Cardiac Killer Targeted

Keith Churchwell came to the Hill South police substation Wednesday night to warn neighbors about a killer that preys particularly on the black community.

This killer doesn’t carry a gun. It’s cardiovascular disease, and it’s the leading cause of death in the United States.

Churchwell, vice president and executive director of Heart and Vascular Services at Yale-New Haven Hospital, spoke during the monthly Hill South Management Team meeting as part of National Heart Month.

Churchwell stressed the importance of heart safety. During February he wears a red flower in the lapel of his suit jacket to serve as a reminder to hold heart health as a priority.

Every 30 to 45 seconds, a person in the U.S. dies suddenly of cardiovascular disease, according to Churchwell, whether it is from a heart attack, heart failure or stroke. Cardiovascular disease is the number-one most common killer of people in the African-American community, he said; it affects over 50 percent of African American men.

Churchwell, a cardiologist, detailed steps people can take to decrease chances of suffering from a heart-related incident.

Keeping blood pressure and cholesterol down is essential.

“The lower, the better,” he said. He stressed the importance of talking to a health care provider about this, and advised people to take prescribed medicine. Keeping an open line of communication between yourself and your provider is also essential.

He also stressed the importance of exercise, paired with a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet. Churchwell said that rather than falling into late-night television traps that promise quick result weight loss, each person should be eating balanced, correctly portioned meals along with exercising daily in order to ensure optimal heart health.

“I’m not asking you to pick up tennis,” he said. ​“I’m asking you do something that you like — walking, jogging, biking — for at least 30 minutes a day.”

Finally, Churchwell mentioned the importance of keeping blood sugar under control. Diabetes puts you at a greater risk for cardiovascular disease.

“The message: You can help control it,” Churchwell said.