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NRMC offers heart healthy advice for women
At a Lunch and Learn session presented at noon , Friday in the mezzanine conference room at Nevada Regional Medical Center. Kelly McLemore, cardiac rehab nurse, informed the lunch guests about women's cardiac health issues.
"A lot of women aren't aware of the importance of their cardiac health," McLemore said.
"More women die from cardiovascular disease than die from breast cancer; one in three women die from heart disease, one in 30 die from breast cancer. One woman every minute dies from cardiovascular disease. In fact more women die from cardiovascular disease than die from all forms of cancer combined."
A healthy lifestyle is vital to a healthy heart and diet and exercise are keys to that lifestyle.
"You need to eat healthy and get exercise," McLemore said. "It's easy to go to a fast-food restaurant, eat poorly and skip exercising but it's important to keep after it."
Going to the doctor regularly is important in maintaining a sound cardiovascular system.
"It's important to get an annual physical and to know your numbers," McLemore said. "Your total cholesterol should be below 200, your LDL, the lousy cholesterol, should be below 100 and your HDL, the good kind, should be above 45."
McLemore, who is also a full-time student at the University of Missouri, Kansas City, recently was placed on the dean's list for her academic achievements.
"I am so excited, I can't believe I made the dean's list," McLemore said. "I'm working on getting a bachelor's degree. It's online so I don't have to travel."
McLemore credited her husband, Chris, for giving her encouragement.
"I've always loved nursing and Chris is my biggest advocate, he talked me into it. Working full-time and going to school full-time takes a lot out of you but Chris said he would take over the house and he's been great."