Home HEALTH Mind + Body: February 2017

Mind + Body: February 2017

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Caring for Your Heart: The new St. Thomas Heart & Vascular Center brings personalized cardiovascular care to New Orleans.
stthomasmindandbodyIt shouldn’t be much of a surprise that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in Louisiana. Just think of all that fried food, sugar and alcohol. It is also due in part to greater-than-average rates of risk factors like obesity, cigarette smoking and high blood pressure. Another contributing factor to likelihood of death by heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular issues is that quality cardiovascular care is not easily accessible for underserved and minority populations. Luckily, the St. Thomas Community Health Center recently added the St. Thomas Heart & Vascular Center. It’s the first comprehensive cardiovascular program offered by a Federally Qualified Health Center in the Greater New Orleans region.

A full range of cardiovascular services are now available five days per week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Services include diagnostics and interventional procedures such as electrocardiogram ECG/EKG, cardiopulmonary exercise testing, stress testing, remote and in-office pacemaker monitoring, angioplasty and coronary stents, and much more.

New Orleans native, Dr. Arthur “Chip” Grant, director of the St. Thomas Heart & Vascular Center, attended Louisiana State University School of Medicine, completed his residency at Duke University, and fellowships in both Cardiovascular Disease and Interventional Cardiology at Ochsner Medical Center. Dr. Grant will use the facilities at University Medical Center New Orleans for cardiac and vascular angiography and intervention. “We are combining the personalized care and customer service that patients have come to expect from St. Thomas with a state-of-the-art cardiovascular program,” Dr. Grant says.

Louisiana has the fifth highest death rate from cardiovascular disease in the country. “We want to remind people not to wait until it’s too late,” Dr. Grant says. “People should recognize and address important risk factors for cardiovascular disease like high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol and smoking. People should also pay attention to warning signs like chest pain or pressure, shortness of breath or leg swelling.” 1936 Magazine St., (504) 529-5558, sthvc.com, stthomaschc.org

 

Stretching Body and Mind: The new Church of Yoga opens in the heart of New Orleans.

Dana Trixie Flynn — founder of the popular bicoastal yoga centers, Laughing Lotus — is opening a multifunctional yoga studio and community center in an old church in the Treme on Feb. 11. Known as the Church of Yoga, the center will be a place for “the party and the prayer,” and will offer donation-based yoga and meditation classes. The Church of Yoga will also offer outreach as a way to introduce yoga to a new audience of yogis.

The Treme neighborhood with its iconic brass bands fits perfectly with Flynn’s musical Lotus Flow yoga. The Church of Yoga will also host community events, weddings, yoga retreats, online classes, musical and gospel performances, and teacher trainings. Be sure to also check out the Church Lady Café, which will offer vegan Cajun specialties and non-alcoholic elixir shots. 1480 N. Rocheblave St., (646) 785-7220, nyc.laughinglotus.com/nola

 

Maria’s Pick — Tracking Heart Health: A new health monitor provides accurate EKG readings from a user’s mobile device.

February is Heart Health Month, and it’s a good time to think about the staggering statistics: cardiovascular disease and stroke is the leading global cause of death for both men and women. It accounts for more than 17 million deaths per year and 1 in every 3 deaths in America. For anyone with a history of heart disease, the Kardia Mobile can be life saving: In only 30 seconds, it records medical-grade EKG readings that can be relayed to a doctor for analysis and diagnosis. “The device is smaller than a credit card, and it attaches to most smartphones — so it’s easy to take it with you anywhere,” says Maria Muro, publisher at New Orleans Living. “It also allows you to track palpitations, shortness of breath, dietary habits, and sleep and exercise patterns.” alivecor.com, goredforwomen.org