- General Page Tier 3BlogDietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) is a diet plan to lower or control high blood pressure. Your blood pressure rises and falls throughout the day. High blood pressure is when stays elevated over time. The more your blood pressure rises above normal – which for the average healthy person is below 120/80 mmHg – the greater your health risk. There are no warning signs or symptoms that indicate you have high blood pressure. When you suffer from high blood pressure, your heart has to work harder. This can be dangerous. That combined with the high force of the blood flow, can harm arteries and organs such as the heart, kidneys, brain and eyes. The DASH diet follows heart-healthy guidelines to limit saturated fat and cholesterol. It emphasizes food rich in protein, fiber, potassium, magnesium and calcium, such as fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, whole grains, and low fat dairy products. Research suggests it can also be effective in reducing inflammation, lowering the risk of developing kidney disease and decreasing levels of low-density lipoproteins (better known as bad cholesterol), along with several types of cancer. The DASH diet hasn’t gained much popularity because it has not been advertised as a weight loss diet. It is a dietary lifestyle designed for disease prevention and improved health. However, most people would likely lose weight given the recommended diet changes, which include limited portions of red meats, sweets and sugary beverages. With the DASH diet you fill up on delicious fruits and vegetables, paired with protein-rich foods. The following are recommendations on how to implement this plan into your life: Eat more fruits. Eat an apple or pear instead of cookies or muffins. Try a few dried apricots instead of pork rinds or chips. Increase your veggie consumption. Add extra vegetables to stews, soups and casseroles. Make one or two weekdays per week vegetarian days and experiment with a new recipe, where vegetables are the highlight. Turn to fat-free or low-fat milk products. Substitute sugary yogurt with plain, low-fat yogurt and add your favorite fruit. You can also use yogurt instead of sour cream, cream and salad dressings in recipes. Other calorie saving tips: Eat smaller portions by cutting back gradually. Try to be mindful of not just what you eat, but the speed, level of hunger or fullness and how your emotions dictate your choices. Snack on fruit, vegetables, boiled eggs, small pre-portioned cheese sticks and nuts. Don’t forget to hydrate with at least 64 ounces of water per day. It’s easy to mistake hunger for thirst. Eat in, not out, and plan healthy meals. Healthy eating takes effort and requires planning but the payback is a lifetime of health. The bottom line to lowering blood pressure is to follow a heart-healthy eating plan, maintain a healthy weight, limit alcohol and increase physical activity. Authors Ann Caldwell and Maureen Shackelford are nutritionists and registered dietitians at Anne Arundel Medical Center. To reach them, call 443-481-5555.
- Heart CareGeneral Page Tier 3BlogDid you know that 610,000 people in the United States die of heart disease every year? That’s one in every four deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). And did you know that every year about 735,000 Americans have a heart attack? There are many factors contributing to these statistics. There are more people with high blood pressure, high cholesterol and who smoke, which are all key risks factors for heart disease. But among those are other factors like diabetes, excessive alcohol use, obesity, physical inactivity and poor diet that also take a toll. Focusing on the last three – obesity, exercise and diet – gardening could help you tackle these risk factors in one go while engaging in an activity that just requires a little bit of patience in exchange for a healthier life. “The trend in our society has been towards what is expedient, what is convenient, what is fast,” says Salvatore Lauria, MD, cardiologist at Anne Arundel Medical Group (AAMG) Cardiology Specialists. “Gardening provides somewhat of a counter-balance by slowing things down and getting back to what’s more natural, more organic and ultimately, healthier.” Dr. Lauria practices the healthy lifestyle changes he preaches to his patients. He himself lives in a rural neighborhood where he grows his own produce and raises chickens. And although he also leads a busy lifestyle, he enjoys using this time to slow down and harvest healthier, fresher food. Learn your risk for heart disease with our free online heart health profiler at askAAMC.org/HeartHealth and take the first step toward having a healthy heart for life. Clean eating When you buy frozen food or eat at restaurants regularly – especially fast-food restaurants – you end up consuming more processed foods. Yes, it’s convenient to have someone cook for us because of our busy schedules. But in doing what’s easy you pay the price of eating a lot of things that you don’t know about. “That speaks to the benefit of growing it yourself,” says Dr. Lauria. “When you plant your own produce – such as green peppers, carrots, kale, beets and spinach – you know what you’re eating. Plus, there’s a sense of satisfaction that comes in knowing that you put all the effort into growing it yourself.” You also get to choose the fertilizers you want to use, whether they are organic or not. When you garden, you’re in control of when to harvest your own food. Vegetables that ripen in your garden tend to have more nutrients and antioxidants compared to the ones you buy in a store. No gym? No problem It can be physically demanding. But between weeding, planting and harvesting, you’re getting a full-body workout and possibly getting more squatting done than at the gym, says Dr. Lauria. “Be mindful of staying well hydrated,” he adds. “But also know that just the act of gardening itself is a healthy habit to develop.” And all of this while you’re performing an activity that will further contribute to your health! In addition, backyard gardening can inspire you to learn more about the food you eat and help you make better choices about what you put on your plate. By being more aware of your choices, you’ll likely be eating more vegetables and fruits in general. You’ll become your family’s snack connoisseur This is just an added bonus, really. Instead of buying snack bags at the grocery store, full of trans fat, sodium and sugar, you can turn to your very own veggies. You can dry your carrots, beets or kale and divide portions into small bags as snacks for the week. This, in turn, can help you save money. Snacks labeled as organic or as containing less sodium tend to be more expensive. “Grab a few veggies from your backyard, dry them or bake them, bag them and you’re done,” says Dr. Lauria. “No need to keep spending money on snacks that you can make yourself at home, and you control the ingredients used.” It sounds laborious but in reality, it’s really simple. Anyone can grow his or her own tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and other basic kitchen crops in their backyard. Growing your own food, with no additives, and using organic practices is a healthier way to go for you and your heart, according to Dr. Lauria. In addition, it provides a healthy balance to the frenetic paced lifestyle you may sometimes lead, and it gives you the satisfaction of knowing that you put the effort into creating our own produce. Year-round crops Planting crops can be done at any time, but there are fruits and vegetables that taste better when they’re in season. Here’s a list of the best crops to plant year-round, according to Maryland’s Best, a program managed by the Maryland Department of Agriculture: Cucumbers Herbs Lettuces Mushrooms Tomatoes Spinach Onions Radishes Author Salvatore Lauria, MD, is a cardiologist with Anne Arundel Medical Group (AAMG) Cardiology Specialists. To schedule an appointment, call 443-481-6700. Originally published March 2019. Last updated February 2020.
- News & Press ReleasesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogAnne Arundel Medical Center (AAMC) has partnered with Sheppard Pratt Health System to lead the expansion of AAMC’s behavioral health services and address the growing need for accessible, high-quality mental health and addiction services in Anne Arundel County and its surrounding communities. Sheppard Pratt and AAMC have selected Rod L. Kornrumpf, FACHE, to serve as vice president of behavioral health at AAMC to help lead the management of the new 16-bed mental health hospital, partial hospitalization program, and Pathways business operations. Kornrumpf will also help oversee the associated clinics, facilities, and staff. He previously served as the regional executive director for behavioral health for the University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health/Union Hospital joint partnership. “The partnership with Sheppard Pratt reflects our commitment to bringing the best resources to our community,” said Sherry B. Perkins, PhD, RN, FAAN, president of AAMC. “Sheppard Pratt has been a trusted resource of ours for many years, and we look forward to partnering with them to meet the growing behavioral health needs in our community.” “The mental health needs in our communities continue to grow with each passing year. Ensuring greater access to mental health and addiction services is a priority for our health system,” said Harsh K. Trivedi, MD, MBA, president and CEO of Sheppard Pratt Health System. “We are pleased to collaborate with Anne Arundel Medical Center to oversee the expansion of their behavioral health services and provide the necessary expertise and resources to meet the unique needs of those in the community and deliver quality care.” “Few health care needs are more misunderstood than those involving mental health,” said Kornrumpf. “Through the J. Kent McNew Family Medical Center, we are not only increasing critically needed mental health services in the region, but we are signaling a new era in which mental health is recognized as essential to overall health and is a true health care priority. I’m honored to be a part of this legacy.” The behavioral health services offered in the new mental health hospital will include: inpatient mental health care, a psychiatric partial hospitalization program, intensive outpatient programs, residential and outpatient substance use services, and referral and care coordination to community-based treatment and support services.
- Men's Health, Women's Health, Heart CareGeneral Page Tier 3BlogEating has a big impact on your heart health. In fact, eating healthier can improve several of your heart risks at once. For instance, it helps you manage weight, cholesterol and blood pressure. Getting to know your fats is a great first step toward heart healthy eating. Did you know that there are numerous types of fat? Your body makes its own fat from taking in excess calories. Some fats are found in foods from plants and animals and are referred to as dietary fat. Dietary fat is a macronutrient that provides energy for your body – basically, it’s necessary for you. Fat is essential to your health because it supports a number of body functions. Some vitamins – A, D, E and K, for example – must have fat to dissolve so your body can absorb them. However, fat is high in calories. Too much fat can lead to excess calories and ultimately, weight gain. Excess weight is linked to poor health. Additionally, some types of dietary fat can play a role in cardiovascular disease. Research about dietary fat is always evolving. A growing body of research suggests that when it comes to dietary fat, you should focus on eating healthy fats and avoiding unhealthy fats. Learn your risk for heart disease with our free online heart health profiler at askAAMC.org/HeartHealth and take the first step toward having a healthy heart for life. The harmful fats Trans fats and saturated fats are the ones you should limit or stay away from. Trans fats can occur naturally in some foods in small amounts, but most are made from oils through a food processing method called partial hydrogenation. These can increase unhealthy low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and lower healthy high-density lipoproteins (HDL) cholesterol, which increases your risk for cardiovascular disease. Trans fats also create inflammation, which experts link to heart disease, stroke, diabetes and other chronic conditions. They contribute to insulin resistance, which increases your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Saturated fat is common in the American diet. This type of fat is also associated with your risk for cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes. It comes mainly from animal source foods, such as red meat, bacon, cheeses, coconut oil and full-fat dairy products. Saturated fat raises total blood cholesterol levels and LDL cholesterol levels. READ MORE: Coconut oil: Is it healthy or not? The good fats Healthier dietary fats are monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and omega-3 fats. Foods made up of mostly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature – olive oil, peanut oil and safflower oil, for example. Foods high in omega-fatty acids include: flaxseed; oils, such as canola, flaxseed, soybean and nuts; and other seeds, such as walnuts, butternuts and sunflower. The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans offers the following recommendations about fat intake: Avoid trans fat. Limit saturated fat to less than 10 percent of total calories a day. Replace saturated fat with healthier monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Roughly speaking, 1 tablespoon of all oils are about 125 calories. So next time keep in mind, though not all fats are equal in composition, too much of even the ‘good’ type of fat can be too much. As with everything in life, you need a balance. Authors Ann Caldwell and Maureen Shackelford are nutritionists and registered dietitians at Anne Arundel Medical Center. To reach them, call 443-481-5555. Originally published Feb. 4, 2019. Last updated Feb. 7, 2020.
- Heart CareGeneral Page Tier 3BlogStars in your eyes, butterflies in your stomach, weak in the knees—falling in love is a feeling like no other. But did you know being in love actually has tangible health benefits for both your body and your mind? “We are social creatures and we do best when we have strong social support systems,” explains Baran Kilical, MD, a cardiologist at Anne Arundel Medical Center. “Being in love can affect everything from your stress levels to your heart health.” Here are few of the scientifically backed benefits of being in love: A longer life Research shows a clear link between strong social ties and longevity. A study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology assessed the relationships of nearly 5,000 adults ages 30 to 69. Those with strong, happy marriages lived longer than unmarried men and women. Unfortunately, the phenomenon goes both ways. In the same study, adults with poor social ties had twice the risk of death compared to others in the study. “Many different studies have replicated these findings, especially in men,” says Dr. Kilical. “Most research shows being married is even more beneficial to men’s health than women’s health.” And there’s a growing amount of research showing a higher risk of illness and death in people with low quantity and low quality of social relationships. “Social isolation is a major risk factor for death from a variety of causes in both genders,” says Dr. Kilical. Learn your risk for heart disease with our free online heart health profiler at askAAMC.org/HeartHealth and take the first step toward having a healthy heart for life. A healthy heart It’s fitting that the symbol for love is a heart, given all the heart health benefits of being in love. Married people experience half the risk of death from heart disease than that of unmarried or divorced men and women. “One theory explains this finding by citing improved function of the autonomic nervous system, which controls bodily functions like heart rate, in people who are married or in love,” says Dr. Kilical. “Our sympathetic nervous system, or our stress “fight-or-flight” response likely plays a role as well.” Being in love tends to decrease our stress response, which can in turn lower blood pressure. Studies show strong love, marriage and social ties improve blood pressure, while isolation and being around strangers increases it. The same holds true for heart rate. And if you do have a heart attack, being happily married helps. In a 2015 study, married people had a 14 percent lower risk of dying in the hospital after a heart attack. They also had shorter hospital stays by an average of two days. Healthy lungs It’s not just your heart that benefits from being in love. Being married can help protect against complications and death from pneumonia. Compared to unmarried men and women, married people are less likely to require ventilator support via a breathing machine, have shorter hospital stays, are less likely to end up in an intensive care unit and have 13 percent lower risk of dying during hospitalization for pneumonia. Less stress Besides the physical health benefits, being in love works wonders for your mental health as well. Love, marriage and overall wellbeing reduce stress, which also strengthens your immune system. But what really goes on in your mind when you’re in love? “Thanks to endocrine research (the study of hormones) and modern functional brain MRIs, we can get a peek behind the scenes,” says Dr. Kilical. “Love causes changes in many of your hormones including oxytocin, vasopressin, dopamine, serotonin, cortisol and testosterone.” Here’s some of what goes on in your brain: The hormones oxytocin and vasopressin interact with your dopamine reward system. This is the same system that causes people to feel good or happy when positive events happen, such as getting a pay raise or falling in love. Vasopressin helps control blood pressure. Cortisol, the stress hormone, initially rises when you fall in love, but quickly drops in a long-term, stable relationship. Low cortisol levels sustained in a long-term stable relationship contributes to many health benefits. Not in love? How to still reap the benefits If a significant other is lacking in your life, no need to worry. “Some of these health benefits still apply to people who have a strong social support system,” notes Dr. Kilical. “Positive, close relationships with family members and friends can keep you healthier, too.” Even something as simple as a hug can help. Most people know hugs can help you feel connected to other people, but did you know they can actually help prevent sickness? When you feel connected to others, especially through physical touch, you’re less prone to experience sickness caused by stress. In one study of more than 400 adults, researchers found that the more often people hugged, the more their chances of getting sick decreased. Hugging may be an indicator of overall social support in a person’s life, which also promotes good health. In the same study, the adults who said they have a strong social support system had fewer cold symptoms than those who said their support system was lacking. No matter what your relationship status, remember that positive, close relationships are important for your overall health and wellness. Taking the time to invest in family members and friends is also an investment in your personal health. Author Baran Kilical, MD, is a cardiologist and cardiac electrophysiologist with Anne Arundel Medical Center. Originally published Feb. 13, 2017. Last updated Feb. 7, 2020.
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