To raise awareness among local women that heart disease is their #1 health threat, the Center for Cardiovascular Health at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital announces it will host a Red Dress breakfast with Phaedra McDonough, APRN. The breakfast is free of charge.
The breakfast will occur on Wednesday, February 26, starting at 7:15 AM in the Brew Barry Conference Center. Phaedra will discuss the risk factors for women’s heart disease, symptoms and what women can do to prevent or reduce their risk of a heart attack. There will be time for questions to follow.
According to Marcy Rushford, Director for the Center for Cardiovascular Health, “This February, we are reaching out to women in our community to help them become more informed about their risk for heart disease and to try to give them some simple tools to reduce their risk of heart attack or stroke. Women often do not have the typical symptoms of chest or jaw pain with heart disease; instead, they may feel tired, have arm or back pain, or other vague symptoms that get ignored…until they have a significant event. By educating women to the signs and symptoms of heart disease, we hope that these signs can be recognized earlier, when less invasive options might be appropriate.”
Phaedra McDonough has over ten years of experience as a Nurse Practitioner, specifically in Cardiology and Pulmonary Medicine and has expertise with remote cardiac devices.
Seating is limited for the event. To register for this event or for information on upcoming cardiac related events, please contact Marcy Rushford at 802-257-8217 or via e-mail at mrushford@bmhvt.org.
The Center for Cardiovascular Health at BMH activities are in partnership with The Heart Truth, a national awareness campaign warning women about their risk of heart disease. The campaign is sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in partnership with The Office on Women’s Health (OWH) and other organizations committed to the health and well-being of women.
About The Heart Truth
Although significant progress has been made in increasing awareness among women that heart disease is their #1 killer (from 34 percent in 2000 to 69 percent in 2009) most fail to make the connection between its risk factors and their personal risk of developing heart disease. A nationwide campaign, The Heart Truth, is underway to raise awareness that women need to protect their heart.
The Heart Truth created and introduced the Red Dress as the national symbol for women and heart disease awareness in 2002 to deliver an urgent wake-up call to American women. The Red Dress® reminds women of the need to protect their heart health and inspires them to take action.
This national campaign is building awareness of women’s heart disease and empowering women to reduce and prevent their risk. It is reaching women with important heart health messages in community settings through a diverse network of national and grassroots partner organizations.
For more information about women and heart disease, including materials such as The Healthy Heart Handbook for Women and fact sheets about women and heart disease, please visit http://www.hearttruth.gov or call the NHLBI Health Information Center at 301-592-8573.
