Mahaska Health Partnership Encourages Going Red on Feb. 5
Mahaska Health Partnership
MAHASKA COUNTY – Friday, Feb. 5 is National Wear Red Day, a day when the American Heart Association encourages everyone to wear red and bring awareness to cardiovascular disease and its effect on women.
According to the American Heart Association (AHA), heart disease and stroke are responsible for 1 in 3 deaths among women each year. Fortunately, with education and action, 80% of cardiac and stroke events may be prevented. The goal of National Wear Red Day is to challenge women to know their risk for heart disease and take action to reduce their likelihood of developing the deadly disease. Anyone who wants to show their support in the fight against heart disease in women is encouraged to wear red on Friday, Feb. 5.
“One of the main challenges this movement faces is convincing women that heart disease is actually a serious risk for them,” said MHP Cardiac Rehab Nurse Renee Edgar. “Early detection can make all the difference in the battle against this number one killer of women. However, too many women are convinced that cardiovascular disease isn’t relevant to them because of their gender, age and lifestyle.”
Even with the increased efforts of the AHA, heart disease continues to kill more women than every type of cancer combined. “As a cardiac rehab nurse, I work with many patients of all ages, genders and sizes. Oftentimes, my patients had no idea of their risk until it was too late. This event is a great way to raise awareness about women’s health and encourage them to schedule a well-woman visit.”
Well-woman visits are annual visits with a primary care provider that are often covered by insurance. These exams are an annual physical along with a discussion about your health that all women should receive in order to identify health risks before they become life-threatening.
Along with regular visits with your primary care provider, Edgar suggests making small lifestyle changes to reduce your risk of a cardiac event. “Make sure to keep your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar in check. Try to get in 30 minutes a day of exercise. Avoid smoking, eat plenty of fruits and veggies, watch your sodium intake and keep your consumption of sugary drinks to a minimum.
“If you take the proper precautions ahead of time, you could save yourself from developing cardiovascular disease and other chronic health conditions,” Edgar continued. “Little changes can go a long way for you now; don’t wait until it’s too late to take control of your health.”
National Wear Red Day is the kickoff to a month-long celebration of heart heath and disease awareness. MHP is also offering reduced-rate Cholesterol Screenings Wednesday, Feb. 17, to further encourage the public to assess their risk of heart disease.
“Cholesterol screenings are a great first step to take in evaluating your heart disease risk factors,” encouraged Edgar. “We will be offering various tests at a reduced rate, as well as free information provided by some of our health experts. This screening is an excellent opportunity to start improving your health.”
Tests will be offered at MHP’s campus in Oskaloosa from 6 – 9 am in the Cedar Bluff Learning Center (entrance #3), and at MHP’s New Sharon Medical Center, 112 South Main Street in New Sharon, from 7 – 9 am. Appointments are recommended but not required. To schedule an appointment, call 641.672.3100 for Oskaloosa or 641.637.2651 for New Sharon.
Mahaska Health Partnership, located in Oskaloosa, is a non-profit health system accredited by the Joint Commission. It is guided by its mission to provide exceptional customer service and health improvement, linking the science of medicine with the humanity of compassionate care. For more information about how Mahaska Health Partnership is making healthcare personal, look us up on the web: mahaskahealth.org.
