Women's Heart Health Day February 19, 2010

You may be surprised to learn that the leading cause of death among women in the United States isn’t cancer – It’s heart disease. Each year, nearly twice as many women die of cardiovascular disease than from all forms of cancer combined.

Women in the Miami area should take 15 critical minutes to get free screenings on Friday, February 19th at the Women’s Heart Health Day at the James L. Knight Center, 400 SE 2nd Avenue in Downtown Miami, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Afterward, they will get with on-the-spot counseling on their personal risk factors from trained health professionals, a unique feature of this event.

Miami is hosting the Women’s Heart Health Day along with its beneficiary, Florida Heart Research Institute, a nonprofit dedicated to offering heart disease screenings and “heart-healthy” information and support to prevent heart disease. The event will once again feature engaging presentations in English, Spanish and Creole on medical, nutritional, fitness and lifestyle topics.

A key step is in the oft-repeated, “Know your numbers.” Fair attendees can learn their cholesterol, triglycerides, blood glucose levels, blood pressure, BMI (body mass index) and waist circumference. Afterward, women can learn specific ways to reduce their risk factors and discuss their family health history at the free screenings.

Florida Heart will also track individuals by age that get screened, were identified as high-risk and received referrals with follow-up. Follow up of women who are identified as high-risk is a critical element that is being added to the screening process this year.

Medical screeners and counselors from Florida Heart Research Institute with volunteer support from Miami Dade College-Medical Campus and BlueCross Blue Shield of Florida will explain results and offer suggestions on what participants can do to lower identified individual risk factors and how to adopt a heart-healthy lifestyle. More than 50 exhibitors, raffles and giveaways add fun to this event with a serious purpose.

Former U.S. Congresswoman Carrie Meek, who is serving as Co-Chairman of the campaign for the sixth year, is enthusiastic about helping women focus on themselves. “Women do so much for their families and friends. It’s time they take care of their own hearts,” said Meek. “Getting a heart screening is critical to their future health.”

Along with South Miami Heart Center, a part of South Miami Hospital, other sponsors include gold heart partners, Miami-Dade County and BlueCross and BlueShield of Florida, and silver heart partner, Carnival Corporation.

At the Women’s Heart Health Day events held in Miami since 2005, more than 40% of the women screened found out that they had two or more risk factors for heart disease. A significant number of them had been unaware of this before the screening.

The Women’s Heart Health Day campaign in Miami provides women an opportunity to get screened for and increase awareness about heart disease, to encourage healthy lifestyles, and to reduce their risk factors for the biggest killer of women today. For more information in English, Spanish or Creole, the public may call 305-674-3020 or visit www.floridaheart.org/heartday.

Official Website: http://www.floridaheart.org/heartday/