Forum Friday Night To Educate Blacks On Heart Disease
POSTED: Thursday, January 6, 2005
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Medical officials hope a free forum Friday evening on heart disease and black Americans will help save lives like that of a Middleburg man.Edward Prater, 53, was eating his way to an early grave until he learned that plates piled high with bacon, eggs and fried potatoes were going to prove deadly.
The retired military man said when he started to feel really tired about 10 years ago, he knew something was wrong."I ... didn't have any energy and I had a hard time breathing," Prater said.One day, Prater was rushed to the emergency room."I found out that I had ... congestive heart failure, so they hospitalized me ... and released a lot of fluid around my heart," he told Channel 4's Tammie Fields.Prater has changed a lot in his diet since then.Dr. Alan Miller, who treated Prater, is encouraged by how well he's doing, but knows there are many more people out there who don't even know they're at risk for heart failure.That's why the Cardiovascular Center at Shands-Jacksonville Medical Center is putting on a free forum about heart failure to arm blacks with the knowledge they need."The personal score you should know are your risk factor numbers ... particularly your blood pressure," Miller said. "And it would be nice to know your cholesterol numbers, too, so you could alter your diet .. .alter your lifestyle."Under a doctor's care, Prater is taking some medication, he's cut the salt out of his diet and started eating heart-healthy. He has lost 52 pounds."It was a long battle, but thank God I got through it," Prater said.The Forum on Heart Failure in African Americans is at 6:30 p.m. Friday at the Radisson Riverwalk Hotel. Those attending can get free checks of blood pressure and cholesterol, ask questions and listen to experts talk about the latest major breakthroughs in treating blacks with heart failure.Dinner is also free, but space is limited. Call (904) 244-4245 to reserve space.
Copyright 2005 by News4Jax.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
HEART DISEASE RESOURCES |
Copyright 2005 by News4Jax.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
A late-season tropical system lost hurricane strength this morning as it heads for the Gulf Coast, but could still pack high winds and storm surges when it comes ashore early tomorrow.
It was standing room only at Sunday's memorial service for a brother and sister authorities said were killed by their father, who then took his own life.
A central Florida television station reports that a man accused of fatally shooting his wife inside their mansion attended the woman's memorial service this weekend.
A U.S. Army hospital spokesman says the man suspected in a deadly shooting spree at Fort Hood, Texas, is conscious and able to talk.
An 11-year-old Gainesville girl called 911 and helped her mom deliver her newborn baby sister when the big moment came before they could get to the hospital.
Crime scene investigators took video of inside Quinn Gray's home the night she was reported missing. Detectives were looking for evidence. Gray claimed she was forced from her home at gunpoint and cops considered it a crime scene.
Sept. 9, 2008: Ponte Vedra Beach mother Quinn Gray describes her very physical relationship with the man she said abducted her.
Police said Osmanovic and Gray spent several nights at a south metro motel, and on one particular morning, Osmanovic wore a recording device and said he was going back to the hotel room to be with Gray.
The St. Johns County Sheriff's Office arrested 34 people Friday morning in connection with illegal narcotics transactions.
SEE IT, SNAP IT, SEND IT: Thousands of eyes and nearly as many cameras pointed toward the sky over Jacksonville's beaches this weekend for the Sea & Sky Spectacular.
Quinn Gray showed investigators marks on her arms and legs she said were the result of her kidnapping.
Slideshow
Top-dollar designs don't always provide a good return for the rich and famous. Check out which celebs were caught in fashion flops.
An 800 square foot mobile home in Nassau County was destroyed by fire Tuesday night. Both residents in the home escaped safely.
Capturing N.E. Florida's wanted suspects is a tough task, so the local station is trying to help with the Wheel of Justice. Every Thursday morning, the wheel spins and a wanted fugitive is profiled.
Images: Fugitives On 'Wheel'
Email Alerts
RSS News Feeds
Mobile
Live Streams
Slideshows
Video
Search
