UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Nearly half of U.S. adults have some form of cardiovascular disease, making it the leading cause of death in the country, according to the American Heart Association.
Sarah Gillard, a nurse at Penn State Health’s Heart and Vascular Institute, said statistics like this make cardiovascular health something everyone should be thinking about.
“Heart disease is a disease that affects everyone. It’s something that affects you personally, or it affects a loved one or friend. So having good information about it is probably the best thing you can do in your life. It will be useful for the,” Mr Gillard said.
Gillard works with Penn State’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) to teach free online courses. Cardiovascular health and disease prevention. During the course, Gillard explores heart-healthy adjustments people can make in their lives. She also discusses prevention techniques and delves into the science behind the causes of heart attacks and heart disease.
The online course will run from 6:30pm to 8pm on February 22nd and will be open to the community. Registration for the course is free and can be done here or by calling 814-867-4278.
“I think people have a lot of questions about how they will take care of themselves and prevent disease in the future,” Gillard says. “There’s a lot of good information out there, but there’s also a lot of misinformation. I think people would benefit from narrowing it down to some of the big things they can do for themselves.”
Gillard’s passion for cardiology was born out of a desire to make a significant impact on people’s health.
“If you have a cardiovascular disease, such as a heart attack, you can survive for many years with the right heart care and good medicines. So this is an area of great hope,” Gillard said. said.
Gillard was inspired to share her knowledge with Penn State’s OLLI by her mother, Peggy Johnson, who is an active member.
OLLI at Penn State is a Penn State outreach program that provides community members ages 50 and older with opportunities to learn, explore and connect through educational experiences, travel, social and volunteer opportunities.
“I’m looking forward to this opportunity to teach with OLLI. From all the members I’ve met in the community, they seem like a curious group who are interested in continuing to learn and probably have a lot of good questions. I think there is,” Gillard said.
She added that cardiovascular health is an important topic for all age groups.
“It’s true that your risk for cardiovascular disease increases as you get older. The heart is the leading cause of death in the United States, so it’s important that everyone knows how to take care of their heart so they can live a long and healthy life.” I think it’s important to know,” Gillard said.
Visit Penn State’s OLLI website to learn more about opportunities and upcoming courses.
