Today, LPGA Hall of Fame golfer Nancy Lopez and her husband, Ray Knight, former third baseman for the New York Mets and 1986 World Series Most Valuable Player (MVP), are inspiring families to get back on track after a heart attack and take pleasure in daily activities again. As part of the "Back in Full Swing" campaign, sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline, the husband and wife team are sharing their personal stories and providing tips for living life after a heart attack for the nearly eight million families affected by a heart attack each year.
"I always thought of myself as bulletproof because of my generally healthy lifestyle and athletic career," said Ray Knight. "When I found out that I had suffered a heart attack, I was scared, concerned, anxious and upset. Fortunately with the help of my strong and supportive family and doctor, I have a new sense of hope and optimism about my life and am back to doing the type of activities I used to do before my heart problems were discovered."
After his heart attack, Ray was diagnosed with left ventricular dysfunction, or LVD--a condition characterized by a weakened left chamber of the heart. With LVD after a heart attack, the heart muscle tissue has been scarred or damaged to the extent that the muscle can't perform as well as it used to.
Physicians prescribe beta-blocker medications, such as carvedilol, to treat LVD. Clinical studies show that carvedilol improves the heart's pumping action and helps people with LVD stay out of the hospital.
"The first step in feeling better after a heart attack is to protect yourself against future heart problems," he says. "I know that by taking the right medicines, I can extend my life. I also exercise regularly, maintain a healthy weight, and eat right."
To download a list of Nancy and Ray's tips, as well as to learn more about their stories and the campaign, log onto www.backinfullswing.com.
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