HANCEVILLE, Ala. — Students in Wallace State Community College’s Diagnostic Medical Sonography program spent Valentine’s Day spreading the word about the importance of being aware of heart health.
The Sonography program at Wallace State offers as one of its degree options a specialization in Cardiovascular Sonography, along with its General Sonography option which focuses on abdomen and OB/GYN.
“As students and soon-to-be-professionals in a career explicitly dealing with aspects of the heart and all of the many vessels from it, we cannot adequately express to you what your lifestyle equates to,” said class president Mattie Hice. “This is the month to begin your healthy heart lifestyle. Heart disease is still the leading cause of death in the United States; let’s change that statistic.”
Hice added the best way to improve those statistics is to work to prevent heart disease.
“Taking care of our heart starts with exercise, healthy eating, reducing stress and not smoking,” she said.
Wallace State Sonography students Ally Naylor, left, and Cheyenne Martin, right hand out treats and tips on being heart healthy. (Photo courtesy of WSCC) 
Wallace State Sonography student Owen Smith is ready to hand out treats and tips on being heart healthy. (Photo courtesy of WSCC)
On Valentine’s Day, Hice and her classmates in the Cardiovascular Sonography Class of 2022 spread across campus sharing bags of treats that included tips on ways to prevent heart disease. They also created a video sharing that message as well.
They paid special attention on hypertension (high blood pressure), which is one of the leading risk factors. Untreated high blood pressure puts patients at risk for stroke, heart failure, kidney failure, vision loss and even cognitive decline.
“So, with utmost emphasis, do this for you, and if not for you, do it for us, your family or the people you love most,” Hice said. “One in four deaths should not be from something we can predominantly prevent. Let’s get educated.”
The Diagnostic Medical Sonography program and most other Health Science programs at Wallace State will begin taking applications for Fall 2022 admission beginning March 1. For more information, call 256-352-8000.
