By R.M. Dietrich Deel

More than 70 million Americans of the ages 50 and older – which breaks down to be 4 out of 5 older adults – suffer from at least one chronic health condition.

Many of those people over 50 are affected by cardiovascular conditions as their chonic health condition. Cardiac issues such as high cholesterol, hypertension, stroke, congestive heart failure, cardiac arrythmias, and other heart disease contribute to often recurring emergency room (ER) visits and hospital admissions.

Doctors are becoming increasingly active in promoting patient education and patient self- care/self-management to assist in lowering these ER visits and hospitalizations and promoting the full benefit of their treatments.

Whether it is a health promoting activity, such as exercise that an individual is engaging in or detailing daily information in heart failure, an individual who is actively and responsibly man- aging day-to-day activities is involved in a concept referred to as self-management.

With education and self-management activities (patients recording information daily) heart failure patients had fewer ER visits and hispitalizations, lowering health care costs and encourag- ing better communication, education, and knowledge.

An individual committed to their self-management will find their doctors care more effective, their quality of life improved, and more positive treatment outcomes, as well as lower health care costs.

A new tool to assist in simplifying this self-management with cardiac patients was recently published in March 2013. The “Cardiac Vitals Journal” is a diary that, when used daily, is an easy go-to when your doctors, nutritionists, and physical therapists have questions.

This diary makes it easy to document daily weight, daily medications, food choices, sodium, fluid intake, fluid output, potassium, calories, carbohydrates, fiber, protein, cholesterol, sugar, doctor prescribed diuretics, a.m. and p.m. blood pressure and heart rates, insulin and blood sugar detailing for those who need it, daily supplements, and daily exercise habits.

Readers can also transfer this information to a summary page section called “Information for My Doctor” that can be torn out and taken with you to doctors visits if you prefer not to take the journal with you.

The author, Raven Marie Dietrich Deel, has been able to maintain her heart failure without a mechanical heart with this same journal by actively documenting all the information her doctors question her regularly about.

The Cardiac Vitals Journal is available for purchase at Barnes & Noble online and Amazon. com. Visit their website for more information: www.cardiacvitalsjournal.com

August 24, 2014 R.M. Dietrich Deel – Heart Issues