Celebrities are people too...

What do Miley Cyrus, Bill Clinton, and Shaun White have in common? The singer, politician, and professional snowboarder all suffer from some form of heart affliction--and they aren't afraid to tell the public about it. We too often view celebrities merely as icons and lose sight of the fact that they struggle with the same health problems, both physical and mental, as everyone else.

This list of 19 celebrities with heart disease shows how heart disease can affect both men and women from teenagers to the elderly.

In Tom Scheve of Discovery's article about 5 celebrities who have had heart attacks, he deftly states, "when it comes to heart disease, it's not who you know, its where you came from. Heart disease is hereditary. While celebrities often take a pass on some of life's more unpleasant experiences, no one has immunity against heart disease and heart attacks."

I commend these celebrities for voicing their struggles and refusing to shy away from admitting their disease for fear of tabloid criticism.

Watch below to see celebrity Marie Osmond campaign for heart disease awareness. Interestingly, Marie Osmond also founded the Children's Miracle Network, a chain of over 170 premiere hospitals that helps millions of sick kids every year. Go Marie!

Joanna

Babies in Red...

The red hat event at Ruby Memorial Hospital was quite the success. The babies looked so adorable in their hats, and a lot of the parents loved the informational cards. Hopefully when these little guys and girls grow up, they can share this picture with their children when they inform them about heart disease!

Thanks again to the Sew Crafty Ladies :)

Joanna

Go Red Today!

Today, February 3rd, is a very special day...National Wear Red Day! That's easy for us at Cornell--we can raise awareness for heart disease and show school spirit at the same time.

Inspired by all of the red around me on campus, I decided to take on a project of my own to help raise awareness during the month of February, which is heart disease awareness month. Every year during the month of February, the delivery wing of Ruby Memorial Hospital gives newborns their first item of clothing--a little red hat!

However, the hospital often has trouble getting enough hats for all of the infants. So, I got in contact with Anne Meade and the Sew Crafty Ladies of my church, St. Paul's Methodist, as well as Jennifer Edwards from Hatfield, PA, who are both expert knitters. With their help, I was able to donate about 50 handknit hats to the hospitals "Red Hat Project"! I can't wait to get pictures of what they look like on all the babies :)

 Joanna

Ben Breedlove

The video above is part of a moving story about 17 year old Ben Breedlove, who died on Christmas day as a result of his heart condition. He also made a "part 2" video, describing his experiences "cheating death" on December 6th, 2011, and had a regular youtube broadcast channel.

Ben's suffered from HCM, or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a condition in which the heart muscle thickens, preventing blood from leaving the heart as easily as it would in someone without the disease. Usually, the disease strikes young people most severely. The invasive side effects extend into every facet of a patient's life. Chest pain, dizziness, fainting, and shortness of breath made it impossible for Ben to live the life of a normal teenager.

When I came across this video I thought it was a terribly unfair burden for any person to bear at such a young age. Stories like Ben's are the reason we do research and raise money for heart disease. They show us that heart disease can impact anyone, at any age, no matter how healthy he or she appears.

Furthermore, his story made me thankful for my strong heart. It made me want to take care of it. I think the best way we can honor Ben is to ensure that we don't take our heart health for granted. Small changes in diet and exercise can yield such large lifetime benefits.

Ben's condition eliminated his option to have a healthy heart. We're lucky because many of us still have that option, and all we need to do is act on it.


Joanna

Avian Advantage?

Last year, I became fascinated with evolutionary science after taking a course with Professor Will Provine, one of the leading historians of evolutionary biology and population genetics. I still browse the internet frequently for news about discoveries in evolutionary science. 

This morning, I happened upon a fascinating article about the discovery of a link between heart disease and evolutionary differences between mammals and all other species. Mammals are the only creatures on earth that possess Platelet cells, a vital tool the mammalian body uses to help blood clot during excessive bleeding.

Platelet Cell

We would be undoubtedly be dead without Platelets. However, these cells come with a drawback, because they also form clots at the site of cholesterol buildups in the blood vessels, ultimately resulting in cardiovascular diseases like heart attack and stroke. 

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania wanted to see just how detrimental Platelets were in comparison to other species. To test the difference, they decided to compare the blood clotting abilities of mice and birds. They chose birds because, like mammals, they have an extremely high pressure arterial system. 

The difference is that instead of Platelets birds have clotting cells called Thrombocytes.

Thrombocyte Cell

The researchers found that the Thrombocyte cell, though composed of many of the same proteins as Platelets, was fundamentally different in that it could not form "three dimensional aggregates under high-flow conditions." This means that the Thrombocyte cell in avians is missing characteristics that the Platelet cell has which contribute to the first stages of heart attack and stroke.

Researchers speculate that Platelets are probably present in mammals as the manifestation of an evolutionary need for early mammals to survive traumatic injury. Although at one time this might have been an evolutionary advantage, it now seems that the avians have the upper hand. For while humans  possess a keen ability to form blood clots quickly after injury, our Platelet cells make us more susceptible to detrimental intra-vascular clotting, which often precedes cardiovascular disease. 

Joanna

We have crowned a winner...

Yesterday in Statistics, my Professor was illustrating a point about the correlation coefficient significance test by using the example that the amount of fat consumed and the likelihood of heart disease are directly related. And...I suddenly realized that I had yet to report upon the results of Ivy Man!

So, without further delay....our winner this year was Elias Barber!

His bio describes him as a "rough and rogue competitor who retains the sex appeal of the untamed Cowboy of eras past--mysterious, sexy and rebellious.A man of many skills, some of which he learned on the farm, Elias is always equipped to hotwire a Volvo, wrestle a dangerous canine, or parallel park a tractor."

Elias's performance lived up to his big reputation, but he had to work hard to earn the title of Ivy Man
amongst the group of impressive competitors. The boys rocked the stage in their choreographed dance, and then went straight into the swimsuit competition.

We had contestants strutting their stuff in everything from speedos to full wetsuits, but Evan Maclin emerged as the obvious ladies favorite, later placing in the top 5.

After swimsuit came talents, and the audience was entertained by everything from Austrian song and dance, to serenades, to guitar playing. But Elias' talent was a clear indicator that he would be a favorite for the win. He performed a (unique?) but hilarious interpretive dance, which he flawlessly executed with the help of a few of his fraternity brothers.

The boys wrapped up the night with evening wear and onstage question, and all showed an excellent spirit of friendly competition.

But the best news of all is that Alpha Phi raised $4,500.00 for cardiac care, doubling our earnings from last year! The girls all had an amazing time contributing to a cause that has been a part of the Alpha Phi tradition since the 1950's.


Joanna

And the countdown begins....

A dozen of the most eligible bachelors at Cornell, showing off their talent, intelligence, and muscles onstage for all to see? It can only mean one thing: Ivy Man!

But this annual all-male beauty pageant doesn't just take place to provide attendees with a little bit of eye candy.

..........no really, it doesn't.

It's a fundraiser for Alpha Phi's philanthropy, which is, of course, heart disease. It's actually one of the events that convinced me not only to join the Greek system, but to become a member of Alpha Phi.

Aside from the fact that I found Ivy Man hilarious and entertaining, I was even more pleased to discover that all of the proceeds from the event go toward Cardiac Care. All four of my grandparents suffered from heart disease, so the issue has always been a personal and prevalent force in my life.

Last year, I got really involved in the planning of the event and I loved it! I sold tickets, promoted the event online and through posters, and was a beauty coach for one of the contestants. My friend Savannah and I took funny pictures of our guy around campus, and created a unique Facebook page to build support for him. We even helped him plan his Justin Bieber themed talent, perfect his swimsuit walk, and practice for his onstage question.

The competition itself consists of talent, onstage question, evening wear, and swimsuit, and our "People's Choice Award" is a great way to raise money in addition to our ticket sales. Audience members are asked to donate to the jar of their favorite contestant.

The man who currently reigns over the title of Ivy Man was also the winner of the People's Choice Award last year...Mr. Adam Belfer, the "Cornell Gangster":

Cumulatively, we raised $2,500.00 for cardiac care last year! We give these proceeds directly to the Alpha Phi Foundation, which then donates to major organizations like the American Heart Association. The video below is a summary of why our philanthropy is so important to us:

This year, we are hoping to beat that total. My friend Alex and I have already been hard at work coaching our contestant this year, and it looks like it's going to be stiff competition. I mean, we even have a pair of twins competing!

Alpha Phi's Ivy Man Competition will be held tomorrow night at 7:00 PM in Statler Auditorium. Can't wait!

Joanna

Happy, Healthy Hearts

"Aerophobia," or the fear of flying, is one of the 10 most common phobias. Celebrities like Jennifer Aniston and Cher even panic when they have to board! But did you also know that the annual risk for an American of being killed in a plane crash is 1 in 11 million? With odds like these, it seems pretty illogical to fear flying so much.

What seems even more illogical, is that I have never come across a person who fears heart disease. Can you recall a single time that someone has expressed his or her "cardiophobia"? Do you know what heart disease is? See how you score on this quick quiz to find out how much you know.

How did you do? If you didn't score too highly, read the following statistics and to see why you should become more concerned and educated about heart disease.

• the number one killer in the United States, Americans have a 1 in 5 chance of dying from heart disease
• every 30 seconds in the U.S., a person dies of heart disease
• that's 2,800 deaths a day, and over one million every year
• heart disease can strike at any age, and affects both genders

Scary? Yes. But I'm not suggesting you develop "cardiophobia" and live your life in fear of the disease. In fact, I'm suggesting the opposite. I just want you to do two things:

1.) Learn about heart disease

2.) Take simple steps to prevent it from affecting your life

In other words, I'm asking for awareness and action! Visit the American Heart Association website, learn about the condition and what you can do to stay healthy.

In the meantime, here's a brief lesson:

Heart Disease: Any disorder that affects the heart; synonymous with cardio disease but not cardiovascular disease

5 easy steps to reduce the risk of heart disease:

• eat a balanced diet
• reduce stress
• avoid smoking
• exercise regularly
• understand your family history of heart disease

Joanna