WomenHeart Gets Nation Ready in Red for American Heart Month
National Effort Puts Spotlight on Heart Disease as Leading Cause of Death in Women
American Heart Month is here and WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease is getting America ready in red to recognize heart disease as the leading cause of death in women. The Ready in Red campaign is led by WomenHeart Champions throughout the country – women heart disease survivors and community education leaders on women and cardiovascular disease – who will turn their towns into landscapes of red to show support for the more than 42 million American women living with or at risk for heart disease. They will show support and raise awareness by displaying the campaign poster throughout their communities and encouraging women to take charge of their heart health.“The time is right for the country to know that heart disease is killing more than 432,000 women a year – more than any other disease and more than all cancers combined. We hope to move the nation towards more effective diagnosis and treatment of heart disease in women, and support for the more than 42 million American women living with or at risk for heart disease,” said Lisa M. Tate, Chief Executive Officer of WomenHeart.
“We’re very excited to see the national response as America becomes a landscape of red for American Heart Month. As a nation we to need continue to educate about heart disease prevention, advocate on behalf of women with heart disease, and provide women the support they need to live more heart-healthy lives,” Tate continued.
Beginning February 1 and continuing throughout the month, a national photo contest is open to the public to find the participant with the best photograph of how they got their town or community ready in red. The contest is simple: participants are asked to print the poster, take pictures of how they decorated their community with the poster and additional decorations, and submit the photos online.
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The winner will receive a grand prize of a $500 gift certificate donated by Travizon Corporate Travel. Complete contest rules and more information about Ready in Red are available here. The contest seeks to encourage women living with heart disease, as well as their families, friends and the heath care community, to generate awareness on this chronic and life-threatening condition. Cigarette smoking, high cholesterol, obesity, high blood pressure, a sedentary lifestyle, and having diabetes all increase the risk of having a heart attack or dying of heart disease in women. Many women are under the impression that heart disease is a man’s disease; however, more women than men have died from heart disease every year since 1984. Furthermore, women are less likely than men to receive guideline based treatment after a heart attack. As the leading cause of death of American women, heart disease needs to be a leading health concern for more women.
To receive your free heart health action kit visit www.womenheart.org/kit.
American Heart Month off to a Fast Start!
Tune into the online program, Fox Strategy Session, today, Tuesday, February 2 at 5 p.m. EST to catch WomenHeart Champions Natasha Fleishman and Eileen Dreczka as they discuss the importance of weight management and heart health.
Natasha and Eileen will spread the word about WomenHeart and support the Getting Red Dress Ready campaign, a Nutrisystem and WomenHeart partnership, as they appear in beautiful Jessica McClintock red dresses, ShoeDazzle.com Wynn pumps, Count Me Healthy jewelry and Sephora makeup.
Stay tuned for more exciting WomenHeart in the news during American Heart Month 2010!
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Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics 2010 Update (American Heart Association, December 17, 2009) has been issued just in time for American Heart Month, and the news is sobering. Despite the fact that there may be broader awareness in the population about women’s heart disease, there are still disparities in how women are diagnosed and treated, translating into more than 42 million women currently living with heart disease in the United States.
According to the report, one woman dies every minute from cardiovascular disease (CVD), citing a total of 432,709 female deaths in 2006 — more than the combined deaths from all cancers, chronic lower respiratory disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and accidents. Of clear concern are the rates of obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure, all key contributors to heart disease. Unfortunately, although there was a higher percentage (57%) than in recent surveys of awareness among women of CVD being the leading cause of death among women, the percentage of African-American and Hispanic women was still low and unchanged. Hispanic women also reported that there was “nothing they can do to keep themselves from getting CVD.”
On the bright side, in a national survey of women of all races, the number of women who identified CVD as the leading cause of heart disease has almost doubled since 1997, although the rate of awareness was higher in white women than in black and Hispanic women. Respondents to the survey also cited confusion about “basic prevention strategies.” Indications are that there is more work to do to make sure that all women, regardless of race, have clear and current information about heart disease, including how to take preventative measures to help avoid developing CVD.
Some key statistical updates from the report include:
- Heart disease is the leading cause of death of American women.
- More women than men die of heart disease each year.
- 35.3% of deaths in American women over the age of 20, or more than 432,000, are caused by cardiovascular disease each year.
- More than 200,000 women die each year from heart attacks- nearly five times as many women as breast cancer.
- Women are less likely than men to receive appropriate treatment after a heart attack.
- Women comprise only 27% of participants in all heart-related research studies.
- 58% of Caucasian women, 80% of African-American women, and 74% Hispanic-American women are overweight or obese.
- Women with diabetes are 2.5 times more likely to have heart attacks.
- 48% of adult women have total cholesterol of at least 200mg/dL.
- 50% of Caucasian women, 64% of African-American women, 60% of Hispanic women, and 53% of Asian/Pacific Islander women are sedentary and get no leisure time physical activity.
- African-American women, despite their higher risk of heart disease, were 10% less likely to receive aspirin and 27% less likely to receive cholesterol-lowering drugs.
- Some medications to treat hypertension in African-American patients work better and some work worse compared to Caucasian patients.
- Among African-American women over the age of 20, 44.8% have high blood pressure.
- Compared with Caucasian women, Hispanic women are nearly three times as likely to be uninsured.
- Prevalence for diabetes in Mexican-American women is two times higher than Caucasian women.
Click here for the full report.
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WomenHeart Partners with Interventional Cardiologists to Emphasize Gap in CVD Treatment and Research for Women
The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI), with partnership from WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease, this month launched “WINHeart – Score a WIN for Women,” an initiative that raises awareness surrounding gender-based disparities in the diagnosis, treatment and survival of women with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Simultaneously, Women In Innovations (WIN), a group of interventional cardiologists within SCAI, today released a new report and survey that illustrate why cardiovascular disease is under-recognized and under-treated in women despite the near split in prevalence of heart disease between men and women.
The report, “Gender-based Issues in Interventional Cardiology: A Consensus Statement from the Women in Innovations (WIN) Initiative,” was published in key medical journals both in the United States and abroad, and highlights significant disparities in women’s treatment and outcomes. One suspected reason for the disparity is women account for only 20 to 25 percent of patients enrolled in most CVD clinical trials.
“The majority of data from clinical trials is based on a population of mostly male participants, and as a result, women are being treated according to data based on men,” says Roxana Mehran, MD, FSCAI, director of outcomes research at the Center of Interventional Vascular Therapies at Columbia University, N.Y., and report co-author. “With this information, it is not surprising that women’s outcomes are significantly worse than men’s after treatment. What is surprising is that more is not being done to close this gap, which is what we seek to address through WINHeart.”
The WINHeart survey, with more than 300 respondents who are members of WomenHeart and are heart disease survivors, found 80 percent of women who had CVD never considered participating in clinical trials because they were not aware clinical trials were recruiting patients (50 percent), they were concerned about effects of treatment or lack of effects if given placebo (31 percent), or there were logistical issues such as transportation issues, geographic barriers, financial barriers or lack of time (20 percent). In addition, only 10 percent of women said their physician spoke with them about participating in a clinical trial when they were first diagnosed with heart disease or a heart attack. SCAI and WomenHeart are partnering on the WINHeart initiative to expand research and raise awareness surrounding the disparity in care for women with heart disease.
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Premier program seeks 60 women who want to make a difference in the lives of women living with and at risk for heart disease
WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease is now accepting applications for the WomenHeart Science & Leadership Symposium at Mayo Clinic, October 9-13, 2010, in Rochester, MN.
If you are a woman living with heart disease and want to help other women, apply now! Applications are now being accepted for this prestigious training program offered exclusively through WomenHeart. Deadline for applications is June 18, 2010.
Each year, just 60 women are accepted from a competitive application process for this rigorous program about the science of heart disease with some of the nation’s top cardiologists and heart care experts at Mayo Clinic; as well as receive training in public speaking and community outreach strategies. In return, the women commit to at least 24 hours of community education and service during the six months following the Symposium and remain an active WomenHeart Champion, one of an exclusive group of women heart disease survivors who are volunteer community educators, advocates, and media spokespersons.
Click here to learn more and apply. Applicants must complete the form, answer essay questions and provide letters of recommendation. Deadline for applications is June 18, 2010. For more information, call WomenHeart at 202-728-7199.
Note to health care professionals: Please share this announcement with patients who you think would make great volunteer community leaders, educators, advocates, and national spokespersons on the issue of women and heart disease.
 ShoeDazzle.com, which pairs its members with celebrity stylists to provide them with beautiful shoes for $39.95 per month, is proud to partner with WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease during American Heart Month in February. ShoeDazzle is introducing the Wynn pump on February 5, National Wear Red Day®, to raise awareness about heart disease as the leading cause of death in women. Ten percent of the sale from each pair of Wynn pumps sold will be donated to WomenHeart.“I was shocked when I learned that nearly 42 million American women live with or are at risk for heart disease, and most aren’t even aware of the threat they face,” said Kim Kardashian, co-founder and Chief Fashion Stylist for ShoeDazzle.com.
“Wearing the red Wynn pump is a simple and stylish way to remind all women about the importance of being heart healthy, and that personal health should be their top priority!” Kardashian continued.
In support of the cause, ShoeDazzle.com is offering members the Wynn – a limited-edition ruby red shoe benefiting WomenHeart and will provide its members with Heart Healthy tips and information on its web site. The Wynn is available to order on www.shoedazzle.com for $39.95 which, like all ShoeDazzle selections, includes both the cost of the shoe and shipping.
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Helping Hearts Bracelet by Count Me Healthy Jewelry - Order now for yourself and all of the special women in your life! For each bracelet sold, 25 percent of the $88.00 price directly benefits the educational, advocacy and support work of WomenHeart. |
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Knit or crochet a red scarf for a special woman living with heart disease. Click here to order your HeartScarves kit! For each kit sold, $3.00 of the $12.99 price directly benefits the work of WomenHeart.
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Katie Kalsi Handbags, Inc. has teamed with WomenHeart to support women living with heart disease through a special promotional offer of the “I Love My Heart” clutch handbag. This beautiful black suede clutch with leather accents sells for $125.00 with 25% of each purchase going to WomenHeart. Go here to order now! |
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Celebrate survival with an engraved Charity Charm! Click here to order your personalized bracelet (and other jewelry!) directly from Charity Charms. |
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And remember, these gifts need greeting cards! RedStamp.com has designed an exclusive line of products for WomenHeart, with 15 percent of proceeds from the WomenHeart line benefiting women living with heart disease. |
Happy Valentine's Day Shopping!
Are you a member of Inspire, our free online community for Heart Sisters? It’s a great place to find out what other women are doing during American Heart Month, and may inspire you to get active yourself! Here are a few ideas that caught our eye:
- Laura is raising awareness on the university campus where she works by organizing different activities through the Wellness Program and Women’s Center. She said that she was inspired to “get off my duff” this year after she grumbled last year that Heart Month came and went without much fanfare. Just a few of the great ideas that will be in play this year are heart-healthy featured dishes in the campus cafeteria, cooking demonstrations, Wear Red Fridays, and a display of heart-themed books at the campus bookstore.
- Jen shared her real excitement over what she calls a “small-scale” effort — which includes promoting a Wear Red Day campaign at her former employer (where all 1200 employees are being challenged to wear red), as well as at her husband and mother-in-law’s workplaces, and even the two schools attended by her children. That’s a lot of red!
- Carol throws the Red Dress challenge out to everyone in her workplace — a financial institution — where she takes in donations to support heart disease research and gets her fellow employees so committed to the challenge that even the men come to work in red dresses!
Many Heart Sisters suggested that one way to make a difference is to get the facts out to your family, friends, and coworkers each day during Heart Month — check out our Web site for great resources like these:
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February Survey: Health Care Legislation
As we all know, Congress has been debating new health care legislation for months. What are your thoughts about health care? Go here to take this month's survey!
January Survey Results
Thank you for participating in our recent survey about New Year’s resolutions. The results were a mixed bag, as you might expect, since most of us probably have mixed feelings about resolutions! More than half of you reported that you do sometimes make resolutions, and even more of you said that resolutions don’t work. The most popular resolutions were consistent with the general population — to lose weight, exercise more, and get organized. Many of you also thought that it might be smart to get together with friends or family members to make those resolutions — as they say, misery loves company, and it can be easier to stay on track with diets,exercise, or quitting cigarettes when you have a partner with whom you can share both the struggles and the successes!
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WomenHeart is pleased to announce the availability of Living Well with Heart Disease patient education brochure. For women heart patients, this informative brochure answers commonly asked questions about heart disease, and helps women feel more confident about taking care of themselves. Go here for your free copy.
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Living Well with Heart Disease
 WomenHeart can now accept donations from supporters ANYWHERE straight from their mobile phone, and it is as simple as sending a text message. No cash, check , or credit card needed!
How it Works
You can now give $5 by simply texting the word: LIVE to 90999. You will get a message asking you to confirm your $5 donation by replying with YES. After you reply with YES, you will get a second message confirming that the $5 has been added to your cell phone bill. It’s that simple, so go ahead and text the word LIVE to 90999 to support WomenHeart!
A one-time donation of $5 will be added to your mobile phone bill. Standard messaging rates and additional fees may apply. All charges are billed by and payable to your mobile service provider. Service is available on most carriers. Donations are collected for the benefit of WomenHeart by the Mobile Giving Foundation (MGF) and subject to the terms found at www.hmgf.org/t. You may unsubscribe at any time by texting STOP to 90999.
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WomenHeart in WashingtonApply Now to 2010 Advocacy Institute
Calling veteran lobbyists as well as women newly interested in public policy to apply for the 2010 WomenHeart Advocacy Institute, May 16-18, Washington, DC.
Women heart disease survivors who are interested in making a difference in the lives of all women are encouraged to take advantage of this unique opportunity to learn about policy making, gain effective communication skills, and meet with the elected officials in Congress to advocate for better health care for women with heart disease.
The Advocacy Institute is a two-day training program on public policy and the legislative process for women living with heart disease whose interests and skills lie in advocacy, public speaking, and persuasive writing. Participants receive training to promote WomenHeart’s public policy agenda to members of Congress locally and in Washington, DC. By learning how Congress works and the most effective ways to communicate with lawmakers, participants familiarize themselves with opportunities that exist for citizens to shape public policy, become strong advocates for WomenHeart, and make the nation a better place for women living with heart disease.
Deadline for applications is Friday, February 26. Preference is given to those who have attended the WomenHeart Science & Leadership Symposium at Mayo Clinic, but it is not a requirement to have attended. Previous Advocacy Institute attendees are encouraged to apply. Selections are based on strength of the application and ongoing commitment to WomenHeart’s public policy efforts, as well as geographic and ethnic diversity.
WomenHeart pays tuition, hotel room, and meals. Participants pay travel expenses, including airfare and ground transportation. A very limited number of travel scholarships are available for women who cannot afford travel expenses and otherwise would be unable to participate. Preference is given to women who have not previously received a scholarship.
Please download the application, available at www.womenheart.org and return by e-mail, mail or fax to WomenHeart. Applicants will be notified in March as to the status of their application.
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By WomenHeart Scientific Advisory Council member Penny Kris-Etherton, PhD, RD, and her colleagues Jennifer Fleming, MS, RD, Melissa Hendricks, RD
Chocolate and Your Heart
Chocolate – Yum, do you picture a foil-wrapped, melt-in-your-mouth candy bar? Today, chocolate is a special indulgence. Interestingly, the chocolate we enjoy today is very different from the way it was eaten more than 2,000 years ago. Cocoa was first used in Mesoamerica by the Maya and Aztecs as a medicinal drink. In recognition of American Heart Month (and Valentine’s Day), this article reviews some of the latest news and research about the health benefits of cocoa and chocolate.
The natural plant product, cocoa, and the processed food product, chocolate, are quite different. Chocolate is a combination of cocoa, sugar, milk, and other ingredients to form a solid food product. Chocolate often is viewed negatively because it is relatively high in calories from sugar and fat and is linked to obesity, diabetes, and dental cavities. Because of this, many health professionals counsel patients not to eat chocolate.However, the recent discovery of biologically active phenolic compounds in cocoa is beginning to change some thinking about chocolate. Research has linked cocoa and chocolate to improved heart function, lower blood pressure, improved endothelial function (vascular health), and platelet function.
What is it about cocoa that delivers these health benefits?
Plant-derived flavonoids. Flavonoids are a subgroup of polyphenols, which are antioxidant substances found in plants. Cocoa is a rich source of flavonoids, even greater than tea and wine. Dark chocolate contains substantially more flavonoids than milk chocolate. Evidence from many studies suggests that it is the high flavonoid content of dark chocolate that may protect against risk of cardiovascular disease by exerting antioxidant properties, lowering blood pressure, reducing LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol), decreasing inflammation, and increasing HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol).
Stearic acid. Stearic acid is a saturated fat. Cocoa butter, a fat found predominately in dark chocolate products, contains 34% fat from stearic acid. Unlike other saturated fats which increase cholesterol, stearic acid has a neutral effect on cholesterol levels.
Thus, cocoa and chocolate not only taste good but have health benefits. And, science is showing beneficial effects of chocolate on cardiovascular disease. Dark chocolate, which contains the highest amount of flavonoids, along with no added milk fat (only pure cocoa butter), shows promising results regarding cardiovascular disease protection.
Keep in mind that while chocolate has some interesting health benefits, it is loaded with calories and should be eaten with discretion. All natural cocoa-containing products contain flavanols, but in varying amounts depending mostly on the amount of natural cocoa in the product. The following table shows a variety of cocoa products and the amounts you can consume to equal 100 calories. For only 20 calories, two tablespoons (10g) of unsweetened cocoa powder provides the same antioxidant power as two glasses of red wine, two cups of green tea or three cups of black tea.
So, relax and savor a small portion of dark chocolate as part of a well-balanced diet, guilt-free, and realize some of the cardiovascular benefits.
Amounts of common chocolate products that contain approximately 100 calories (adapted from The Hershey Company) :
| Product | Amount Equaling 100 Calories |
| Semi-sweet chocolate | 1 ½ baking block (21 g) or 1 ½ Tbsp. chocolate chips (22.5 g) |
| Bittersweet chocolate | 1 ½ baking block (21 g) |
| Unsweetened baking chocolate | 1 ½ baking block (21 g) |
| Milk chocolate | 0.75oz candy bar or 2 Hershey’s Nuggets or 4 Hershey’s kisses (22 g) |
| White chocolate | 1 ½ Tbsp. white chocolate chips (22.5 g) |
Recipe of the Month: Calabaza Squash with Chocolate Mole Sauce
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© 2009 WomenHeart. The information provided in this newsletter and on the WomenHeart.org web site is intended for your general knowledge only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions. Please consult your healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding your health problems or medical conditions.
This email was sent by: WomenHeart: the National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease
818 18th Street, NW Suite #1000 Washington, DC 20006 TEL: 202 728 7199
EMAIL: mail@womenheart.org WEB: http://www.womenheart.org
