www.elitecme.com | 2019 | HEART HEALTH 7 on one of the newer anticoagulant medica- tions, which require no dietary restrictions, unlike Warfarin. Limiting sodium will be imperative, as well as the intake of dietary cholesterol. Patients will need to monitor fat calories wisely as well as control the types of proteins they choose (more fish, chicken). As survivors begin to recover from a heart attack, they may find that life not only has a renewed sense of purpose, but a renewed clarity as well. The emotions released during recovery may be frightening for some patients, but many have found a closeness with loved ones that they did not share prior to the event. And, for patients that have the confidence to ask, sexual activity can be resumed shortly after leaving the hospital and is quite safe for the patient once they are discharged. The amount of energy expended is equal to climb- ing one to two flights of stairs or walking one- half mile (0.8 km) at a brisk pace. Resuming sexual activity with a partner allows a heart attack survivor to gain both physical and emo- tional closeness, and a sense of living a full life once more.5 For fitness expert Bob Harper, he not only survived his heart attack, he now speaks pub- licly about knowing and understanding the importance of familial cardiac risk factors. Additionally, he works as a celebrity spokes- person for an anticoagulant medication, often prescribed for survivors. By doing these activ- ities, he is an excellent example to heart attack survivors for how to shape and live an optimal life. It’s hard to believe he gained his start on a show called The Biggest Loser! n Diane Goodman, RN, MSN-C, CCRN, CNRN, is a semi-retired Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, with over 40 years of full-time nursing expe- rience. Although she no longer works full-time as a Clinical Educator, she has maintained an active status as a Nursing Journalist & consul- tantduringthelastfewyears,writingandcollab- orating with nurses around the globe. REFERENCES 1. Activebeat.com “Important Heart Attack Red Flags for Women You Should Recognize.” Lockhart, E. March 2018, Activebeat. 2. Amp.livescience.com “America’s No. 1 Killer Is Changing.” Rattner, R. August 24, 2016, livescience. 3. Clevelandheartlab.com “4 Essential Steps to Sur- viving a Heart Attack.” Cleveland Heartlab, March 2, 2018. 4. Heart.org “Heart Attack Recovery Faqs.” American Heart Association, 2019. Last reviewed July 31, 2015. 5. My.clevelandclinic.org “Heart Attack Recovery & Cardiac Rehabilitation.” Cleveland Clinic Heart Resources. 1-800-223-2273. 6. Webmd.com “Risk Factors for Heart Disease.” WebMD Medical Reference, revised by Beckerman, J., MD, FACC on September 5, 2018. FOCUS ON EDUCATION  |  COVER STORY A heart healthy diet will also be an important part of the survivor’s lifestyle for them to remain in optimal health... Limiting sodium will be imperative, as well as the intake of dietary cholesterol. Patients will need to monitor fat calories wisely as well as control the types of proteins they choose (more fish, chicken).