If you noticed a lot of people sporting red attire today, it wasn't just a coincidence. Today was the American Heart Association's National Wear Red Day, as part of the AHA's Go Red For Women movement. February is women's heart health month, and today was a day for women to take action in support of the cause.
Statistics show that heart disease causes the death of one woman every minute. Approximately eight million women in the U.S. are living with heart disease right now, and ninety percent of women have one or more risk factors for developing it. However, studies show only one sixth of women know that heart disease is such a big threat to their health.
Munson Medical Center is just one hospital determined to spread awareness and share knowledge. We spoke with Paul Koss, the Manager at Munson's Cardiac Cath. Lab. He stated that heart disease kills more women than the next four causes combined-a statistic that surprises many. He said word is starting to spread due to the amount of women that find out they have heart disease, and go out and tell their communities to get screened, citing if it can happen to me-it can happen to you. Koss stated, "There's screening processes involved- they're very simple, not all that expensive, and that's part of the awareness that we're trying to get out there for people- not only that this is an issue, but this is the number one killer of women over twenty. But hey, there's something you can do to screen for it and to look for it to see if you are at risk." Koss said the screening is quick, easy, and affordable. Munson also has funding set up to help low-income women and families if need be.
Munson has many events all month long to help spread knowledge about heart disease to the community. To get yourself screened, contact your family physician or Munson Medical Center.
