'Heart School' puts patients' tickers on track

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- It's been a long time since 66-year-old Judy Borgula has seen the inside of a classroom, but a near-death experience forced her back to school -- "Heart School."

Borgula, of Cumming, Georgia, was one of a dozen students taking notes at a recent seminar at St. Joseph's Hospital in Atlanta.

Like Borgula, some of those attending were former patients at the facility. She suffered cardiac arrest in the back of an ambulance four months ago and was revived by paramedics.

"I'm lucky to be here," Borgula said. But she's not sure she's ready to make some important lifestyle changes. "It's hard to change a pattern of a lifetime," she says.

Borgula may not have a choice. She has ventricular tachycardia, a potentially dangerous irregular heart rhythm. She ended up having a pacemaker and a defibrillator implanted. At Heart School, Borgula learned about reducing risk factors for heart disease by eating a healthy diet, exercising and not smoking. She gave up cigarettes when her heart problems started. Watch more on what cardiac patients learn at "Heart School." »

"Heart School is for anyone who has had any kind of cardiac event," explains instructor Cecile Upchurch, a registered nurse. No application or special qualifications are needed. The program is offered quarterly and is open to the public.

"When you're in the hospital, it's very stressful," Upchurch says. "You're just trying to think about how you're going to be getting through the day. Heart School comes into play when you've been home and you've been able to rest and recuperate and are ready to make those changes in your life."

The three-hour presentation offers comprehensive information about maintaining a healthy heart. "Research shows there are some wonderful, basic things we all need to do and can do to have good health, and that's what we try to teach," says Traci Spickler, an exercise physiologist with St. Joseph's Hospital.

To demonstrate, she sits on the floor and shows the students some simple stretching exercises. She then pulls a chair to the front of the room and tells the class to stand up and sit down several times. She says it's one way to get in a workout without fancy equipment or training. "Thirty minutes of exercise most days of the week will provide you health benefits," she says.

Fear prevents many recovering cardiac patients from getting started on an exercise regimen, Spickler says. "What we like to do is diminish that fear by giving good information about to how to start exercising safely and effectively."

She advises everyone to check with a doctor before starting any workout routine. She also warns that they may be asked to do a stress test, a series of exercises that check cardiac function in a controlled medical setting.

The last hour of Heart School is devoted to diet. Registered dietitian Doris Adler displays plastic models of sample sizes of meat to demonstrate the importance of portion control. She stresses the need to add fruits and vegetables.

The chief problem, she says, is too many fatty foods. "The main goal is to cut down on the type of fats that will clog your arteries."

As she's leaving the classroom, Borgula admits she's a bit overwhelmed with all the information, but she vows to get started on a healthy lifestyle program.

Her heart problems took her by surprise, and she warns others not to be complacent. "I would say it would be a very smart thing for people to begin taking care of themselves when they are younger. Don't wait until something happens." E-mail to a friend

Judy Fortin is a correspondent with CNN Medical News.