South Texas Health System Heart Offering Free Education Classes for People Living With Heart Disease

Friday, March 10, 2023
South Texas Health System Heart Offering Free Education Classes for People Living With Heart Disease

To help Valley residents, especially those recently diagnosed with congestive heart failure or coronary artery disease, better understand their condition and learn to live successfully with heart disease, South Texas Health System Heart offers a free monthly education class. Led by Carol Mejia, RN, BSN, the hospital’s Director of Advanced Cardiac Care Services, the sessions cover a multitude of self-management-related topics, including medications, low sodium diets, fluid intake, daily weight and symptom monitoring, activity recommendations and guidance on physician follow-ups.

Get More Information and Register for a Class

The classes are open to anyone diagnosed with heart failure and coronary artery disease and their caregivers.

Day and Time: Every Friday from 1 – 2 pm
Location: South Texas Advanced Cardiac Clinic Conference Room located inside the STHS Heart Clinics
500 E. Ridge Rd.
McAllen, TX 78503

To Register: Contact Carol Mejia at 956-994-2261 or carol.mejia@uhsrgv.com.

The heart is one of the body’s most vital organs, pumping blood throughout the body that sends oxygen and nutrients while carrying away unwanted carbon dioxide and waste products. Unfortunately, the heart is also one of the most fragile organs. If it doesn’t function properly, all other organs, including the brain, begin to fail from lack of oxygen within a few minutes.

In the United States, about 6.2 million adults have congestive heart failure, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which happens when the heart can’t pump enough blood and oxygen to support other organs in the body. Affecting people of all ages, from children to the elderly, approximately 550,000 new cases are diagnosed in the U.S. each year, according to the American Heart Association.

Meanwhile, coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common type of heart disease, with about 20.1 million U.S. adults aged 20 and older having the condition, according to the CDC. About 2 in 10 deaths from CAD happen in adults less than 65 years of age.

“Heart failure and coronary artery disease are chronic conditions that require daily management to slow their progression and prevent frequent hospitalizations,” said Mejia. “Being diagnosed with heart disease can bring about fear and uncertainty. Through these educational classes, we strive to help patients better understand their diagnosis and take the necessary steps to prioritize their heart health to slow the progression of their condition and improve their overall quality of life.”