This post is written by JoAnne M. Foody, MD, FACC, editor of CardioSmart.org and medical director of the Cardiovascular Wellness Center and Pollin Cardiovascular Wellness Program at Brigham and Women's Hospital.
We've come a long way with prevention and treatment of heart disease in women, but there's plenty of room for improvement. Women continue to be misdiagnosed, underrepresented in research and less likely to perceive heart disease as their number-one health threat, despite the fact that more women than men die each year from cardiovascular disease. American Heart Month highlights the need to eliminate these disparities, and this month there are plenty of opportunities to get involved and support these efforts.
A Twitter Chat held Feb. 1 by CardioSmart, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and Centric TV, a part of BET Networks, was successful with over almost 28 million impressions over the course of the week and more than 500 people participants. If you missed it you can view the archived chat here.
As ACC President William Zoghbi, MD, FACC, shared in a previous blog post, last week’s Women’s Cardiovascular Health Symposium and The Heart Truth’s Red Dress Collection Fashion Show were also a huge success. It was truly an honor to moderate the amazing symposium panel of cardiovascular and health care leaders, including the US Surgeon General. Last week’s 7th Annual Heart of Women’s Health conference was also an exciting opportunity to enhance knowledge and ultimately increase competency in the treatment of cardiovascular disease in women. Keith C. Ferdinand, MD, FACC, and I jointly led the sold out conference, where, along with last year's winner, Michelle Albert, MD, MPH, we had the privilege of presenting the 2013 Heart of Women's Health credo Award to Leslee Shaw, PhD, FACC, for her outstanding contributions to the field of heart disease in women.
Yesterday the first-ever National Heart Health Awareness Day took place. CardioSmart partnered with Diet Coke to conduct free heart risk screenings and educational awareness at major national health care institutions and academic medical centers.
Heart Month to me is always a reminder of why the College has invested in CardioSmart. Through partnerships with consumer groups, other medical specialty societies and public and private health care initiatives, CardioSmart is our door to our patients. It’s about raising awareness of heart disease, providing education on heart healthy choices, and building that physician/patient relationship. Together we can save lives.
P.S. Check out my video on what motivates me to stay heart healthy. Enjoy!
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