effects of stroke (PHAC, 2011c).

• Stroke is the third leading cause of death in Canada. Six percent of all deaths in Canada are due to stroke (Statistics Canada, 2012).

• Each year, over 14,000 Canadians die from stroke (Statistics Canada, 2012).

• Each year, more women than men die from stroke (Statistics Canada, 2012).

The effects of a stroke depend on where the brain was injured, as well as how much damage occurred. A stroke can impact any number of areas including your ability to move, see, remember, speak, reason and read and write.

Stroke is a medical emergency. Recognizing and responding immediately to the stroke warning signs by calling 9-1-1 or your local emergency number can significantly improve survival and recovery.

Learn more about what a stroke is and the different types of stroke, please visit the Heart & Stroke Foundation's website.

What are the warning signs of a stroke?

Weakness - sudden loss of strength or sudden numbness in the face, arm or leg, even if temporary.
Trouble speaking - sudden difficulty speaking or understanding or sudden confusion, even if temporary.
Vision problems - sudden trouble with vision, even if temporary.
Headache - sudden, severe and unusual headache.
Dizziness - sudden loss of balance, especially with any of the above signs.

If you experience any of these symptoms, call 9-1-1 immediately.

Are you at risk of a stroke? Assess your risk and receive information and tool to reduce your risk with this online tool.

Learn about risk factors you can control and stroke prevention, here.

Eat a healthy diet to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Adults should aim for 150 minutes of moderate to intense physically activity each week. Being active can significantly reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke and it can be as simple as going for a walk each day. Learn more about the basic principles of activity and determine your basic needs here.

Read the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines.

World Heart Day – September 28, 2012

Inside your body is a very hard working organ that for the majority of people, they don’t really give it a second thought. What do you know about the heart?

• An adult heart only weighs about 11 ounces or about the size of a fist.
• Your heart beats about 100,000 times in one day and about 35 million times in a year. During an average lifetime, the human heart will beat more than 2.5 billion times.
• The heart pumps about 1 million barrels of blood during an average lifetime—that's enough to fill more than 3 super tankers.
• A kitchen faucet would need to be turned on all the way for at least 45 years to equal the amount of blood pumped by the heart in an average lifetime.
• The “thump-thump” of a heartbeat is the sound made by the four valves of the heart closing as it pumps blood all around your body.
• A woman’s heart typically beats faster than a man’s. The heart of an average man beats approximately 70 times a minute, whereas the average woman has a heart rate of 78 beats per minute.

Random Facts

Heart health is so important to keep this vital organ working properly.  Unfortunately, in Canada, every 7 minutes, someone dies from heart disease or stroke. Heart disease and stroke are two of the three leading causes of death in Canada.

Cardiovascular diseases are defined as diseases and injuries of the cardiovascular system: the heart, the blood vessels of the heart and the system of blood vessels (veins and arteries) throughout the body and within the brain. Stroke is the result of a blood flow problem in the brain. It is considered a form of cardiovascular disease.

Nine in 10 Canadians (90%) have at least one risk factor for heart disease or stroke (smoking, alcohol, physical inactivity, obesity, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, diabetes).

Heart & Stroke Foundation

All of the above are risk factors that you can manage to keep your heart healthy.   Please take a look at some of our previous blogs for some great heart healthy suggestions.

The Leduc Beaumont Devon Primary Care Network offers a Heart Healthy class at our Leduc office. Heart Healthy is a two-hour class that addresses both hypertension and Dyslipidemia helping patients to understand the importance of managing both of these conditions.  Heart healthy food options are emphasized.  Patients learn how to read nutrition labels looking for sodium and fat content.  They learn how to minimize sodium and cholesterol intake and to make healthier food choices.

This class is accessed through referral from your LBD PCN family physician.

For more information, please call Christina Vesty, RN and LBD PCN Chronic Disease Management Coordinator at 780-986-6624.

June is Stroke Awareness Month

JUNE IS STROKE MONTH. NOW IS THE TIME TO PUT YOUR HEART INTO IT.^TM

Do you know the warning signs of a stroke?

Weakness
- sudden loss of strength or sudden numbness in the face, arm or leg, even if temporary.

Trouble speaking
- sudden difficulty speaking or understanding or sudden confusion, even if temporary.

Vision problems
- sudden trouble with vision, even if temporary.

Headache
- sudden severe and unusual headache.

Dizziness
- sudden loss of balance, especially with any of the above signs.





































Learn your risk level - and take action today!

The Heart & Stroke Risk Assessment helps you find out what is putting you at risk of heart disease and stroke - and how you can take action to live a longer and fuller life. Just answer some simple questions about your health and lifestyle to get your customized report today. It's free, confidential and takes about 10 minutes to complete.

Take the Heart & Stroke Risk Assessment now.