Wear red event mobilizes heart disease awareness and prevention

At 49, Vickie Pratt, never thought she would be a heart disease survivor.

"My father was diagnosed with coronary heart disease at 48 and so I decided to get a coronary CT scan," Pratt, wife and mother, said. "I had three areas of blockage found in my heart; 80 percent of my right coronary artery was blocked. Before I knew it, I was having two stents put in my heart and started cardiac rehabilitation."

"The only symptom I had was that I was tired, but I just blew it off," Pratt said. "But, after my tests and diagnosis, I see why I was feeling bad."

Unfortunately, Vickie's story is all too common. The American Heart Association indicates that only 13 percent of women view heart disease as a health threat. But, the threat is real. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) accounts for about 1 death every minute among American women. In 2004, the CVD death toll among women was 461,200- that's more than the total number of deaths from cancer, lower respiratory diseases, Alzheimer's, diabetes, and accidents combined.

To educate women in the community about cardiovascular disease, Baptist Health Care in partnership with Parisians, Cardiology Consultants and the American Heart Association is hosting "Wear Red Day," Feb. 2 at the entrance to Parisian in Cordova Mall.

Activities include free heart risk assessments from 11:30 a.m. t o 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 to 6 p.m. Assessments include a family history review, non-fasting total cholesterol check and blood pressure check. Individual results will be mailed to participants approximately three weeks after the screening.

Women who take part in heart risk screenings will be eligible for special discounts and door prizes every hour courtesy of Parisian.

A variety of educational booths will be set up to provide information on heart disease prevention and treatment.

"One of the most important steps we can take in preventing heart disease is understanding the risk factors," said Leslie Estes- Smith, cardiovascular service line director for Baptist Hospital. "There are risk factors that we can't control such as age, gender and family history, but there are many risk factors that we can control like smoking, hypertension, high cholesterol and lack of exercise. Identifying and understanding the modifiable risk factors has the greatest impact in lessening a women's chance at developing this life-threatening disease."

Baptist will be providing eight additional heart risk assessment screenings throughout the month of February. Visit www.ebaptisthealthcare.org for additional dates, times and locations.
  Take control of your risk by identifying
and controlling these lifestyle-related risk
factors:
  ¦ Smoking
  ¦ High blood cholesterol
  ¦ High blood pressure
  ¦ Physical activity
  ¦ Obesity
  ¦ Diabetes
To learn more, visit www.goredforwomen.org