Mayor Wayne Zitt and the town council, in conjunction with the police department and Guttenberg PBA local 88, sponsored a free public seminar on Heart Health on Feb. 28.

Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer in the U.S. and is more deadly than all forms of cancer combined. In honor of Heart Health Month in February, the seminar was designed to offer various ways for residents to stay active and improve heart health.

Held in the community room at 7005 Boulevard East, it included information on healthy meal plans and suitable exercise regimens, along with the importance of regularly taking any medications and how much water one should drink in a day. All these aspects and more are necessary for optimal health.

Also discussed were heart disease and blood pressure, as well as symptoms of a heart attack.

The Guttenberg Police Department provided lunch for free to all attendees. The seminar was proposed and presented by Police Officer Thomas Collins, who has been a licensed medical instructor for eight years and an EMT for 14 years. Also a licensed medical assistant and a certified electrocardiogram technician, he takes heart health very seriously and suggested the seminar as a way to give back to the community.

Assisting him and translating into Spanish was Guttenberg Police Officer Eric Regojo, a former volunteer fireman who is certified in first aid. Senior Services Coordinator Marisol Montanez helped arrange and organize the event.

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