Taking steps to address Chicago's heart health crisis

According to the Centers for Disease Control, social determinants contribute to nearly 80 percent of a person's health outcome - more than any other single factor. This is a national issue, and it hits Chicago particularly in heart-health outcomes.

Chicago is a world-class city, yet there are alarming disparities in the quality of education, safety and access to food and health care in too many neighborhoods throughout the city. These discrepancies are contributing to higher incidence of heart attack and strokes and a higher mortality rate due to cardiac events.

Studies shows that Chicago has the largest life expectancy gap in the country. The South and West sides suffer from some of the highest stroke mortality rates in the country. West Pullman, Riverdale and Auburn-Gresham top the list of areas for stroke deaths in a recent American Heart Association (AHA) Journal study.

The statistics for heart conditions nationally are staggering and, in these neighborhoods, are even worse. Every 40 seconds, someone in the U.S. suffers a stroke, and it is the fifth leading cause of death. Chicago's stroke mortality rate is 6 percent higher than the national average and, in Riverdale, the rate is nearly 200 percent higher than the national average.

Chicagoans in these neighborhoods face a disturbing lack of access to health care and to basic preventive measures to combat this health risk. Food and pharmacy deserts are commonplace, and so is lack of access to tools like blood pressure monitors, and awareness of what to do at the first signs of a stroke. At one of our recent outreach events at a church in Auburn-Gresham, residents told us of their struggle to gain reasonable access to a local pharmacy for to get medication and a blood pressure monitor.

High blood pressure is the leading risk factor for heart attack and stroke. The national blood pressure guidelines from the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology show that hypertension affects nearly half of all U.S. adults. Nearly 80 percent of heart attacks and strokes are preventable. Regularly monitoring your blood pressure can reduce your risk of a cardiac event up to 20 percent. We can take real steps toward saving lives just by starting there.

Providing access to blood pressure monitors and medical professionals who can help start foundational treatment plans to decrease heart attack and stroke risk are essential first steps to addressing Chicago's heart health crisis. Those who know their blood pressure numbers can gain a greater understanding of their risk for a cardiac event. This year, we've donated blood pressure monitors to the American Heart Association's Target: BP program, which distributed them to community centers across Chicago, including TCA Health and CommunityHealth.

Promoting heart health awareness, improving medical access, and advancing research are all objectives for thousands of Chicagoans who participated in the 25th annual Chicago Heart Walk last weekend. I served as a co-chair of this effort. It's part of how we are Going for Zero heart attacks and strokes. For those who were unable to attend, but would still like to find a way to participate please visit the Heart Walk website.

Knowing the warning signs of a stroke - such as confusion, severe headache, nausea or numbness - and what to do, can save lives too. Just knowing the acronym F.A.S.T. can make a difference in reducing the damage done and lives taken by stroke: Face - Ask the person to smile and see if their mouth looks asymmetrical. Look for other signs that one side of the face is different from the other, like a right or left drooping eye. Arms - Ask them to lift their arms and note if they can do so as easily on both sides. Speech - Have them repeat a simple sentence like "January is the month before February," then listen for slurred or strange speech. Time - It's time to call 911 if you see any of these signs.

In a crisis, time is of the essence. It's time to make Chicago's heart health crisis a priority.

Ranndy Kellogg is president and CEO of Omron Healthcare, headquartered in Lake Forest.