Mega Doctor News
As the main organ of the cardiovascular system, a properly functioning heart is fundamental to overall good health. Responsible for pumping blood throughout the body, the muscular organ delivers oxygen and nutrients to tissues while removing toxins and waste products like carbon dioxide.
Unfortunately, approximately 60% of U.S. adults – 120 million people – have some form of heart disease, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), including about 6.7 million Americans living with heart failure, a condition where the heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs.
Alarmingly, heart failure is on the rise in the United States, especially among younger adults, per the CDC, with the prevalence of the condition expected to increase to 11.4 million by 2050.
“The proportion of younger patients with heart failure has been steadily increasing for years, which suggests that heart failure is no longer a disease related to aging; it’s one that’s increasingly impacting people between the ages of 35-64,” says Carlos Giraldo, MD, FACC, a board-certified interventional cardiologist with South Texas Health System Clinics. “Studies show increasing rates of chronic conditions like obesity, diabetes and hypertension, coupled with a growing prevalence of risk factors like smoking, excessive alcohol consumption and poor diet and lack of physical activity are contributing to heart failure affecting younger people more frequently.”
Left untreated, heart failure can lead to serious health problems and be life-threatening.
While it’s difficult predict exactly how heart failure will affect someone’s life or shorten it, in general, more than half of all people diagnosed with congestive heart failure will survive for five years, per the CDC, while about 35% will survive for 10 years.
Early detection of heart failure is essential, since treatment can significantly improve a person’s life expectancy, with medications and lifestyle modifications helping people with heart failure live longer and more active lives.
To help shine a spotlight on heart failure among residents of the Rio Grande Valley, South Texas Health System (STHS) and STHS Clinics will devote the latest episode of their monthly “South Texas Healthy Living” television program to the life-threatening condition, which is more prevalent in the Hispanic population due to a higher incidence of diabetes, hypertension and obesity – major risk factors that contribute significantly to the development of the condition – among Latinos.
Broadcast live on Sunday, February 23, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. on KVEO-TV NBC 23, the program will feature a sit-down interview with Dr. Giraldo on the key risk factors and common warning signs of heart failure, the prognosis for those diagnosed with the condition and how physicians tackle the treatment and management of heart failure.
Additionally, STHS System Director of Marketing & Public Relations and “South Texas Healthy Living” host Tom Castañeda sits down with Rick Venecia, a 50-year-old Mission native and the director of the Boys & Girls Club of Mission who was diagnosed with heart failure in 2020, to find out how the condition has impacted his life, how he’s managing it and his advice for those not taking heed of their heart health.
The program will also feature a special cooking segment led by Patrick Woodin, South Texas Health System McAllen’s director of dietary & nutrition services, a demonstration of essential heart-healthy exercises with a member of the STHS Edinburg rehabilitation services department, and important advice on preventing heart failure and other cardiovascular issues.
“Education about the dangers of heart failure is essential because it empowers individuals to better understand the causes and risk factors associated with the condition, recognize the early warning signs and symptoms and, ultimately, take an active role in making the necessary lifestyle changes – like eating well and exercising regularly – to prevent or delay the onset of heart failure and prevent complications and improve the quality of life for those living with heart failure,” says Castañeda. “So, along with providing important education on the impact of heart failure on the body, this latest episode of ‘South Texas Healthy Living’ will also highlight healthy habits that can help you prioritize your heart health, including foods that can help you maintain a healthy weight and some simple exercises you can do from the comfort of your home to get healthy and stay healthy!”
If you or someone you love is at risk of heart failure, don’t miss the latest episode of “South Texas Healthy Living” on Sunday, February 23 at 9:00 a.m. on KVEO-TV NBC 23.
To watch previous episodes of “South Texas Healthy Living” and the system’s South Texas Health Updates, one minute videos offering education on various health issues, visit South Texas Health System’s Medical Minute page on ValleyCentral.com.
About South Texas Health System
South Texas Health System is a multi-facility healthcare system serving patients throughout the Rio Grande Valley. The system includes four acute care facility campuses with specialties in pediatrics, heart and vascular services, maternity and women’s health and trauma services. Inpatient and outpatient treatment for behavioral health needs and addictive disorders is also provided through the system’s South Texas Health System Behavioral facility. South Texas Health System is affiliated with the South Texas Clinical Partners ACO, Prominence Health Plan and Cornerstone Regional Hospital. The system operates an advanced Level I Trauma Center at South Texas Health System McAllen, the first and only freestanding children’s facility and pediatric ER at South Texas Health System Children’s, the region’s only freestanding heart hospital and specialized cardiac ER at South Texas Health System Heart, and seven freestanding emergency rooms located in and around Weslaco, Mission, Edinburg, McAllen, Pharrand Alamo. For more information about the system and its comprehensive services, please visit www.southtexashealthsystem.com.
