Volume 42 Issue 2 COUNSELING & WELLNESS
The Counseling &
Wellness Center
Newsletter
February is Black History and
Heart Health Month
As we celebrate Black History month
please, note that February is also Heart
 Ask your doctor what your blood
 Take blood pressure medicine as
phone to help you remember.
 Quit smoking. If you don't smoke,
don't start. As smoking increases,
so does the risk of heart disease.
 Reduce your sodium intake by
learning how to prepare low sodi-
vent 1 million heart attacks and strokes in
um recipes and eliminating fast
the United States by 2017. The CDC is
food.
 Learn how to manage your stress.
pressure, and if it's high, make adjustments
Americans aged 30 to 74 in the
to their lifestyle. More than 67 million Amer-
southeast are at higher risk of develop-
icans have high blood pressure and are 4 ing heart disease over the next 10 years.
times more likely to die from a stroke and 3 Many southern states have large African
times more likely to die from heart disease.
-American populations. Two in 5 African-
High blood pressure often shows no
Americans have high blood pressure,
signs or symptoms, which is why it is im-
but only half have it under control. Afri-
portant to have your blood pressure
can-American men are at the highest
checked regularly. It's easy to get your
risk for heart disease.
blood pressure checked at your doctor's
By:
Christine Smith,
Wellness Peer Counselor
how to reach that goal.
Health Month. The CDC is working to pre-
encouraging Americans to know their blood
Wake Up Feeling Your Best
pressure should be and talk about
directed. Use a timer on your
There will be some sleepless nights
in college for undergraduate students,
whether cramming for exams, trying to
meet crucial deadlines or maintaining an
unruly work schedule. It might seem
tempting to rely frequently on naps,
however daytime performance will eventually suffer. So how much sleep is
right? Researchers recommend 7 to 9
hours. It’s a no brainer that having adequate sleep can improve your daily performance, boost your mood, and prevent those dark under-eye circles. Ultimately giving yourself time to sleep, is a
key part of a healthy lifestyle, and is
mentally, physically, and emotionally
beneficial. Here are some other key
health benefits that scientific researchers have discovered about getting some
zzzz’s in.


Eating better, exercising, and control-
office, most drugstores, or use a home ling high blood pressure can help reduce
blood pressure monitor.
the chances of heart attack. Check out
If you have high blood pressure, take
the CDC's High Blood Pressure website 
these steps to help maintain your blood
for information to help control your goals!
pressure and keep it under control:
Editor: Shirley F. Labbe
February 2016
Lowers Stress. Sleep reduces level of
stress, resulting in better control of your
blood pressure.
Live Longer. In a 2010 study of women 50-75 years old, more deaths occurred in women who received less
than five hours of sleep per night. Raymonde Jean, MD director of sleep medicine states: “If you sleep better, you
can certainly live better. It’s pretty
clear”.
Sharpens Attention. A lack of sleep
can result in ADHD-like symptoms.
Sleep deprivation can result in hyperactive and inattentive behavior.
Wake up continues on next page
FEELING WELL AT XAVIER
Page 2
Wake up from previous page

Healthy Weight. Thinking about incorporating a healthier diet? Planning to
go to bed earlier can also help with
your weight loss plan. Sleep and metabolism are controlled by the same
sector of your brain. When your sleep,
certain hormones go up in your blood,
and those same hormones drive appetite.
Sometimes sleepless nights may
occur but be mindful of the harmful effects sleep deprivation can have on
your body. Planning ahead of time and
lessening procrastination on assignments are some helpful ways to avoid
cramming and sacrificing sleep.
So Xavierites, Go ahead and
snooze!
Get Pumped For Heart
Health
Vincent Ekenga,
Pharm.D. PGY-1 Community
Pharmacy Resident
The heart is associated with February not only because of Valentine’s Day
but also because February has been
declared American Heart Month. Heart
disease is the number 1 cause of death
in the United States for both men and
women. It accounts for 1 in 7 deaths or
approximately 375,000 deaths per year.
There are many contributing factors to
heart disease such as high blood pressure, smoking, high cholesterol, diabetes, age and obesity.
Atherosclerosis is a disease in
which the artery walls thicken and become inflamed. Plaque builds up in the
artery and narrows blood flow leading to
a possible heart attack.
One of the most important risk factors
for atherosclerosis is abnormally high
levels of cholesterol in the blood
stream. This is why it is important that
we do everything possible to maintain
healthy levels of cholesterol, including
reducing the intake of unhealthy foods,
increasing exercise and taking medications as prescribed. Lifestyle changes
and cholesterol medications have the
same goals; to decrease “bad cholesterol” known as “LDL” and sometimes
triglycerides (TGL), while increasing the
amount of “good cholesterol” known as
“HDL”. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL)
transport fats to the artery which increases the risk for atherosclerosis,
while high-density lipoprotein (HDL)
does the opposite. It removes cholesterol from the artery and decreases the
risk of developing atherosclerosis.
Desirable levels (may vary depending on the presence of other medical
conditions):
LDL <160mg/dL (Levels lower than
100mg/dL may be desirable for those
with diabetes and cardiovascular
disease)- TGL <150mg/dL
HDL>40mg/dL (men)/ >50mg/dL
(women) Total Cholesterol <200mg/
dL
High blood pressure is another important contributing factor to poor heart
health. The Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention is urging Americans to
know their blood pressure value and if it
is high, make getting healthy a priority.
People with high blood pressure are 3
times more likely to die from heart disease than those with normal blood pressure. Approximately, 2 in 5 African
American males have high blood pressure and 50% are unaware of their condition. These statistics emphasize the
importance of maintaining blood
pressure within normal limits, usually
defined as less than 140/90 for most people.
Here are a few ways to maintain heart
health:





Have your blood pressure and cholesterol checked by your healthcare provider
annually.
Take medication if prescribed.
Decrease sodium intake (less than
2300mg daily)
Quit smoking or don’t start smoking
Exercise (150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week)
References:
“Heart Disease and Stroke." Heart Disease and
Stroke. Office of Disease Prevention and Health
Promotion, n.d. Web. <http://
www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/
topic/heart-disease-and-stroke>.
"The American Heart Association's Diet and Lifestyle Recommendations." The American Heart
Association. American Heart Association, 20 Jan.
20. Web. <http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/
HealthyLiving/HealthyEating/Nutrition/TheAmerican-Heart-Associations-Diet-and-LifestyleRecommendations_UCM_305855_Article.jsp#.Vre9smzSnIU>.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
and U.S. Department of Agriculture. 2015 – 2020
Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 8th Edition.
December 2015. Available at http://health.gov/
dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/.
SaVe the Dates:
Behavioral Health
Awareness Day
February 25, 2016
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
WELLNESS AWARENESS
DAY
March 16, 2016