Heart attack survivor advocates for heart health

It has been seven years since Kevin Strnatka had a heart attack that doctors said should have killed him. He's doing everything he can to not only protect his heart but also the hearts of all Northwest Indiana residents.

Strnatka, 60, of Schererville, was 53 when he went running and became short of breath after a quarter mile. That night, he woke up feeling odd and went to the emergency room. He underwent an angiography so doctors could see the condition of his heart, and he felt his chest tighten. When he woke up, he learned he had survived an ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, commonly known as the widowmaker heart attack.

It's no secret heart disease is the No. 1 killer in the United States, killing 2,200 Americans each day, according to the American Heart Association. To help combat heart problems in Northwest Indiana, today's Times includes a special section about taking care of your heart. The section is packed with information about treatments and physicians in the region and ways to keep your ticker ticking.

"I had bad genes but was exercising," said Strnatka, whose father died at 55 after a series of heart attacks in his 40s. "I thought it wasn't going to happen to me, but it did."

Since his 2005 heart attack, Strnatka has worked to manage his stress better and amped up his exercise routine, competing in almost a dozen half marathons and exercising five to six days a week. But the biggest change he's made is to his diet, giving up his beloved Big Macs in favor of healthier fish and chicken.

"I used to be a fast-food freak," he said.

Strnatka is in his third term as a member of the American Heart Association's Northwest Indiana board of directors. He also is a 37-year veteran of NIPSCO, where he is the director of fuel supply, and he has helped the power utility become involved in the American Heart Association's initiatives. For example, Strnatka encouraged NIPSCO's support of the CPR Anytime program, which taught lifesaving CPR skills to every seventh- and eighth-grader in Hammond. NIPSCO provided more than $30,000 to donate 1,000 CPR Anytime kits to Hammond classrooms to support American Heart Association training.

"I look at that generation, and I worry," said Strnatka, who added he's concerned about childhood obesity. "I wonder what long-term effects will happen."

Strnatka is also involved with the American Heart Association's heart walks. He helped NIPSCO raise more than $200,000 for last fall's walks in Lake and Porter counties. He said participating in the walks had led him to hear numerous difficult stories about parents, children and grandparents affected by heart disease.

"I don't want to hear those stories," Strnatka said. "I want to hear that mom or dad had a heart attack, but they beat it."