PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 22-Sep-2014 Contact: Rachel Cagan rcagan@acc.org 202-375-6395 American College of Cardiology @ACCinTouch WASHINGTON (Sept. 22, 2014) Following a healthy lifestyle, including maintaining a healthy weight and diet, exercise, not smoking and moderating alcohol intake, could prevent four out of five coronary events in men, according to a new study publishing today in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. While mortality from heart disease has declined in recent decades, with much of the reduction attributed to medical therapies, the authors said prevention through a healthy lifestyle avoids potential side effects of medication and is more cost effective for population-wide reductions in coronary heart disease. For the study, researchers examined a population of 20,721 healthy Swedish men aged 45-79 years of age and followed them for 11 years. Lifestyle choices were assessed through a questionnaire exploring diet, alcohol consumption, smoking status, level of physical activity and abdominal adiposity (belly fat). Men in the study with the lowest risk were non-smokers, walked or cycled for at least 40 minutes per day, exercised at least one hour per week, had a waist circumference below 95 centimeters, consumed moderate amounts of alcohol, and followed a healthy diet with a regular consumption … Continue reading →

LAURINBURG Dr. William L. Harris, an interventional cardiologist board certified in cardiovascular diseases and a member of FirstHealth Cardiology Services, now offers office hours in Laurinburg and Pembroke. Harris, a Pembroke native, joined FirstHealth Cardiology Services following the completion of a fellowship in interventional cardiology at The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University in June 2014. He performs diagnostic cardiac catheterizations at the Scotland Cardiovascular Center, a partnership between Scotland Memorial Hospital and FirstHealth of the Carolinas. Harris interest in cardiology is fueled by his mothers battle with coronary artery disease, a condition that eventually took her life. That greatly influenced my decision to become a physician, he said. Following that experience, I felt an obligation to treat patients with cardiovascular disease. My specialty allows me to take care of patients in multiple settings After earning his bachelors degree in Biology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Harris received his medical degree from the UNC School of Medicine in 2006. He completed a residency in internal medicine at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in 2009 and then spent a year with the Moore Regional Hospitalist Service before entering The Brody School of Medicine in … Continue reading →