HJBR Sep/Oct 2023

40 SEP / OCT 2023  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE   Healthcare Briefs medicine and technology to improve the diag- nosis and treatment of vascular conditions, reduc- ing morbidity, mortality, cost, and amputations. Upcoming one-day regional meetings are sched- uled in Atlantic City, New Jersey; Fort Lauderdale and Tampa, Florida; Lafayette, Louisiana; Chi- cago; St. Louis; and Meridian, Mississippi. The dates for the NCVH 25th Annual Conference are May 28-31, 2024, in New Orleans. Regional event attendees can receive an on-site discount for the annual conference by registering at the regional events. Study: Loneliness is a Heartbreaker for Diabetics “Do you have a best friend?” That might not sound like an appropriate ques- tion for a doctor’s visit, but it may be a lifesaver. A new Tulane University study finds that loneli- ness is a bigger risk factor for heart disease in patients with diabetes than diet, exercise, smok- ing, and depression. The research was published in European Heart Journal, a publication of the European Society of Cardiology. “The quality of social contact appears to be more important for heart health in people with diabetes than the number of engagements,” said study author Lu Qui, MD, PhD, HCA Regents Dis- tinguished Chair and professor at Tulane Univer- sity School of Public Health and Tropical Medi- cine. “We should not downplay the importance of loneliness on physical and emotional health. I would encourage patients with diabetes who feel lonely to join a group or class and try to make friends with people who have shared interests.” Patients with diabetes are at greater risk of car- diovascular disease and are more likely to be lonely than their healthy peers. Previous studies have found that loneliness and social isolation are both related to a higher likelihood of cardiovascu- lar disease in the general population. This study looked at whether diabetics who were lonely or socially isolated were more likely to develop car- diovascular disease than those who were not. The study included 18,509 adults aged 37 to 73 years in the UK with diabetes but no cardio- vascular disease. Loneliness and isolation were assessed with questionnaires. High-risk loneliness features were feeling lonely and never or almost never being able to confide in someone. High- risk social isolation factors were living alone, hav- ing friends and family visit less than once a month, and not participating in a social activity at least once per week. The researchers looked at the association between loneliness, isolation, and incidents of cardiovascular disease after adjusting for other health and lifestyle factors. Over the next decade, 3,247 participants devel- oped cardiovascular disease; 2,771 participants developed coronary heart disease and 701 expe- rienced strokes (some patients had both). The risk of cardiovascular disease was 11 to 26% higher in those with the highest scores for loneliness com- pared to those with the lowest scores. Similar results were observed for coronary heart disease, but the association with stroke was not signifi- cant. Social isolation scores were not significantly related to any of the cardiovascular outcomes. The researchers also assessed the relative importance of loneliness, compared with other risk factors, on the incidence of cardiovascular disease. Loneliness showed a weaker influence than kidney function, cholesterol, and BMI, but a stronger influence than depression, smoking, physical activity, and diet. “Loneliness ranked higher as a predisposing factor for cardiovascular disease than several lifestyle habits. We also found that for patients with diabetes, the consequence of physical risk factors (i.e. poorly controlled blood sugar, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking and poor kidney function) was greater in those who were lonely compared to those who were not,” Qi said. “The findings suggest that asking patients with diabetes about loneliness should become part of standard assessment, with referral of those affected to mental health services.” North Oaks School of Radiologic Technology Graduates 54th Class The 54th graduating class of North Oaks School of Radiologic Technology celebrated their accom- plishments with a commencement ceremony on June 29. Program Director Heather Koepp shared that the class of 2023 has a 100% job placement rate with four of the nine graduates accepting positions with North Oaks Health System. Graduates included Emma R. Cook of Mandeville; Lauren T. Daniels of Holden; Jace A. Gaudet of Houma; Joseph Anthony Johnson of Hammond; Raleigh M. Lester and Skye E. Prege- ant of Loranger; Keegan N. Marchand of Mau- repas; Jonathan Harl Penton of Bogalusa; and Macie B. Wascom of Greensburg. Commencement was held at the E. Brent Dufreche Conference Center, located within North Oaks Diagnostic Center on the North Oaks Medical Center campus. Mary Bird Perkins to Expand Access toMammograms with $15KGrant Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center has received a $15,000 grant from the Sisters Network Inc. Karen E. Jackson Breast Cancer Assistance Pro- gram (BCAP) to expand access to mammogram services for uninsured women across the region. This funding will be used to support Mary Bird Perkins’ Prevention on the Go (POGO) program and will extend services to women across 31 par- ishes in Louisiana and four counties in Southwest Mississippi. Sisters Network Inc., a leading national African American breast cancer survivorship organiza- tion, is committed to increasing local and national attention to the devastating impact that breast cancer has in the African American community. “We are excited to partner with the Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center to provide 3D mammo- grams for uninsured women in Louisiana and Southwest Mississippi through our Breast Can- cer Assistance Program (BCAP),” stated Karen E. Jackson, founder/CEO, Sisters Network Inc. “Women must make their breast health a top pri- ority, and Sisters Network® Inc is proud that our national organization can help make mammo- grams accessible to women who might otherwise not be able to afford one. Early detection is not a slogan, it can truly save lives,” added Jackson. Mary Bird Perkins’ nationally-recognized Pre- vention on the Go program is designed to pro- vide education and early detection services in locations where people live, work, worship, shop, and play — all at no cost to residents. With a fleet of mobile medical clinics, the cancer cen- ter travels throughout Louisiana and Southwest Mississippi to serve thousands of participants each year. Since 2002, the Prevention on the Go